by Mlevin | Apr. 5, 2008 | Local
The Lubbock City Council has just approved an engineering contract for a new $6.7 million visitors center in the city’s “Depot District.” Opponents had urged that the monies be used for streets, parks, or civic center renovations. Supporters claimed...
by Bold | Apr. 4, 2008 | Local
Rarely is a verbal response to a budget surplus seen that tickles my fancy, so when it happens, there are little tingles in my arm hair. “Cut our taxes and give it back. Don’t just waste it on junk. Just like when they need more money they raise taxes,...
by Michael Quinn Sullivan | Apr. 4, 2008 | State
A state study shows that hooking Texas’ major cities up to the new “wind farms” could exceed $6 billion — that’s more than $260 for every man, woman and child. The cheapest option would set still Texans back $3 billion. While the wind...
by Michael Quinn Sullivan | Apr. 3, 2008 | State
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn has a great commentary out addressing congress’ historic-low ratings. He lays the blame squarely on lawmakers’ inability to control themselves fiscally. He specifically highlights the failure of the U.S. Senate to pass earmark reform...
by Michael Quinn Sullivan | Apr. 3, 2008 | Local
In the world of marketing, its not unusual to pay celebrities to endorse your product. Does anyone think Tiger Woods is advertising those razors for free? Apparently marketing-exec-turn-state-rep-candidate Angie Chen Button decided to try it in her election bid. So...
by Mlevin | Apr. 3, 2008 | Federal
Citizens Against Government Waste has just released their annual PIG Book cataloging Congress’ waste of tax dollars. It shows there were 11,610 pork projects approved this past year at a cost of $17.2 billion. Among them: $3 million for First Tee, a...
by Michael Quinn Sullivan | Apr. 3, 2008 | State
Lawmakers have only recently come under fire for a decades-old practice in the Texas House: ghost voting. This is where someone votes for an absent colleague. It often happens with the consent of the absent (but not always), and usually in the manner the member would...
by Tony McDonald | Apr. 2, 2008 | Local
Last Sunday a group of friends and I from Young Conservatives of Texas went up to Belton to walk precincts and meet voters for Ralph Sheffield’s campaign. Ralph is a great guy. He’s the owner of a mexian food restaurant called Las Casas in Temple (Go and...
by Admin | Apr. 1, 2008 | Local
Martha Tyroch, a candidate for State Representative in HD55, has a disturbing pattern of charging taxpayers for luxury accomodations and lavish dinners. In 2005, Tyroch booked a suite at the exclusive Mayflower Hotel in Washington D.C. for a cost of over $450 per...
by Michael Quinn Sullivan | Apr. 1, 2008 | State
We hosted a live conference call last night for folks in House District 81 — and some 2,500 took part in the call to ask questions of fiscal conservative Tryon Lewis, who the Empower Texans PAC has endorsed in the run-off. The questions ranged from tax and...
by Michael Quinn Sullivan | Mar. 31, 2008 | Local
Taxpayer hero Jodie Laubenberg has come out strongly supporting Randy Dunning in the run-off race for House District 112 in Richardson and Garland. Why is she supporting Dunning? Find out here!
by Michael Quinn Sullivan | Mar. 28, 2008 | State
Did you know cities are required to post signs telling you red-light cameras are in effect at an intersection? And without the signs, they cannot collect a fine? We chatted this week with State Rep. Bill Callegari, who passed the law and is bothered by the lack of...
by Mlevin | Mar. 28, 2008 | Federal
The Center for Responsive Politics has a new bracket comparing the Sweet 16 universities by their federal lobbying expenditures. By this measure, UCLA ($560k) will play UNC ($31Ok) in the Finals – UT-Austin at $200k would be on the sidelines. The bracket is at:...
by Michael Quinn Sullivan | Mar. 27, 2008 | Federal, State
One of the strongest voices for fiscal conservativism, and commonsense governance, is Steve Moore. He founded the Club for Growth, and now serves as senior economics writer at the Wall Street Journal, and a writer on the vaunted editorial page. He’s truly a...
by Mlevin | Mar. 27, 2008 | Local
Hot air has arrived before summer, as the City of Austin has paid $20,000 in public funds for a survey of the public on global warming, which asks questions such as “whether you will be affected by climate change.” It also asks respondents to say what the...
by Michael Quinn Sullivan | Mar. 26, 2008 | Local
It is possible for a city to spend half-a-billion dollars over 25 years for an as-yet unbuilt facility. Just ask the Austin City Council, which seems intent on doing just that. In the mid-1980s, the city planned to spend $165 million to build a water treatment plant....
by Michael Quinn Sullivan | Mar. 26, 2008 | Local
Yesterday I had the privilidge of speaking in Collin County at an event hosted by the chambers of commerce. The real treat, though, was getting to hear County Judge Keith Self address economic policy and fiscal reform. We’ll have more on him in the coming days,...
by Michael Quinn Sullivan | Mar. 26, 2008 | State
It’s a delicious irony: Texas’ taxpayers are being forced to fork over $250,000 to “invest” in a miracle drug that will allegedly combat obesity. Sound like more high-calorie pork? It’d be cheaper to tell the lard-laden to put the...
by Michael Quinn Sullivan | Mar. 24, 2008 | State
It’s not just hot-air created by global warming proponents. Now they want your job and family income, too. Have you noticed that the ya-hoos yelling the loudest for policy changes to stave off global warming are usually the same quasi-Marxist ya-hoos who always...
by Mlevin | Mar. 20, 2008 | State
A Houston television report has revealed that the list of fees imposed by Texas state government spans some 85 pages. The story notes that Governor Rick Perry and Rep. Mark Strama will work for legislation next session to ensure that these fees are either used for...
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