Higher Taxes on the Horizon What to know: Many school districts are complaining about budget deficits and threatening serious tax hikes, despite robust revenues, ample reserve funds, and teaching fewer students. The TPPF take: Education doesn’t need more money. We need more education for our money. “School trustees should reject any talk of tax hikes and instead, look for...
Higher Taxes on the Horizon What to know: The State Board of Education will soon meet to adopt new social studies standards, amid pushback from leftist groups. The TPPF take: The new standards will improve education in Texas. “This revision a major reform to how history is taught to Texas students, replacing a model where Texas, American, and...
Stuck in the Past What to know: A transportation director for the North Central Texas Council of Governments wants an expensive and outdated fixed rail system to connect Fort Worth and Arlington, saying: “I can’t imagine living in this region with 12.5 million people without high-speed rail.” The TPPF take: Fixed rail is outdated and tends to service only...
Say What?! What to know: A new report reveals that Austin spends big on public communications. As currently configured, the city’s sprawling communications operation spans “28 departments, 176 communications staffers and more than $10.4 million in reported marketing and communications spending over two fiscal years.” The TPPF take: Austin should consolidate and cut spending. “Austin’s communications operation has...
Watts Up With That? What to know: Rural Texans say they don’t want the planned 765 kV electric transmission lines traversing their areas, citing threats to their land and their livelihoods. The TPPF take: Those transmission lines would impose nearly $100 billion in lifetime costs on Texas ratepayers and create irreversible property losses for thousands of landowners across...
Terror Close to Home What to know: Islamist organizations are operating all over Texas and the U.S., reports show. The TPPF take: We must broaden our threat perception. Terrorist organizations are here, not merely “over there.” “With Texas Shia charities, mosques and imams advocating and fundraising for foreign, violent political movements; visas issued to imams involved with U.S.-designated...
Healthcare Affordability What to know: Texas lawmakers are holding hearings on healthcare costs, and are now zeroing in on insurance costs and practices. The TPPF take: Insurer-controlled healthcare has hidden costs. “Patients should be able to shop for high-value care without monopolistic restrictions, whether at an independent clinic, hospital, or through a direct-pay or health-sharing model,” says TPPF’s Dr. Cliff Porter....
Voting Early, Vote Often What to know: In Harris County, voters will see eight separate elections in less than a year. The TPPF take: Uniform election dates are part of TPPF’s Election Integrity Agenda, ahead of the upcoming legislative session. “Texas should require local elections to be consolidated with the November uniform election date,” says TPPF’s Josh Findlay. “This...
Government Secrets What to know: In May, the Austin city council approved “the purchase of new gas generation by a secret vote in executive session,” setting off a firestorm of criticism from open government advocates. In recent years, executive session abuse has become a big and growing problem. The TPPF take: Voting in secret is incompatible with democratic...
Thinking About Tax Hikes What to know: Some San Antonio city councilmembers want to move forward with a big tax increase next year, potentially raising rates from $0.54 per $100/value to nearly $0.58 per $100/value. The proposal caused one city councilmember to respond: “Under no circumstances should we be raising the property tax rate on our citizens right...
Grifting for the Goal What to know: California’s healthcare fraud is far more extensive than officials admit, the Wall Street Journal reports. The TPPF take: California’s healthcare fraud helps to bankroll Democratic politicians, such as LA Mayor Karen Bass. “The left-wing dominance of the Golden State is sustained by a giant pile of cash, much of it out...
A New Digital Divide What to know: U.S. schools are realizing their mistake, “as screens saturate classrooms,” and they’re going back to physical books. The TPPF take: “Ed tech” overpromised and under-delivered. “The amount of time students are spending glued to taxpayer-subsidized screens in the classroom is hard to determine, but one estimate puts it at more than 20%...