It has often been suggested that Texas expand state-controlled gambling to increase state revenue in order to address the funding priorities du jour. For instance, one group suggested that gambling is a good way to “generat[e] more tax revenue for the state” in order to “rectify the anticipated budget imbalance.” However, turning to gambling for more government revenue is wrong on several counts.
Local Government
Who Were Austin’s Highest Paid Public Employees in 2025?
Last month, the Austin American-Statesman launched an interesting new city salary database that shines a light on the “top-paid city of Austin employees of 2025.” The new details are quite interesting, especially given the city’s own recent admission that “Austin is experiencing a housing affordability crisis”—which is, of course, chiefly driven by government action. Using this tool, it’s obvious that city workers have become numerous and well-compensated. As the Statesman itself notes: “The city of Austin employed 13,567 full-time workers...
March 27, 2026