Call it California peer pressure if you will, but in accordance with the city’s trademark environmentalism Austin is taking further steps to stop all that is bad in the world: Mayor Lee Leffingwell recently announced a revived proposal to ban plastic shopping bags in the city’s retail businesses.

One day after declaring a Phase 1 Emergency because of record electricity use, the City of Austin released the locations of 103 electric-car charging stations that all tap into the power grid.

Once upon a time, the art of “compromise” might have been an honorable political trait. It’s now become politico-speak for allowing the ruling class to spend without restraint. The debt debate debacle is just the most recent, and costly, example. The difference this time: taxpayers are paying attention. And it’s a very important difference.

For the past year, the Tarrant Appraisal District has been in violation of state law. By failing to publicly post agendas for meetings over 72 hours in advance, any actions they have taken could be nullified by the Texas Open Meetings Act.

The American People are witnesses to the slow suicide of our government through political posturing, lack of imagination and small-minded decision making.

Think your small-town school district is immune from the taxpayer fraud and abuse seen in the state’s largest districts? Luling residents have learned otherwise. Their local superintendent was put on administrative leave last week after reports of financial mismanagement, including abuses of district credit cards.

News broke recently that State Rep. and Taxpayer Champion James White will have a primary opponent in the upcoming election cycle. Given that his challenger, Rep. Mike “Tuffy” Hamilton, would have otherwise been paired against one of the three worst Republicans in the House this session, some ulterior motives are likely at play.

How much are you willing to pay for a bicycle? $200? $400? That’s nowhere close to what the City of Austin is going to spend per bike for a new “bike-sharing program” downtown. At over $1,500 per bicycle, the Austin City Council is ready to spend $1.8 million on their newest taxpayer boondoggle.

Texans for Fiscal Responsibility endorsed State Sen. Brian Birdwell for re-election in 2012 campaign season....

Would school funding equity make for better schools, rural, urban and suburban? Let’s read comments made in a feature story from Abilene’s KTAB in which State Rep. Susan King and former big-spending Clyde ISD superintendent Gail Haterius push school funding equity.