Recently, an arbitrator ruled that Sgt. Brian Miller of the Broward County Sheriff’s Office should be reinstated, receive full back pay of nearly $275,000, and regain seniority status despite being fired from the department. Miller’s employment was terminated after he failed to adequately respond to the 2018 school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School...
Texas’ largest cities are drowning in debt. The latest data from the Bond Review Board reveals that Texas’ five most populated cities owe a combined $57.7 billion. Here is how they compare individually. Big City Debt Austin: $10.5 billion Dallas: $7 billion Fort Worth: $2.7 billion Houston: $20.2 billion San Antonio: $17.3 billion There are...
The recent White House executive order on policing and proposed legislation by Republican Sen. Tim Scott tap into a national consensus that we must do more to address crises involving people with mental illness. Minneapolis City Council President Lisa Bender said the desire to call the police “comes from a place of privilege,” but in so many...
When the carving began at Mount Rushmore in 1927, Thomas Jefferson’s visage was planned to be to George Washington’s right. But sculptors soon discovered a flaw—a crack in the rock—that altered their plans. Jefferson had to be relocated, this time to Washington’s left. To me, it seemed like the media covering President Trump’s speech at that...
Student debt and the accompanying difficulties students have in repaying their loans is garnering increasing attention, especially as the coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc with the job market. Many students who struggle often default on their debt, with dire financial consequences. While the CARES act provided short term relief by letting students suspend payments until...
Even with the economic slowdown caused by the coronavirus, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) reports Texans will need more power than ever this summer. News headlines claim wind and solar projects will help Texas meet its growing power needs. However, recent experience says Texans should be skeptical about giving credit to renewables, especially...
In football, when a flag is thrown only on the player who retaliates against an initial violation that was missed, the penalty is still enforced. If we say two wrongs don’t make a right for athletes or our children, the same should apply in our criminal justice system. Unfortunately, we are presented with a false...
Late last year, 12 East Coast states were heralded as climate heroes for proposing a new Transportation and Climate Initiative, supposedly a groundbreaking new approach to stop catastrophic climate change. In reality, it’s nothing more than a poorly disguised gas tax that will have literally no environmental benefit. And it’s a bad idea at any...
Despite the current economic crisis, Dallas ISD is poised to ask for voters to approve a $3.7 billion bond. While the timing is rather alarming, there are more concerns than meets the eye. While DISD is considering building at least 10 new schools and 14 replacement schools, its enrollment numbers have seen a steady, long-term...
This year, Dallas ISD appears poised to ask voters to approve a $3.7 billion bond, the “largest in Texas history.” The contents of the bond and the district’s falling student enrollment raise serious questions as to the need for such a large issuance at this time—as does taxpayers’ ability to afford more debt. Dallas ISD...
Even though there’s a pandemic happening, Dallas ISD is asking voters to support to a jaw-dropping $3.7 billion bond to fund campus improvements, new schools, and security and technology purchases. This request comes just five years after voters approved a $1.6 billion bond in 2015 for similar projects. The sheer magnitude of the district’s proposed...
While celebrating Independence Day this weekend, most of us will make special time for family and friends—and, I hope, spend plenty of time outside. If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that our greatest treasures in life are not material things, but people. Our families, our friends, our neighbors and yes, even strangers, are crucial...