It’s property tax season, and thousands of Texans have been writing checks to pay their dreaded property tax bills for 2019. Thousands more are paying monthly (as it’s rolled into their mortgages). We know much of that money is used to fund public schools, but exactly where does the money go, and how is it...
Local governments often operate without great transparency or oversight, but “invisible governments” tend to take advantage of that to run amuck. Case in point: the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD). The NTMWD contracts with 13 “member cities” in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex (“the Metroplex”) to provide water and wastewater services to residents. The contract...
When the U.S. Supreme Court declined recently to expedite review of our Affordable Care Act case, justices accomplished two things. And both will help replace a failed system with something that works for American families. That’s why Republicans must stay the course and push ahead with Texas v. Azar, the lawsuit that could eventually scuttle the ACA. First,...
Will your vote count in 2020? Will your neighbors’ vote count? That might depend on whether you vote in person or try to vote by mail. In states with a significant vote by mail component, hijacking mail-in ballots is the tool of choice for those trying to steal elections. In 18 states, a photo identification...
One thing was clear from President Trump’s State of the Union address last week — there’s no stopping America’s energy dominance. The case for “unbridled optimism,” in the president’s words, was clear from last week’s hopeful and forward-looking remarks. “Thanks to our bold regulatory reduction campaign, the United States has become the number one producer...
To combat the transnational human trafficking of migrants in the U.S, the traditional 4P Paradigm—preventing trafficking, protecting and assisting victims, investigating and prosecuting trafficking crimes, and partnering with national, regional, and global stakeholders—is still the best path forward. However, much remains to be done to make this strategy more effective. Reestablishing the rule of law...
According to a PBS health report about a retiree on a Medicare Advantage plan, Z. Ming Ma was issued a prescription from her physician that cost $285 for a 90-day supply. “A month later,” the article says, “Ma and his wife were about to leave on another trip, and Ma needed to stock up on her medication.”...
As the People’s Republic of China grapples with the deadly Novel Coronavirus outbreak, there is mounting evidence that China’s economy is taking a major hit. The latest indicator is that U.S. crude oil futures are at their lowest prices in more than a year, down 21 percent from their January highs to $49.45 a barrel for the...
As Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries experience rampant violence and corruption, hundreds of thousands of their people seek to leave the region to come to the United States. Most disturbingly, these populations are immediately vulnerable to human traffickers and related criminal organizations that currently operate with too little risk of punishment. The Mexican government...
Property rights in Texas suffered a setback recently when the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department approved an unprecedented expansion of regulatory power under the state’s endangered and threatened species laws. Even though the proposal was opposed by the Texas Public Policy Foundation and Texas Farm Bureau, and written concerns were expressed by Texas Railroad Commissioner...
After 31 years in California, making a good living in commercial real estate, John Ghiselli had enough. His youngest child was out of high school and he was free to move where he wanted to with minimal disruption to his family life. He chose Texas. And he’s hoping you will, too—he’ll even help. Ghiselli wasn’t...
January is National Slavery and Human-Trafficking Prevention Month. It’s estimated that there are 25 million victims of human trafficking around the world and that human trafficking is a $150-billion-per-year industry globally. In the U.S., the National Human Trafficking Hotline has received almost 300,000 contacts, and around 52,000 cases of human trafficking have been reported since 2007 While human-trafficking — also known as modern-day slavery...