Still They Come to Texas
What to know: In a piece that doesn’t sound anything at all like sour grapes, the New York Post is reporting that New Yorkers who move to Florida and Texas aren’t saving quite as much money as they were before, as home prices rise.
The TPPF take: Home prices aren’t the only thing driving the exodus from high-tax states like New York. There’s also the crime.
“At its very heart, government’s most important role is to keep its citizenry safe, and they’re failing,” says TPPF’s Brett Tolman. “They’re failing because they’re implementing policies that are not thoughtful. They’re not best practices that are working. And they’re not considerate of the dangers that men and women are facing as the crime rises.”
For more on the exodus from blue states, click here.
War on Gas Cars
What to know: President Joe Biden’s war against fossil fuels—and especially gas- and diesel-powered cars and trucks—will cost everyday Americans a lot of money.
The TPPF take: Automakers can’t sell what consumers don’t want.
“The Biden administration’s stringent fuel economy standards and regulatory manipulations are driving American automakers toward bankruptcy and adding thousands of dollars to the cost of every gasoline vehicle,” says TPPF’s Brent Bennett. “Rolling back these subsidies and burdensome regulations would save consumers money and stop the auto industry from falling off a financial cliff.”
Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying
What to know: Other states, like Kentucky, may soon ban the practice of taxpayer-funded lobbying on the basis that policymakers not “allow state-funded organizations to use tax dollars to lobby for policies that may or may not benefit [their] constituents.”
The TPPF take: It’s time for Texas to lead and finally ban taxpayer-funded lobbying.
“Local governments are lobbying state government for more government—and taxpayers are on the hook for all of it,” says TPPF’s James Quintero. “As states around the nation consider banning this pernicious practice, Texas must not fall behind or pass any half-measure. Instead, we must lead on this deeply critical issue and demonstrate to the nation what is possible when conservatives govern boldly.”