Local

Local Archive

Circuit of the Americas Butters Up Austin Officials

Where the Travis County Commissioners dare not tread, the Austin City Council rushes in blindly!  The city voted to spend about $5600 on airfare for the otherwise all-expenses paid trip, and they're sending Mayor Lee Leffingwell, city manager Marc Ott, Police Chief...

SCOTUS Verifies: Individual Mandate IS a Tax

The Supreme Court of the United States has issued their ruling on the federal health care law known as ObamaCare.  In an absolute shocker, they tell us that the individual mandate is Constitutional, because it is a tax.  But, didn't President Obama swear up and down...

Should the Legislature ensure we have enough insurance agents?

Morris Communications' Austin bureau writer Enrique Rangel filed a story that contained the following: “In another joint hearing, the House Agriculture & Livestock and Border & Intergovernmental Affairs committees will discuss the adequacy of access to...

City of Austin Motto: “Ready, Set, SPEND!”

Formula One hasn't even arrived officially, and it's already going to cost taxpayers even more than originally stated.  The City of Austin (the same city that couldn't afford to put on the $1 million Trail of Lights) is seriously considering dropping $5.5 million for...

When the Tax-Hikers Finally Went Too Far

Imagine that your local library district, or whichever of your taxing entities funds the library, asked for 0.7% tax increase.  Imagine next that a group of concerned taxpayers (the dreaded Tea Party) formed a coalition to defeat said tax increase.  And further...

,

Surplus of Waste in Houston ISD

Financial problems abound for Houston ISD. The latest issue the district is dealing with: an unexplained surplus of food valued at almost $3 million. This could be HISD’s latest slap in the face to taxpayers if that food goes to waste. The food surplus at HISD is a...

,

AISD Needs A Fiscal Responsibility Refresher Course

Austin ISD approved a new $724 million budget for the upcoming school year that includes a 3% salary increase for all district employees. But in order to make those raises permanent, it will require hiking property taxes to pay for it -- which several board members...

Who, Dewhurst or Cruz, would make a difference the fastest?

Texas conservatives have a direct opportunity to immediately affect change in these United States in the upcoming Republican runoff for U.S. Senate by noting how Florida conservatives have seen that leadership trumps the Senate's seniority system when offered. There...