James Quintero is the policy director for the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Government for the People campaign. Since joining the Foundation in 2008, Quintero has focused extensively on: state & local government spending, taxes, debt, public pension reform, annexation, and local regulations.
Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says he now has the votes—76 in the Texas House—to pass a universal school choice bill, a goal of Lone Star State governors since Rick Perry. The Senate has already passed one. Why did it take so long to get this far? It should be no surprise that Friday night lights...
Exorbitant and hidden superintendent pay reflects a culture of self-enrichment that has no place in Texas public schools, diverts taxpayer dollars from students, and betrays the public trust. Key points: The Texas Education Agency (TEA) understates the total compensation for some of Texas’s highest-paid superintendents. Though they oversee fewer people, many superintendents have drawn a...
Texas’s housing market is challenged by supply-side constraints, rooted in restrictive zoning, large-lot mandates, escalating regulatory fees, and runaway property taxation. Key Points: Texas’s housing affordability crisis is supply-driven: a 306,000-home shortfall, falling permits, and a $321,000 median price reflect regulatory barriers blocking construction needed to meet population growth. Government regulation accounts for 23.8% of...