Garrit Blizzard serves as the policy intern for the Government for the People campaign at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. He is a senior at the University of Texas at Austin studying government and journalism. Garrit is also the Editor-In-Chief for The Texas Horn, UT’s award-winning conservative student publication.
The city of Houston has developed something of an addiction to federal pandemic aid. But its supply of “free” federal dollars will soon run dry, leaving many worried about its fiscal future. To date, the city of Houston has received more than $1 billion in pandemic aid through the American Rescue Plan. Much of this...
What do you do if your school district advocates against you? Well, that’s what taxpayers in Belton ISD (BISD) are trying to figure out. On Tuesday, BISD’s communications team sent out an email blast deriding parental empowerment legislation being considered at the Legislature right now. In the statement, which is now prominently featured on the...
As most everyone can attest to, education reform is a hot button issue right now. Especially when it comes to parental empowerment. For various and sundry reasons, the effort to give parents the tools they need to pull their kids from failing schools has garnered the wrath of many modern-day progressives who’ve mobilized to protect...
Things have gotten expensive in Austin. According to Salary.com, the cost of living is reportedly 9.1% higher than the national average, with the largest differentials being observed in health care, food and housing. The cost of childcare is also relatively high, with the average annual payment totaling $8,759. “This cost is ranked NO. 31 nationally.”...
Where have we heard this before? A city adopts a new tax rate that is technically a decrease, but due to rising appraisals, taxpayers will actually end up paying more. This sort of stealth tax increase has become ubiquitous, and now the city of Houston, Texas largest city, becomes the latest jurisdiction hike taxes in...
There is an affordability crisis in Texas, and local governments are making it worse. With bloated budgets and reckless spending, cities are making it difficult for Texans to own a home and raise a family. The city of Dallas, for example, recently passed a nearly $5 billion budget—the largest in the city’s history. The budget...
Last week, the Beaumont City Council gave its unanimous approval to a $329.7 million budget and a new tax rate for fiscal year 2024, both of which will add financial pressure to already-strained family budgets. Beginning Oct. 1, the new tax rate is $0.681485 per $100 of value, which represents a very minor decrease...
Last week, Central Health, Travis County’s hospital district, presented its Fiscal Year 2024 budget to the Travis County Commissioners Court. Under the proposed budget, the health care district would spend $744 million in total, “an increase from 2023’s $628.5 million.” That’s nearly a 20% increase year-over-year. To support all the new spending, it’s seeking a...