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Eminent Domain Abuse Defies Common Sense

Landowners are publicly voicing their frustration with the Tarrant Regional Water District for abusing eminent domain authority and ignoring community concerns. Despite the fact that a cheaper and less intrusive pipeline route was proposed three years ago, the TRWD...

Freedom to Preach

In an unjustified move, the city of Houston has issued subpoenas to a number of Houston-area religious leaders. The subpoenas come in response to the pastors challenging a new city ordinance which, among other things, would make it legal for members of the opposite...

Promises Subject to Change*

Texans have few protections from fiscal abuse by local governments. In regards to school bonds, local politicians have very few legal limits that restrict both how the debt is financed and how the approved funds are actually spent. Current law protects big-spenders...

Houston Property Taxes On The Rise

In a swift proceeding on Thursday, Houston ISD’s trustees voted on a 1-cent tax hike for property owners.  This comes on top of a 3-cent increase in 2013. These tax hikes are in response to the $1.89 billion voter-approved bond two years ago. According to Trustee...

Jenkins: Townhalls Are For “Crazy People”

Town hall meetings are nothing more than “an opportunity for crazy people to scream at one another.” So says Clay Jenkins, a Democrat and the highest-ranking government official in Dallas County. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEFZzn07DwM Apparently, County Judge...

Armin Mizani: Keller City Council, Place 2

In advance of the 2014 November election, Texans for Fiscal Responsibility endorsed Armin Mizani in his bid for Keller City Council, Place 2. Ross Kecseg, TFR’s Metroplex Director, praised Mizani. “When all overlapping local governments are considered, Keller...

Roads Not Rail

Passenger rail is costly, energy inefficient, ineffective at easing traffic congestion, inflexible and fiscally impractical. Even on lines with high-ridership, it’s a money-losing proposition. Several independent studies released by Harvard, the CATO Institute, Reason...

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2014 Austin City Council Endorsements

Texans for Fiscal Responsibility℠ is pleased to announce the following city council endorsements for the 2014 November election in Austin: District 5: Mike Rodriguez District 6: Jay Wiley District 8: Ellen Troxclair District 9: Erin McGann District 10: Bill...

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Leander ISD Proves Why “Interest” Matters

Leander ISD (LISD), a district near Round Rock, has refused to confront a debt addiction that’s bludgeoned taxpayers for over a decade. Instead, they’ve joined the Fast Growth School Coalition with the explicit goal of raising property taxes and removing legislative...