As Texas begins implementing a buoy barrier to deter illegal border crossers, Maverick County Democrats are protesting.
Local
Former Assistant Alleges Unethical Behavior by Navarro County DA
“I was told by Dixon, ‘Be nice to him; he’s going to help get me elected.’”
Congressional District 11 Candidate Interview: J. Ross Lacy
Texas Scorecard interviews congressional candidate J. Ross Lacy on his bid to represent Texas’ 11th Congressional District.
Congressional Candidate Aims to Bring Sunlight and Accountability
Challenger Chris Putnam points to opponent’s poor fiscal record and lack of transparency in congressional primary.
San Angelo GOP Chair and Congressional Candidate Square Off
A congressional forum sparked a flurry of legal threats and accusations between Tom Green County GOP Chair Jeff Betty and congressional candidate Casey Gray.
MOST RECENT
Chick-fil-A Banned from San Antonio Airport
The city council voted to discriminate against the popular fast food chain.
Cain Calls for Termination of Baytown Teacher
“No teacher should attempt to indoctrinate a child to their ideology, no matter who is in the White House.”
State Halts Houston ISD Superintendent Search
HISD’s superintendent search has been stopped by the TEA.
Colleyville and Grapevine Elections Turn Hot
Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District Board President Lisa Pardo admitted her husband took down a yard sign of Colleyville Mayor Pro Tem Bobby Lindamood Jr.
CyFair to Hold Billion-Dollar Bond Election
Just a few short years after the passage of a billion-dollar bond, a Harris County school district is back asking voters for more.
Pflugerville: Giving Citizens More Power “Ties Our Hands”
City council doesn’t like the idea of asking citizens for more of their money.
Dallas’ Anti-Worker Paid Sick Leave Revived
Dallas City Councilmen, including mayoral candidate Scott Griggs, file to have city vote on a harmful anti-worker mandate.
Voters Speak Against Controversial Reforms of Citizens Police Review Board
Dallas City Council hears complaints of higher costs, lack of voter participation with reforms.
Austin Wants to Fine Fast Scooter Riders
New rules and penalties could be coming to Austinites who ride scooters.
Local Businesses Under Siege From Public University
University of North Texas is attempting to forcefully take over the properties of longtime local businesses.
ARCHIVE
Property Tax Appraisals Skyrocket from Metroplex to Killeen
In Dallas County, total property values are up 16 percent, with about half of that attributable to increases on existing properties, according to a Dallas Morning News report.
Although Collin County has not posted 2007 average home values yet, the Dallas Morning News reports that total appraisals are up 47 percent in Celina , 38.9 percent in Prosper, and 30.3 percent in Melissa, all of which are in the northern part of the county. Assuming half is due to new construction, that is still 15 to 24 percent increases in average home value.
Hitchcock and Galveston Engulfed by Rising Tide of Property Taxes
If you've ever been to Hitchcock, which is situated in the shadows of Texas City and its effusive refineries, despite the proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, you might be forgiven for not having thought you were in Palm Beach. Hitchcock may not seem like a ritzy resort rolling in money, but don't tell that to the Galveston County Tax Appraiser. It turns out that property values in Hitchcock are increasing by 27.41 percent this year, according to a Galveston Daily News report.
Small Businesses Bracing for Burdensome Business Tax
The San Antonio Express-News reports that many small business owners around the state are facing huge bills due under the new state gross receipts tax which starts in 2007, with the first payment to the state due by May 2008. The article notes that many firms are seeing a tenfold increase in tax due as compared with the franchise tax, which it replaces.
What Wine Goes Best With Pork-Fat?
The Texas Department of Agriculture will this Sunday serve up a heain' helpin' of taxpayer dollars as the chief sponsor of an artsy "wine dinner" in Austin. Were you invited? Me, either…
Dallas Shopping Centers Ring Up Lawsuit Against Apprisal District
According to a Dallas Business Journal article , the owners of several Dallas-area shopping centers, including Highland Park Village and Preston Trail Plaza, are suing the Dallas Central Appraisal District and the Dallas Appraisal Review Board, saying the method the entities use to calculate tax appraisals violates the Texas Constitution.
Too Much Dust, Not Enough Results
Besides just bad philosophy, one of the worst contributors to government growth is our misplaced emphasis on defining success by activity. When you stand on the plains and look to the horizon, a great cloud of dust can be either an army purposefully on the move, or a lone idiot riding his horse in circles.Â
Too often, we are just interested in seeing a great cloud of dust, and not interested enough in the results. In every debate in Austin (and in Washington) the discussion centers too much on "how much we have/are/will spend" and not nearly enough on "what we have/are/will accomplish."
Texas Hotel Taxes Enough to Make You Lose Sleep
Found this revealing tidbit on the Austin American-Statesman's entertainment pages:Â
Those hotel occupancy taxes in Texas’ big cities are so high they’ll give you a nosebleed. Example: My $279 stay at the lovely Granduca Hotel in Houston a few days ago carried $46.93 in occupancy tax: That’s 6 percent for the great State of Texas, 7 percent for the city, 2 percent for Harris County and another 2 percent for the Houston-Harris County Sports Authority, the entity that builds stadiums.
More Taxes, Courtesy of Republican Fred Hill
There was once a time when Republicans were known as the tax-cutters; people who – if nothing else – would work to make sure the taxpayers’ money stayed in the taxpayers’ wallet (as State Rep. Rob Eissler likes to say).
That was then, this is now. State Rep. Fred Hill (R-Richardson) wants to raise your local taxes. Sure, he wants to start with the Dallas-Fort Worth area. But don’t worry; this new tax will spread like a virus to every city in Texas. He is pushing a bill to let those cities raise their sales tax to fund mass transit. (Never mind that mass transit is usually spelled “B-O-O-N-D-O-G-G-L-E.†or, in the original French, “P-O-R-Kâ€)
Pork in the State Budget?
The McAllen Monitor reported that the new $150 billion House budget for the 2008-09 biennium includes some arguably pork barrel expenditures – most of those mentioned are earmarks for projects in the Rio Grande Valley. Among the taxpayer-funded projects mentioned are:
House Committee Unanimously Hangs Up on Telephone Tax
The Lone Star Report brings us the following good news:
The House Regulated Industries committee unanimously voted Feb. 21 to eliminate the Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund (TIF). The tax on consumers’ phone bill was created in 1995 to help wire schools, libraries and colleges for the Internet. TIF was supposed to end after 10 years or after it raised $1.5 billion, whichever came first. However in 2005, the Legislature removed the tax’s expiration date. Since 2003, the tax was used to fund general revenue and is no longer used for its original purpose.