We’ve been sheltering in place now for months, or what feels like months, and I am continually tortured by hearing R.E.M.’s “It’s The End of the World” in my head. It may seem like this really is the end of the world—but it’s not. And I believe it is time to get that song out...
Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk threatened to move his company headquarters and manufacturing plant, California’s sole remaining auto factory, out of state — to Texas and Nevada. Neither Texas nor Nevada has an individual income tax and their corporate taxes are lower, as well. With California’s higher taxes, greater red tape compliance costs, higher labor and land costs, and...
It should come as no surprise that the coronavirus pandemic is taking a larger economic toll on our most vulnerable populations. A 2016 study by Pew Research Center found that at $17,100, the median net worth of black households was less than one-fifth that of all U.S. households ($97,300), meaning they have much less in savings, if...
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) issued its official employment report for April—or, in this season of COVID-19, more appropriately, the unemployment report. The topline is that nonfarm payroll employment fell by 20.5 million jobs, with the unemployment rate jumping 10.3% to 14.7%, the highest one-month jump since these statistics started being tallied in 1948. Some...
As someone who has researched American higher education for the past three decades, one thing I can tell you is that it involves a lot of numbers. A lot of graphs. A lot of percentages. What it doesn’t provide is a lot of clarity. Why? It’s not the fault of the numbers gatherers, who are...
Danger is lurking inside our state prisons, and we can’t afford to delay action on safe and reasonable measures to mitigate it. Already, more than 1,300 incarcerated individuals and 400 staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 in Texas. More cases are imminent, and coronavirus could spread rapidly, overwhelming staff, incarcerated individuals, and the prison...
The owners and workers of America’s businesses—both small and large—have done their part. When government called upon them, they stepped up by shutting down, though many of them were unsure whether they would ever reopen or return. This is America and we will come back. There aren’t a more resourceful and resilient people on the...
In recent years, Texas has emerged as a national leader in cutting crime and closing prisons. Now, as we confront COVID-19, state and local leaders must recognize the health of our fellow Texans behind bars, both those incarcerated and staff, is intertwined with the health of our communities. Coronavirus cases have mushroomed in the state...
For years, there has been a low-level debate simmering about whether college is worth it. This debate has been somewhat maddening for both sides. The “yes, college is worth it” side notes that reliable data sources, such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics, say education pays. And the College Board’s annual report, also titled Education Pays, consistently...
Imagine if a state enacted a law that wound up banning the use of the latest medical technology during a crisis. Practically speaking, that is what Texas has done in education. In 2013, the state of Texas passed a law prohibiting any new public school districts from offering full-time online education. The law said only...
The data is in and the implications are clear: Texas has flattened the curve and prevented the COVID-19 pandemic from taking more lives. Our state hasn’t come anywhere close to seeing a run on hospitals, demonstrating our system is more than capable of handling anyone who contracts the disease. Now is the time to reopen the Texas economy and...
Have Texas lawmakers “made the coronavirus fallout worse” by not expanding Medicaid? That’s what Gilberto Hinojosa, the chairman of the Texas Democratic Party claims in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. His prescription is for the Legislature to expand Medicaid as soon as it convenes in January. First, a little background. In the last decade, we have seen substantial changes...