Telephone rates in Texas reflect substantial distortions that were intended to make basic local service “affordable.” Measured only by that narrow goal, the policy might be considered a success. Local rates for large incumbent carriers fall about $600 million short of covering long-run incremental costs, and consumers pay higher prices for other services to make up the difference. Local wire-line rates are cheap, but consumers bear a high cost in exchange for these bargain rates.
Election Integrity
Toward a More Well-Informed Citizenry
The 86th Texas Legislature sought to enhance public debt transparency through the creation of Voter Information Documents (VID). However, this instrument is not accurately providing debt amounts and needs reform. Key points: Governments are manipulating the VID methodology to deny voters accurate tax impact estimates. Many VIDs are dissimilar, making comparative analysis challenging. There is...
July 31, 2026