NEWS
Defending Us
Rockets’ red glare, bombs bursting in air – such a poetic way to describe such horrifying circumstances. Most of us sing those words and wave our flags, awaiting the start of a parade or baseball game. But many who walk in our midst wear – or wore – the flag of our nation on their sleeve, dodging bullets, separated from family, facing death, in defense of our liberties. Please take time this holiday weekend to thank the men and women in your circle of friends who bravely donned our nation’s uniform to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Margins Tax Strikes Sour Note for Kids Learning Instruments
One of the true taxpayer heroes in the Legislature, Rep. Ken Paxton (R-McKinney), reports in his newsletter today that the Music Conservatory of Texas, which taught over 33,000 music lessons in 2007, paid $6,200 of its $8,394 in profit to the state under the new business tax.
Leave Us Alone
The American Right and Left are each comprised of disparate groups, with a variety of priorities and objectives. What draws them together, into the Left and the Right? My friend Grover Norquist has developed a fairly convincing theory that’s at once obvious and obfuscated. In the title of his new book, “Leave Us Alone,” Grover provides what does, or should, unify the American center-right.
The Gross Margins Tax Is… Gross
Bark Up A Tree
Here is the perfect job for the outdoorsman who doesn’t like nature, and the wildlife nut who won’t sacrifice a vibrant nightlife: An Urban Forester!
Taxed Into Awareness
My friend Cheryl Johnson serves as tax assessor/collector for Galveston County, a position she has used to champion the rights of taxpayers. She recently penned an op-ed that proposes changing the current appraisal-driven property tax system to one where your liability is based solely on the acquisition price.
Lubbock Revisiting New $6.7 Million Visitor Center Boondoggle
We blogged this plan a few weeks ago, but thankfully it is now being reconsidered. Instead of spending $6.7 million to build a new visitors center that is to include a walk of fame and theater, the Lubbock City Council is now considering moving an existing building to the site.
A Streetcar Named Waste
Now this is a heck of a deal, Fort Worth city officials are considering the creation of a modern "streetcar" system. According to Texas Government Insider, the plan could cost between $16 million and $40 million… per mile!
The city spent $1 million taxpayer dollars to study a similar idea in 2002 and came up with nothing to show for it but $1 million in misspent money. Now Fort Worth officials are looking to appoint a 15-member committee to decide whether or not taxpayers should be bilked out of even more money.
Big John
Hanging in Sen. John Cornyn’s office is a guitar signed by rockers ZZ Top. Pretty cool. More cool is the way Cornyn has been rocking the U.S. Senate. He forced the hand of the liberals on their global warming scam, and has become a consistent champion of free markets and budget reform in the gang of 100. It’s good to have Big John (video link) fighting in Washington.
Pay More Taxes
So the Fort Worth Star Telegram doesn’t mind the new business tax; big surprise, they also like big government. In an editorial on Thursday, the Star Telegram opined that “it’s impossible to know what the tax’s real impact will be” because state bean counters won’t tally the take until August. Ah, the bliss of being economically illiterate. Of course, they also do their best to avoid the taxes they advocate.
Earmark Accountability
Transparency is good for what ills us at all levels of government. Whether its local school checkbooks, state agency contracts, or federal earmarks, transparency is a powerful tool for meaningful reform.
$5 Billion Property Tax Hike Proposed – It’s Called Sales Price Disclosure
At a Senate hearing yesterday, Dallas officials called for sales price disclosure. This would raise appraisal values, resulting in $4 billion in additional school property taxes plus billions more in other local property taxes. As the new Texas GOP platform declares, school property taxes should be abolished, but disclosure without a revenue cap would be disastrous.