The Johnson family wanted to stay in Austin. But as the Austin American-Statesman reported in 2017, the tax burden just became too great. “The Johnsons this year would have paid nearly $9,100 in taxes, up $1,880 from five years ago,” the Statesman explained. “Instead, they uprooted their kids from their schools and moved in August...
The polar vortex that sent U.S. temperatures plunging last week has lifted. But what did we learn from the record-breaking cold snap that killed more than two dozen people and sent hundreds to the hospital with frostbite and other weather-related injuries? The only real defense against Winter Storm Jayden was fossil fuels. Even as U.S....
Unlike the federal government, Article I, Section 10 of the U.S. Constitution prohibits states from issuing their own money. State power to tax and borrow is thus limited only by economics and commonsense. Some states rely heavily on volatile revenue sources, such as personal income taxes with high marginal rates or excise taxes on oil...
As we begin another Black History Month in America, it is imperative that we have a real discussion about the state of Black America. If there is one issue that must be addressed it is the decimation of the traditional two parent Black family. In his op-ed piece for the Washington Post, former NFL tight...
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The federal government released its first jobs report of 2019, showing that nonfarm payroll grew by 304,000 in January, far above economists’ consensus estimate of 170,000. The average monthly gain in 2018 was 223,000. Over the past year, average hourly earnings were up 3.2%. After revising its data for past periods, the U.S. Bureau of...
By now, most people have heard about the small, underperforming school district in the Valley that spent state money to build a $20 million water park. But as it turns out, the story gets even worse. According to Progress Times, La Joya ISD’s water park has also become a drain on its annual budget. “During...
The reason for conducting a SWAT raid in the pre-dawn hours is the element of surprise. Most people are sleeping at this time and adjusting to such a situation from a sound sleep takes time — time during which a SWAT team can swiftly take control of a dangerous felon. It is particularly useful during...
What the AccuWeather service calls “the coldest weather in years” is gripping the nation, from Wisconsin to Alabama. The temperatures, AccuWeather says, “will put millions of people and animals throughout the Midwestern United States at risk for hypothermia and frostbite to occur in minutes during the final days of January.” The only real defense against...
Federal statisticians are beginning to put a wrap on 2018, providing a clearer picture of the positive effects of President Trump’s tax cuts and regulatory rollbacks. There are two sets of data that truly stand out: manufacturing job growth and the rate of private sector job growth in the states. Looking at the national jobs...
Bail reform is increasingly being considered by state legislatures and many cases challenging bail practices continue to wind their way through federal courts. Understanding the significance of these developments requires examining the role of constitutional rights, the negative effects of pretrial detention, and how recent reforms in several states are reshaping the pretrial justice landscape....
Political leaders in a college town in central Texas won wide praise from former Vice President Al Gore and the larger Green Movement when they decided to go “100 percent renewable” seven years ago. Now, however, they are on the defensive over electricity costs that have their residents paying more than $1,000 per household in...