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.
We all expect voters to have the final say in election questions. A solemn acceptance of the votes cast, win or lose, has been the bedrock of American politics since the inception of the nation—to ignore it would be to deny the very essence of democratic governance and embrace a type of tyranny that elevates...
Ronald Reagan once observed that, “Whenever we lower the tax rates, our entire nation is better off.” The Texas version of that statement equates to: Whenever we lower property tax rates to the no-new-revenue level or lower, our entire state is better off. For those not familiar with the term, the no-new-revenue tax rate is...
On Wednesday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott pressed for property tax relief, telling a big crowd in Fairview that he wants to take half of the projected $27 billion state surplus and use it to reduce property taxes. If this happens, it’d make for the largest property tax cut in Texas history. The news is sure...
Former President Barack Obama once proclaimed that: “The last thing you want to do is raise taxes in the middle of the recession because that would just suck up and take more demand out of the economy and put businesses in a further hole.” Like a broken clock, he got that one right. Raising taxes...
When it comes to the affordability crisis gripping Austin, local government officials are renowned for saying one thing and doing the opposite. Consider Mayor Steve Adler’s campaign website which reads: “Too many of our long-time residents are being priced out of their homes. It wasn’t that long ago that Austin was one of the most...
An Austin ISD elementary teacher has stirred fresh controversy after she bragged online about showing her fourth-grade students a video “to teach them about drag which also encourages kids to be drag performers.” In the short video, which begins with the teacher saying she doesn’t care if others disagree with the degeneracy, kids in the...
Tarrant County taxpayers may soon be paying more for local government. On Monday, the Tarrant County Commissioners Court held a public meeting to discuss its proposed budget for fiscal year 2023, which totals $916 million, less capital expenditures. That represents about a $120 million increase from the prior year’s budget total ($797.2 million). To help...
The Harris County Commissioners Court has green lit the exploration of a lawsuit, in a 3-2 vote along partisan lines, over the county’s inclusion in the next round of election audits. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo attacked the selection as “politically motivated” and “a distraction.” Other county officials disputed (without evidence) the randomness of the...
We all hate feeling jetlagged. That groggy, tired feeling is the unpleasant result of long-distance travel. The concept of social jetlag works in a very similar manner. The term refers to the reactions observed in people’s bodies that are similar to travel-related jetlag, which stems from a person’s circadian rhythm (or internal clock) being thrown...
Back-to-school is right around the corner, meaning that parents and guardians are beginning to buy backpacks, supplies, and new clothes for the kids. However, as many are coming to find out, this year’s shopping experience is a little more costly than in years past. Thanks to inflation and supply chain snags, the cost of getting...
On Thursday, the Bureau of Economic Analysis released its second-quarter GDP estimates revealing that the American economy shrank again. The revelation means that U.S. has officially entered recession territory and thoughtful policy prescriptions are needed to mitigate the economic pain and minimize the period’s duration. With that in mind, here are five things that Texas’...
Austin is in throes of a pronounced affordability crisis, with the area recently ranked as “one of the least affordable cities in U.S. for minimum-wage renters.” Even still, the crisis isn’t stopping Austin-area governments from raising taxes. Last week, Austin’s city manager unveiled a new budget $5 billion budget that includes “a $500 million increase...