Cut! Cut! Cut!
What to know: The University of Texas at Austin is planning to eliminate several “grievance studies” courses.
The TPPF take: This is another win for UT leadership as they continue to implement Senate Bill 37.
“First, nobody at the 40 Acres has said students can’t study these issues. But reviews reveal that if so-called ‘grievance studies’ courses are not required, few people take them. The classes aren’t actually history or cultural analysis but instead are loaded with race and gender theory ideology and calls for activism,” says TPPF’s Sherry Sylvester. “Second, you have to wonder how even one professor believes that not being able to major in one of these ‘grievance study’ programs hampers anyone’s career prospects. The only future with such a degree is teaching the same classes somewhere or working as a barista.”
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Here They Come
What to Know: Many of Texas’ largest local governments are asking voters to approve big, new bonds in November. For example, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD is proposing a mammoth $1.6 billion bond while Northside ISD wants voters to support “an $886 million bond package.” Both will require higher taxes.
The TPPF Take: Local governments are drowning in debt. And yet, they continue putting more and more on the taxpayer credit card.
“Local government debt totals nearly $552 billion, which means every man, woman, and child in Texas owes roughly $17,400 for his or her share. That’s a truly staggering burden. Even still, many of Texas’ largest cities, counties, and school districts are scheming to borrow even more,” says TPPF’s James Quintero. “Make no mistake: new debt invites new taxes. That’s something that every cost-conscious Texan should remember as they head to the polls.”
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Three Year Degree
What to Know: Texas public universities would be required to offer students three-year bachelor’s degrees under a proposal announced by Gov. Greg Abbott.
The TPPF take: Graduating in three years, instead of four, reduces tuition and fees by 25 percent, producing an average total savings of $8,893 for in-state students enrolling in four-year universities.
“Student loan debt in America is at a historic high. At nearly 1.6 trillion dollars, student loan debt exceeds even national credit card debt, and this in a country fairly addicted to credit cards,” says TPPF’s Dr. Thomas Lindsay. “The three-year college degree, practiced in the United Kingdom for centuries, can reduce the cost of college by as much as 25 percent. In 2014, Purdue university began offering a three-year degree in its liberal arts majors. Texas public college and university students need and deserve the same.”