by Michael Quinn Sullivan | Mar. 9, 2007 | State
 Another great open-government bill is HB640 by State Rep. Byran Hughes (R-Mineola). This bill would require that all expenditures by each state agency, be easily available online. The posting would also have to include the purpose of the expenditure. This will let...
by Michael Quinn Sullivan | Mar. 9, 2007 | State
 State Sen. Dan Patrick has introduced legislation (SB1190/SJR41) that creates a government spending commission, similar to one authorized by Ronald Reagan in 1984. Reagan's Grace Commission made nearly 2,500 recommendations that eliminated more than $420...
by Michael Quinn Sullivan | Mar. 9, 2007 | State
Three right-thinking members of the legislature are recommending that more House and Senate votes be recorded, and therefore subject to public review. State Rep. Dan Branch (R-Dallas), State Rep. Brian McCall (R-Plano), and State Rep. Tony Goolsby (R-Dallas), have...
by Michael Quinn Sullivan | Mar. 8, 2007 | State
Just a few moments ago I witnessed a rare act of political courage. We learned last week about the Republican attempt to undo the important reforms conservatives made in the Children’s Health Insurance Program four years ago. At that time, the stories of fraud...
by Michael Quinn Sullivan | Mar. 5, 2007 | State
The House’s State Affairs Committee is expected today to hear testimony regarding a series of bills that would significantly open the legislative process to taxpayer and voter scrutiny. In the past, many important votes have been held as “voice...
by Michael Quinn Sullivan | Mar. 1, 2007 | State
The Drudge Report is today noting that the U.S. Comptroller, David Walker, will tell 60 Minutes on Sunday that Medicare is on a course to bankrupt the United States. He says that the president’s prescription drug plan, “is probably the most fiscally...
by Mlevin | Feb. 24, 2007 | Local
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,...
by Mlevin | Feb. 23, 2007 | State
A recent study by the Goldwater Institute has demonstrated that low-tax and low-spending states are more successful at reducing poverty than their high-tax, high-spending counterparts. As President Reagan noted, a rising tide lifts all boats.The 10 states with the...
by Michael Quinn Sullivan | Feb. 22, 2007 | Local
The Austin American Statesman is calling on lawmakers to enact a slush fund that would attract more Hollywood liberals to Texas. What’s not to love about that? They are particularly appalled by the idea that Friday Night Lights (a low-rated show about Texas...
by Admin | Feb. 19, 2007 | State
February 19, 2007 Dear Members of the Texas House: For the sake of taxpayers, you and your colleagues should vote to bust the state’s spending cap. It is the opinion of Texans for Fiscal Responsibility that this is the only way Texans can be assured of receiving...
by Mlevin | Feb. 15, 2007 | State
The Athens Review (Texas not Greece) reported today that Senator Robert Nichols, a Republican freshman representing Northeast Texas, has filed two bills to benefit homeowners. First, SB575 would cap appraisal increases at 5 percent for homeowners, though it would...
by Admin | Feb. 14, 2007 | State
by Admin | Feb. 14, 2007 | State
Texas Senators today voted to bust the current spending cap so as to provide more property tax relief with the surplus than they might have otherwise. Before their vote, Michael Quinn Sullivan sent the following letter. February 14, 2007 Dear Members of the Texas...
by Mlevin | Feb. 12, 2007 | Local
The Houston Chronicle recently reported that the town of Shenandoah Texas has hired taxpayer-funded lobbyists for $30,000 this session. At first blush, this is not shocking since our friends at Americans for Prosperity-Texas have estimated that governmental entities...
by Mlevin | Feb. 10, 2007 | State
Corpus Christi’s KRIS television reported this week that the Nueces County Hospital District is asking the Legislature to pass a bill that will allow them to recover money on behalf of taxpayers when those who receive “indigent” care later receive an...
by Admin | Feb. 6, 2007 | State
AUSTIN, Texas – In his State of the State Address, Texas Governor Rick Perry today proposed a strong new constitutional protection for the state’s taxpayers. The measure would limit the growth in state spending to a rolling, three-year average of inflation and...
by Mlevin | Feb. 4, 2007 | State
In case anyone thought the revolt against skyrocketing property taxes is just coming from mostly white middle class suburbs, the Brownsville Herald carries a powerful staff editorial today denouncing the recent seizure of 250 local homes and businesses because owners...
by Mlevin | Feb. 3, 2007 | State
Not including the new margin tax surcharge from Sprint, Texans already paid 18 percent of their telephone bill in government taxes and fees. That's outrageous. Why shouldn't the same sales tax apply to telephone bills as to every other purchase? Now, the...
by Michael Quinn Sullivan | Feb. 1, 2007 | State
My Sprint cellphone bill arrived today, featuring a brand new fee: The Texas Margin Fee Reimbursement. This is Sprint’s attempt to make visible the new business tax implemented by the Texas Legislature last sprint. Some in the legislature are crying foul, but...
by Admin | Jan. 31, 2007 | State
AUSTIN, Texas – Gov. Rick Perry today proposed four key budget reforms designed to promote fiscal responsibility. Michael Quinn Sullivan, president of Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, praised the proposals, saying they shine more sunlight on the state’s finances....
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