Gift Card Grift
What to know: A third Austin ISD employee has been “accused of stealing thousands of dollars worth of district-owned gift cards” to spend on his own personal bills, groceries, tuition, and expenses. This means that tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars have likely been stolen over a short period.
The TPPF take: Why are governments buying gift cards to begin with?
“School districts are supposed to teach kids to read, write, and do math. It defies explanation how government gift cards, whether stolen or not, help students succeed in any regard,” said TPPF’s James Quintero. “Students and taxpayers deserve better from school districts.”
For more on school district spending, click here.
Going Home
What to know: Hundreds, perhaps thousands of people who have been traveling to the U.S. with the intention of crossing the border illegally have turned around, and are now heading home.
The TPPF take: Finally, we can say the border is closed to illegal immigration.
“Texas will continue to add barriers where necessary and deploy personnel to the defense of our state,” says TPPF’s Selene Rodriguez. “President Donald Trump’s new border czar Tom Homan came down south recently with a strong message to Texas: ‘We will have your six. [We’re] not going to sue you for doing your jobs, but give you help. You’re not just protecting Texas, you’re protecting the entire country. Game on. Time to get this done.’”
For more on the border, click here.
Spring Break
What to know: It’s Spring Break for many schools, and as many as one-third of Americans will travel in coming days. Spring Break has now outpaced Memorial Day for travel.
The TPPF take: We can thank pro-energy policies for our ability to travel so cheaply in the U.S. And newly confirmed Energy Secretary Chris Wright will ensure that energy prices stay low.
“As CEO of Liberty Energy, Wright has demonstrated the effectiveness of free-market principles and innovation in advancing American energy production,” says TPPF’s Greg Sindelar. “Chris is an ideal choice to return the Department of Energy to its role of promulgating policies and research that advance American energy dominance.”
For more on energy independence, click here.