Sometimes, the diagnosis is right, but the prescription is wrong. U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Washington, correctly diagnoses the American health care system, but her prescription will only make things worse. “The state of our health care system is absolutely atrocious,” she said recently. “We believe that the market is broken, and that is the core...
There’s a perception of millennials as quirky (and problematic) young adults who haven’t quite bought into the system that has built America into the most robust economy the world has ever seen. But millennials are now in their 20s and 30s, and they make up the largest share of laborers in the workforce. Despite millennials’...
Former President John Adams once said: “Liberty cannot be preserved without general knowledge among the people.” Adams’ sage advice carries a special meaning as we celebrate Sunshine Week 2019. Sunshine Week is a time set aside for educating the public about the importance of open government and the dangers of sustained secrecy. This year’s theme...
Occupational licensing is an economically crippling action that prevents potential employees from engaging in beneficial work. Currently, Texas licenses nearly 500 professions, and the alarming reality is that they can license potentially as many as they want. House Bill 234 prevents license and regulation laws from being placed on arguably the most innocent entrepreneurial activity:...
On March 5, National Public Radio (NPR) posted an investigatory piece entitled, “How Federal Disaster Money Favors The Rich,” which asserted that the U.S. is experiencing more disasters due to climate change and that federal disaster assistance favors the wealthy over the poor. This is a classic call to action: things are bad and getting...
A new infection may be spreading through Texas like a brushfire — the Washington Monument Syndrome. No, a virus has not been transmitted from our national mall to the San Jacinto Monument. The syndrome is a moniker coined back in 1969 when George Hertzog, then head of the National Park Service, was so unhappy with...
Recently released video shows just how dysfunctional the Houston ISD school board is. A four-hour session intended to teach board members how to govern effectively turned into a shouting match and an “airing of grievances,” according to the Houston Chronicle, which obtained the video through a public information request. “The turmoil has stalled efforts to...
A recent University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll shows that 72 percent of Texans support “requiring local governments to ask voters before raising property tax revenues more than a set amount.” This support was on display during recent public hearings on nearly identical bills in Senate Bill 2 and House Bill 2, both of which would...
Braving cold temperatures and a constant drizzle, East Texans gathered in Tyler on Saturday to learn more about property tax and school finance reform. The event, hosted by Grassroots America-We The People and the Texas Public Policy Foundation, brought TPPF experts Rafa Bejar, Kara Belew and James Quintero in for a closer look at how...
Christy called the ambulance on Christmas Eve because her husband passed out and was unresponsive. He was rushed to the hospital and remained there for three months before passing away. While Christy sat by his silent bedside—he was in a coma the entire time—she watched person after person come into the room to read the...
Property taxes in Texas have skyrocketed over the last two decades. But state lawmakers may be getting ready to finally rein them in. Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen recently unveiled a historic property tax reform package and announced that identical bills — Senate Bill 2 and House Bill...
Austin has a long history of abusing local control, but its recent push for mandatory paid sick leave may end up being the straw that breaks the camel’s back. That much is evident by what’s happening at the Capitol. What exactly is unfolding? Maybe something big. But first a brief bit of history. In February...