State

State Archive

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Small Businesses Bracing for Burdensome Business Tax

The San Antonio Express-News reports that many small business owners around the state are facing huge bills due under the new state gross receipts tax which starts in 2007, with the first payment to the state due by May 2008. The article notes that many firms are...

Fiscal Irresponsibility At TEA?

A report issued by the Office of the Inspector General at the Texas Education Agency has shed light on a contracting process ripe for fraud and abuse. It is alleged that individuals received large subcontracts from one of the Education Service Centers, divisions of...

Cutting Fat With Good Feelings

From the "Oh, What a Big Surprise Department," comes news that spending billions of taxpayer dollars on "nutrition education" has been a failure. The Associated Press article makes it clear that about the only thing accomplished was making kids feel good about singing...

Governor Signs Pro-Taxpayer Legislation Into Law

In signing two pieces of legislation today, Texas Governor Rick Perry and the Legislature delivered on two elements of the sound fiscal agenda promoted by Texans for Fiscal Responsibility and supported by thousands of voters and taxpayers. The governor today announced...

Legislature Bombs In Fiscal Rating

Just how did the legislative session go? We’ll be releasing a full legislative score card soon, but overall, this legislative session was a bust. The cumulative score of all members of the Texas House and Texas Senate, on fiscal issues, was an abysmal 52%. Meaning?...

Defending the Spendoholics?

On the website, in e-mails, and recent speeches, TFR hasn’t been bashful about calling out the Tax-and-Spenders infesting the Republican Party’s legislative delegation. By their actions (stopping additional tax relief, preventing tax reform, sponsoring tax hikes,...

Frustrated Taxpayers

Sitting in the back of the Laredo auditorium on Wednesday night, I was struck by the level of frustration. These were hard-working folks I was listening to, most arrived in pick-ups and older cars; none belonged to a country club.  The event was a free training...

Good Day Sunshine: Comptroller Posts State Expenditures Online

She's no lazy Susan.  Comptroller Susan Combs has gotten a head start on implementing House Bill 3430 requiring all state agencies to post their expenditures online.  The Comptroller's newly unveiled site reveals expenditures for nearly 200 agencies and institutions...