The Legislature must begin to explore ways to phase out and ultimately eliminate the Maintenance & Operations (M&O) property tax. Toward that end, the Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute launched a Property Tax Task Force three months ago to...
We all know the time is long overdue to rip the poisonous weed of property taxes out of the state’s economic garden. We might actually get the chance if State Rep. Phil King of Weatherford gets his way. King is making waves today, calling for the elimination of...
Most Texans are worried about how they are going to pay next year’s property taxes, or are concerned about how the new business income tax is going to affect their job. The Legislature? Well, their taking time next week to listen to Dallas Cowboy’s owner...
The Texas Dept. of Housing and Community Affairs may spend $30.9 million in public funds on renovating apartment complexes in Northwest Houston to serve as low income housing. Meanwhile, Austin approved $55 million in bonds for so-called affordable housing, but should...
State Rep. Charlie Geren of Fort Worth wants it both ways. While he doesn’t want his constituents to know about his anti-taxpayer ways, but he also says he isn’t to worried about being seen as a government-growing spendoholic. Scoring just 45% on the TFR...
He misses the days when unabashed liberals ran the Texas Legislature. In fact, he just cannot stand how bad it is now that conservatives are (nominally, anyway) in charge. The funny thing is that State Rep. Delwin Jones of Lubbock is a Republican. Though you...
State lawmakers are poised to take sides in the battle between the NFL and cable companies. Not unusual, politicians tend to be a meddlesome bunch, sticking their noses in economic places they shouldn’t. The real problem, of course, is that in doing so lawmakers...
My travels took me to Del Rio for a speech this week, a border town in Val Verde County. I had the good fortune to chat with the sheriff, D’Wayne Jernigan. He’s true West Texas lawman who has earned the ire of the left-leaning establishment for doing his job...
Today, the Texas House released the first of three rounds of interim charges and there is much to like for fiscal conservatives, including studies on strengthening the flimsy state spending limit and streamlining state government by repealing “unnecessary...
The hubris of the government planners varies between scary and laughable. Social engineers are whining in the press that thousands of “eligible†children are not enrolled in the government health “insurance†plan. Their solution, of course, is to spend a lot...
State Rep. Mike Krusee (R-Round Rock) is set to announce today that he won’t seek re-election to the Texas House after 16 years of legislative service. He has served as the chairman of the House Transportation Committee since 2003. While often praised as a strict...
Supporters of “light rail†and “commuter rail†consistently over-sell and under-deliver. Not only does mass-transit fail to reduce congestion, but it is always fraught with cost-overruns and implementation delays. Such is the case in Austin, where the new toy...
The San Antonio Express-News reports that new National Federation of Independent Business radio ads assail the business tax that will take its first toll in May. The ads note some small businesses will see their tax burden rise by 1,000 percent over the current...
On the one hand, transportation officials tell us that they just don’t have the funds available to build roads. Yet on the other hand, toll roads dollars are being used to let executives take European vacations complete with first-class and business-class airline...
Why must the taxpayers be on the hook to pay for the indulgences of the politically connected? A case in point is the alleged tourist attraction known as the “Texas State Railroad†running between Palestine and Rusk. I say alleged because it doesn’t attract...
A lawsuit designed to stop counties from using taxpayer-money to lobby against taxpayers is still brewing in Williamson County. The judge last month gave taxpayers a partial victory, but those who brought the suit are hoping to convince His Honor to make...
No title makes conservatives’ skin crawl like “tax assessor/collector.†It’s just not a job most of us hope our little conservative bundles of joy grow up to be. But thank goodness someone does, because it’s a critically important position. The Houston...
Speaking in Farmers’ Branch this week I saw a familiar face in the audience – one of my upper-classman from Texas A&M. It turns out that Steven Autry is now seeking to serve as the judge of the Dallas County Criminal Court #4. He was a positive influence on me...
When we consider the lack of progress on important fiscal reforms, the blame lies almost exclusively with a small group of legislators who campaign as if they are budget conservatives, but legislate like liberals. Look, for example, at the records of Tommy Merritt of...
Hard to believe, but true, we do have a strong number of fiscally conservative lawmakers in the Texas Legislature. While outnumbered, they fight the fight for our values and principles regardless of political pressure. But doing the right thing comes at a cost. One of...
