Government Intervention, not the Market,…

Fool Me Twice: Why the Texas Grid is Still Vulnerable to Winter Storms | Part 1: The Evolution of the Texas Grid

Part 1: The Evolution of the Texas Grid since Winter Storm Uri in 2021 As the five-year anniversary of Winter Storm Uri approaches, this analysis by Dr. Brent Bennett examines whether the ERCOT grid is truly prepared for the next major winter storm. Despite widespread perception that the grid has become more resilient, the data...

Assessing Tax Trends in the City of Austin

Does history suggest that property taxes are too high in the city of Austin? And, if so, have local decision-makers actively helped or hurt the situation?   To help answer these questions, let’s review the city’s 2024 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) and gather four types of data—i.e., tax levies, local population, total tax rates, and taxable values—over a 10-year time horizon. Using these audited estimates, we can gauge the growth of government (i.e., tax levy trends), assess its reasonability...

Zoning Promised Order, But Delivered Scarcity.

Texas adopted Hoover’s blueprint a century ago. Today, the bill is due in higher prices and lost liberty. Progressive-era policy rears its head in Texas housing. A century after Herbet Hoover put housing under government management, innovation has faltered, consumer choice has dwindled, and costs have exploded. Popular sentiment casts Herbert Hoover as a do-nothing,...