The city of Dallas just raised everyone’s taxes. Despite growing angst over affordability, a majority of Dallas city councilmembers voted last week to increase the tax burden on working families by adopting a tax rate of $0.7357 per $100 of value. By setting the tax rate at this level, City Hall chose to go well...
There is an affordability crisis in Texas, and local governments are making it worse. With bloated budgets and reckless spending, cities are making it difficult for Texans to own a home and raise a family. The city of Dallas, for example, recently passed a nearly $5 billion budget—the largest in the city’s history. The budget...
Earlier this month, six tech titans from Google, Microsoft, Meta, Tesla, and OpenAI met with lawmakers behind closed doors to discuss the future of artificial intelligence (AI). And although they reached an overwhelming consensus on the need for regulating AI, it appears that Elon Musk still remains one of the few vocal leaders fighting for...
The following commentary is published on Thursdays as part of TPPF’s subscriber-only newsletter The Post. If you would like to subscribe to The Post, click here. Towards the end of President Trump’s term, he announced he would be withdrawing American troops from the Kurdish portion of northeast Syria. It was a controversial decision that was criticized...
On Tuesday, Travis County commissioners approved a controversial new budget for Central Health that has many wondering why the hospital district is spending so much. In the upcoming fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1, Central Health will spend a whopping $744 million, which is “an effective 18.4% year-over-year budget increase.” You read that right—the district’s...
Let’s refocus and ensure US military is the world’s most effective and respected fighting force In a world beset by the specters of geopolitical instability and rapidly advancing technology, the United States military should be a bulwark of strength and focus. It should reflect the finest virtues of our society – courage, integrity, and above all, readiness...
“It’s just a hazard all the way around,” says Pamela Meyer, a resident of Sweetwater, Texas. Sweetwater, Texas is home to the Sweetwater wind farm, the largest wind farm in the world when it was built in in 2007. The town’s inviting welcome sign is painted on a grounded turbine blade on the edge of...
Last week, the Beaumont City Council gave its unanimous approval to a $329.7 million budget and a new tax rate for fiscal year 2024, both of which will add financial pressure to already-strained family budgets. Beginning Oct. 1, the new tax rate is $0.681485 per $100 of value, which represents a very minor decrease...
Dismissed—with prejudice, yet without explanation. This was the order Shana Elliott and Larry Kalke received from a Texas court after four hard-fought months of litigation. Shana and Larry dared to challenge College Station’s restrictions on properties outside city limits, arguing the city’s failure to afford them representation in city council rendered the restrictions unconstitutional. The...
Last week, Central Health, Travis County’s hospital district, presented its Fiscal Year 2024 budget to the Travis County Commissioners Court. Under the proposed budget, the health care district would spend $744 million in total, “an increase from 2023’s $628.5 million.” That’s nearly a 20% increase year-over-year. To support all the new spending, it’s seeking a...
School districts across the state are anticipating the passage of the property tax relief proposition by voters this November and are already poised to slowly erode any relief that taxpayers may receive. Outside of the monuments to future generations debt that are some high school district sports complexes, or the absurd salaries and benefits awarded...
On just one Saturday night this month, three DePaul University students, all women, were robbed within half an hour on the school’s Lincoln Park campus in Chicago. One of the women was hit in the face by her assailant. Across town, numerous armed robberies and murders were taking place at the same time. In all, Chicago reported at least 22...