The Texas Tax Relief Act in Retrospect

Taxes are High. Local Spending is to Blame.

Over the last few months, local property taxes have been described as: “steep,” “burdensome,” “stressful,” “too high,” and “out-of-control.”   Yet despite these sharp (and accurate!) criticisms of Texas’ property tax, many local governments seem oblivious to the system’s excesses, as evidenced by the adoption of high tax rates this year (see TPPF’s Taxman Cometh series) as well as historical tax, spending, and debt patterns. Worse, what once may have been excused as indifference or detachment now borders on exploitation.   Consider some recent revelations about local government compensation.  ...

Who Were Austin’s Highest Paid Public Employees in 2025?

Last month, the Austin American-Statesman launched an interesting new city salary database that shines a light on the “top-paid city of Austin employees of 2025.” The new details are quite interesting, especially given the city’s own recent admission that “Austin is experiencing a housing affordability crisis”—which is, of course, chiefly driven by government action.   Using this tool, it’s obvious that city workers have become numerous and well-compensated. As the Statesman itself notes: “The city of Austin employed 13,567 full-time workers...

Massive Downward Jobs Revision Reveals The Media Lied About Biden’s Economic Record

Media not only misled the public but may have delayed needed policy shifts, like Fed rate cuts. Americans deserve transparency, not gaslighting. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) delivered a body blow to the corporate media industrial complex’s narrative of a robust Biden economy. In its preliminary benchmark revision, the agency slashed its estimate...