It’s An Invasion
What to know: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott refused to back down from his declaration that the current border crisis amounts to an invasion.
The TPPF take: Gov. Abbott’s public declaration of invasion at the Texas-Mexico border is a step in the right direction — for both Texas and the nation.
“There is an invasion underway, in the full meaning intended by the Constitution. The federal government is unlikely to do much about it,” says TPPF’s Greg Sindelar. “In the face of this federal dereliction of constitutional duty, Texas Gov. Abbott is setting the stage to assert his own.”
For more on the border crisis, click here.
Kicking Out the Middlemen
What to know: A pharmacy in Virginia has declared its independence from pharmacy benefit managers and insurance companies—meaning that customers pay the real prices of medications, which are often lower than the same drugs purchased with insurance.
The TPPF take: Markets, not mandates, will lower drug costs.
“The broken American health care system is often said to be a failure of the free market; the truth is that our health care markets are anything but free and transparent,” says TPPF’s David Balat. “Based on what we know, we should ask if the current system is meant to benefit patients, or if it is really built to sustain the status quo for insurers and middlemen.”
For more on drug prices, click here.
Flying High on the Taxpayers’ Dime
What to know: A Granbury ISD assistant superintendent has been caught flying the district’s Cessna Skyhawk “for personal trips.” The plane cost taxpayers $42,000 to purchase.
The TPPF Take: Why does Granbury ISD have a private plane??
“Public schools are supposed to teach kids to read, write, and do math. But many ISDs are spending tax money on things that have nothing to do with education—like private planes, water parks, golf courses, and Taj Mahal stadiums. It’s time for the Legislature to get a handle on these abusive expenditures,” says TPPF’s James Quintero.
For more on wasteful spending, click here.