NEWS
Reformer versus Slumlord
Voters in Houston’s House District 149 have a clear choice: a proven reformer versus a slumlord. HISD school board member Greg Meyers is taking on incumbent Hubert Vo this November, and taxpayers statewide are watching the race with interest.
Don’t Like the Taxpayer-Funded Hotel? Sign Up Against It
Do you think the City of Dallas should check in with voters before spending $550 million on a government-owned convention center hotel? If so, you can find out how to sign the petition that would amend the City Charter to prevent the hotel by going to https://www.notaxpayerhotel.com/?Page=WhereToSign.
Sagging Pants and First Class Flights: The Priorities of Mayor Moncrief
One would assume that a city mayor has a lot of responsibilities. One would think there are important issues a mayor would take priority in addressing. But would you ever imagine one of those issues would be the fashion trend of baggy pants among our youth?
Bail-Out Sell-Out
Few things are more disgusting than having our principles sold-out by our political leaders. Make no mistake, the proposed federal “bail-out” of the credit market is a sell-out of our fundamental beliefs about freedom and the role of government. The action will burden us with debt and, worse, create horrific precedent for generations to come.
Don’t Walk In Dallas
We noted yesterday the $400 million the Dallas City Council wants to spend of the taxpayers money to get the city into the hotel business. Today the Dallas Morning News reports “43 percent of Dallas’ sidewalks are rated unsatisfactory.” There’s a lot more than sidewalks that are “unsatisfactory” in Dallas, it would appear.
Saving Big
One small section of legislation is making big waves in the world of state finance. Thanks to House Bill 3560, passed in 2007, taxpayers are saving millions this year by consolidating procurement for items big and small. The driving force behind it is our state comptroller, Susan Combs, and she’s hoping the system will quickly translate into even bigger savings for local government.
A Doctor In The House
Mark Shelton is a pretty easy fellow to find — just look for all the activity in House District 97, and chances are he’s in the middle of it. A pediatrician, Shelton is a man constantly on the go — setting a high standard for the kind of constituent services he’ll provide once elected to the Texas House.
Mansfield Building Future Wealth Through Out-of-Towners
The city of Mansfield is looking to expand its appeal and services to more out-of-towners thanks to previous visitors. The city council is considering letting the Mansfield Economic Development Corporation, or MEDC as it is so well known around here, to conduct a study on the need for future facilities that would include full service business centers and possibly a convention center.
At DFW, Your Dollars Fly Away
An investigation in north Texas finds that Dallas-Fort Worth Airport executives have been living large — and taxpayers are footing the bill for extravegant travel, including $800 first-class flights to Austin. TFR’s Michael Quinn Sullivan was interviewed for the CBS television investigation. The video is available online.
Checking In For Waste
In the middle of a national economic crisis and local revenue shortfalls, the City of Dallas is embarking on what is never a good idea: government ownership of a hotel. The city council recently voted to put city taxpayers $400 million in debt for the construction of a new convention center. The city has massive budget problems, having a hard time doing its existing jobs — police, fire, transportation — yet somehow council members think they can add “hotel ownership” without consequence. As it stands now, taxpayers have no say in this boondoggle.
Margo’s Sword
Dee Margo, a conservative businessman in El Paso, says he’s tired of the typical saber-rattling in politics, so he’s campaigning on results. Margo is the Republican nominee for House District 78, having handily defeated incumbent liberal Republican Pat Haggerty in the March primary.
Arlington Fumbles Financing of New Stadium
The city of Arlington is finding that they fumbled the financing for the new Cowboys stadium in Arlington. The stadium, which was jointly financed by Jerry Jones and the city of Arlington is finding itself in the same predicament of many homeowners around the state as they have suffered the sting from a variable rate on the bonds that they used to finance the stadium.