Texas state and local governments are expected to spend $18 billion in federal economic stimulus or over $700 for every man, woman, and child in the state; but has all that government spending been worth it? To answer this we examine the growth and decline of some of the state’s major economic indicators since the stimulus came to Texas.
Just the Facts: Local Government Spending
Despite billions in property tax relief provided by recent state legislatures, Texans’ property tax bills continue to increase due to unrestricted spending at the local level. Key points: City and county government spending continues to outstrip increases in both population and inflation. While the state government has constitutional and statutory spending limits, local governments do...