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Jumping Off Bridges

Yep, Mom was right: Just because the other kids are jumping off a bridge doesn't make it right. Writ large, that commonsense is found in the national economy. If Texas were to follow the big-spending, high-taxing path of all the cool liberal kids, like California and...

Dallas News Highlights Random Unfairness of Property Taxes

The Dallas Morning News reports that only 7 percent of homeowners challenged their 2006 appraisals. Although 54 percent of protesters got some relief, Richard Whittle was denied when he challenged the increase of his one-story Garland house by 67 percent to $135,490...

Higher Fraud

Despite cries of poverty from university administrators seeking constant tuitions hikes -- and more taxpayer subsidies -- a new review finds major institutions are not only awash in cash, but that they are hoarding the cash contributed by alumni. For what? Who knows....

Those Calves Won’t Rope Themselves

One of the most significant taxpayer lawsuits in Texas' history is about to go to jury-trial in Austin, but Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst has thus far refused to be deposed -- despite being a defendant in the case. While the office of Lt. Governor is a taxing one, it seems...

Getting It (Almost) Right

In a rare display of good sense, the Dallas Morning News almost gets it right in an editorial on the Legislature's new business income tax. But in arguing against the creation of new loopholes and exmeptions, they write "this new tax needs time to work." In reality,...

Academically-Required Press Box

Abilene school district officials tell the local newspaper that their "New Year's Resolution" is to increase taxpayers' debt this May by $85.2 million, or $5,126 per student. This would include spending $2 million on a new press box for the local football stadium....

New Business Tax Body Blow: 300 Percent Increase

The Houston Chronicle reports on the severe impact of the new business tax, which is a $6.2 billion hike  over the franchise tax.  Wanda Rohm, who owns Presto Printing in Houston with 12 employees, said her taxes will go up an astonishing 300 percent. We have...

Sandbagging The Taxpayers

You always get more of what you subsidize, especially risky behavior. That's certainly the case along Texas' hurricane-prone coastline. Our friends over at the Texas Public Policy Foundation recently published a sobering report looking at the multi-billion-dollar...

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