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Commentary: The Virus’ Uneven Path

In its most recent update, the Texas Workforce Commission reported 286,000 unemployment benefit claims across the Houston region, the highest number in the state.

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Someone’s Paying Attention

At least Susan Combs is paying attention to the needs of the state’s economy. With businesses struggling to understand, let alone pay, the confusingly complex new business tax, Comptroller Combs announced she’s giving everyone an extra month to make sense of what her office called “the complexity” of the new tax. That the new tax isn’t needed, and shouldn’t have been implemented to begin with, just adds gross insult to very real injury.

Did You Know Texas Cities Can Tax Leased Cars?

Even we have trouble keeping up with all the different taxes and fees and today we learned that a 2001 law passed by the Legislature allows Texas cities to impose property taxes on leased cars. The Galveston Daily News reports that League City collects $243 per year on a car appraised at $40,000, but that they may repeal the tax at tomorrow’s Council meeting.

A Mouse In A Cheese Factory

Too many politicians, including those claiming to be conservatives, try to impress taxpayers with the increased activity of government. Conservative activist Chuck Ellis recently commented on the big-spending ways of his local government officials, but the same could be said of lawmakers up and down the political food chain.

A Bad Idea Turns Into A Nightmare

Businesses around the state are only now learning how much they are going to have to fork over to Austin under the new business tax — which is due one month from today. The picture isn’t pretty and the results could be disastrous; which translates into lost jobs.

Texas Fire Hydrant Imbroglio: Common Sense in Government Has Been Extinguished

Last session the Legislature passed a law requiring all fire hydrants with a flow of less than 250 gallons per minute be painted black to avoid hook-ups to inoperative hydrants, but now the Green Valley Special Utility District has decided to paint all of its hydrants black because it cannot guarantee this flow level, even citing the possibility of a terrorist attack that could make it liable for

Money To Plan On

How much planning can you do with $1.7 million? And does any of it matter? The Texas Planning Assistance Grant Program is giving away that much of your money to 19 local “councils of government.” What is a council of government? They allegedly exist to facilitate intergovernmental cooperation and planning. What do they do? Spend your money.

Liberal Babble Makes Us Poor

Liberals are always looking for anything they can dress up as “facts” to fit the left-wing social-engineering schemes they’ve been promoting for decades. No different is a “study” released by two leftist activist groups that claims Texas has one of the worst “income gaps” in the nation… And their solution to close the gap is to kill the economy. Are there poor in Texas? Someone once said there will always be poor among us. But in Texas, the poor have great opportunities to be poor no more.

Bryan Daniel Wins In HD52

Bryan Daniel won election in House District 52, seat made vacant by the retiring Mike Krusee in Williamson County. Daniel presented a clear message and was strongly supported by a coalition of conservatives. Congratulations!

Update: Legler Carries 144

Ken Legler beat Fred Roberts in the HD 144 race. Legler ran a strong campaign based on conservative solutions to pressing policy questions. Congratulations on a well run race!