by Admin | Nov. 24, 2008 | State
With the national economic outlook continuing to look dim, Texans must insist that the Legislature focus on policies that ensure the state’s fiscal soundness. Whoever leads the Texas House must be committed to spending restraint, low taxes, property tax reform...
by Michael Quinn Sullivan | Nov. 20, 2008 | State
Texas has led the way in transparency and open-government, from our open meetings and records laws to recent victories in posting expenditures in real-time. Texans enjoy unprecedented sunlight in knowing how tax dollars are used and elected officials act. But now some...
by Daniel Greer | Nov. 19, 2008 | Local
Several months ago we wrote about lawmakers hiring "ghost workers" after several news sources brought the practice to light. Rep. Jim Jackson (R-Carrollton) was paying attention and has filed legislation aimed at ending this ponzi scheme. Ghost Workers are...
by Michael Quinn Sullivan | Nov. 18, 2008 | Local
For growing expenditures faster than the student population and overseeing a decline in SAT scores, the Humble ISD school trustees are working to sock taxpayers with a massive tax hike to fund the district’s massive over-spending. And rather than accept...
by TCollins | Nov. 17, 2008 | State
Gov. Rick Perry’s office just announced that the run-off election for Houston’s Senate District 17 will be on Dec. 16. The race pits conservative Joan Huffman, a former judge, against perennial liberal candidate Chris Bell. Given the tightened dynamics of...
by Michael Quinn Sullivan | Nov. 17, 2008 | State
Kudos are due to the Legislative Budget Board, and Lt. Gov. Dewhurst and Speaker Craddick specifically, for on Friday opting to use a low spending growth estimate. In fact, they chose the lowest growth rate number in the history of the Texas Legislature. This offers...
by Mlevin | Nov. 16, 2008 | State
The Senate Finance Committee is recommending in its interim report that voters have the opportunity to opt for a higher local sales tax to buy down property taxes. The report also calls for simpler tax notices that are more transparent in revealing the true change in...
by Daniel Greer | Nov. 13, 2008 | State
Though this is not a new development it warrants repeating that Rep. Phil King of Weatherford is working to reform the Texas property tax juggernaut. The Weatherford Democrat reports that King’s legislative efforts in the upcoming session will be geared primarily...
by Michael Quinn Sullivan | Nov. 12, 2008 | State
Hide your wallet, protect the kids and lock the doors, legislators are preparing to invade! Pre-filing of legislation has started in anticipation of the 81st Session of the Legislature. While Texans are worried about skyrocketing property taxes, liberal lawmakers have...
by Michael Quinn Sullivan | Nov. 11, 2008 | State
Should you ever be tempted to think your vote doesn’t matter, consider that taxpayer champion Linda Harper-Brown was re-elected to the Texas House by a 20-vote margin.
by SGriffiths | Nov. 5, 2008 | Local
On November 19, Dallas City Council members will meet and vote on proposed new restrictions on the city’s smoking ordinance. This is the second time in half a decade that anti-smoking proposals have been brought before the council to be voted on. The fundamental...
by Michael Quinn Sullivan | Nov. 5, 2008 | State
It was a bad night for conservatives around the nation. Even Texas wasn’t completely sheltered from the storm. The gap between conservatives and liberals in the Legislature became more narrow. The good news is that 22 of our 23 Taxpayer Heroes and Champions on the...
by Michael Quinn Sullivan | Nov. 4, 2008 | Local
Politicians pay close attention to what newspaper editorial boards write, but why? The latest report from the newspaper industry’s “Audit Bureau of Circulation” reports circulation is continuing its downward spiral — falling almost 5 percent...
by Michael Quinn Sullivan | Nov. 3, 2008 | State
In less than 36 hours, the polls will be closed. Our Texas House and Senate races will be determined and we’ll know the outcome of what seems to have been the longest presidential race in U.S. history. Even as we enter the polling places divided by party and...
by Mlevin | Oct. 31, 2008 | State
A new State Auditor’s report finds that the use of state planes has cost taxpayers $1.4 million from May 2007 to May 2008. For example, a flight from Austin to Dallas cost $990 a person that would have been $248 roundtrip on Southwest with no advance purchase....
by Admin | Oct. 30, 2008 | Local
Texans for Fiscal Responsibility is calling on State Rep. Abel Herrero to forfeit all proceeds a company owned by his wife has received from the state Medicaid program. At a press conference in Corpus Christi, TFR president Michael Quinn Sullivan provided copies of...
by Daniel Greer | Oct. 28, 2008 | Local
It is aggravating when superintendents ask for more money because they are operating with a deficit but it’s infuriating when they ask for it while operating with a surplus! That is the name of the game in Humble ISD where Superintendent Dr. Guy Sconzo is begging tax...
by SGriffiths | Oct. 27, 2008 | Local
Colleges students have been eager to complain about the rising cost of tuition, but students at the University of North Texas last week voted to hike their per-hour fees to pay for a new football field. Of course, they actually voted for a fee that won’t go into...
by Daniel Greer | Oct. 27, 2008 | State
No, not the University of Texas football team, the State of Texas according to a piece by the Financial Times of London. Texas was ranked number one in its measured ability to weather the current economic downturn based on four economic indicators. Texas leads the...
by Betchison | Oct. 26, 2008 | Local
In just the few days that early voting has been available to there has been a huge spike in early voting in Tarrant County from the 2004 election. According to the Arlington Star-Telegram, early voting is up nearly 51,000 from four years prior in the 2004 election...
