If our students are not free to learn, they stand little chance of learning how to be free. Both American democracy and American higher education will wither if free speech and debate are squelched.
One person hisses. Another yells profanities. Someone else spits in your direction and shoves their middle finger in your face. Your reputation and physical appearance are attacked on social media. You’re trending on Twitter – but for all the wrong reasons. They’re screaming at you. They hate you. Why? You’re a conservative. It’s a typical day...
Have you heard about the small South Texas school district that built a $20 million water park using state tax dollars? Or that this same school district lost almost $250,000 in the park’s first year up-and-running? Or that it also owns a golf course and that also ran a deficit last year of $300,000? Well,...
We economists love a good object lesson for the vague principles and theories we discuss. That’s why the Tax Foundation’s “Tax Freedom Day” is so useful — it provides a clear, concrete example of how tax policy (which is boring) affects every American’s paycheck (which is very not boring). Tax Freedom Day is the date...
Polls show that the majority of Americans don’t think their taxes were cut with the landmark tax cut and reform bill signed into law by President Donald Trump in December 2017. But just in time for tax day, the New York Times published a well-written and counter-intuitive analysis by two of their economics reporters, Ben Casselman and Jim Tankersley....
No matter what the Trump administration tries to do — shake up the leadership of federal immigration agencies, force asylum-seekers to remain in Mexico, even build a massive border wall — none of it will do much to affect the current border crisis one way or another. That’s because the border crisis is actually an...
Remember shop class? If you’re under 40, you might not. Ask your parents or grandparents about it, and you’re likely to hear nostalgic tales of band saws, welding goggles, and wobbly birdhouses. But vocational education back in the day earned another, less rosy reputation. High school teachers and counselors often encouraged — or even compelled...
The one-pager outlines our analysis of how a “real cuts” plan compares with scenarios of a 2.5% rollback rate excluding debt and a 4% cap including debt. The current rollback rate is 8%, but it does not include local debt increases. Additionally, a tax ratification election on rates that exceed 8% can only be held...
While the debates over property taxes in the Texas Legislature are mostly held out in the open, the same can’t be said of negotiations surrounding property tax abatements under Chapter 312 of the Texas Tax Code. This controversial economic development incentive is brokered behind closed doors, even though it costs Texas taxpayers millions in foregone revenue. Residents of Concho...
Here’s some grandmotherly advice for lawmakers: Be sure you’re not jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire. In other words, when crafting legislation that will affect hundreds of millions of Americans, keep an eye out for unintended consequences that might make their problems worse. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act—popularly known...
The 2018 mid-term elections delivered California Democrats a firm supermajority in both legislative houses after years of steady, incremental gains. Now, as the 2019 legislative session begins there in earnest, it’s clear that the ascendant progressives who control both chambers are intent on increasing taxes. There’s a Democratic drive to hike taxes of every imaginable type – attorneys, car...
Will your paycheck go up by 5 percent or more each year for the next two years? That’s how much your state legislators may raise your taxes. While it’s not over until it’s over, the time to correct the Texas Legislature’s spending excess is quickly running out before sine die. Thankfully, Governor Abbott, Lt. Gov....