TFR Staff

Explainers

Explainer: What Is Keynesian Economics?

Oftentimes when operating in the world of fiscal policy, economists use certain terms and phrases and simply gloss over them, not realizing that everyday taxpayers may not understand. A number of these come up from time to time, and I…

NewsFederal

Biden Caught in Another ‘Quid Pro Joe’

Where is the outrage for the many obviously corrupt business and political dealings of Joe Biden? In the last week, the government of Saudi Arabia made public that U.S. President Joe Biden was engaged in yet another quid pro quoβ€”or,…

Podcast - Taxpayer Talks

Episode 10: BONUS EPISODE: Bill Peacock, Host of The Liberty Cafe Podcast

Episode Description πŸ’° In this bonus episode of π—§π—”π—«π—£π—”π—¬π—˜π—₯ π—§π—”π—Ÿπ—žπ—¦, we talk with Bill Peacock, host of The Liberty Cafe Podcast and curator of ExcellentThought.net about fiscal issues facing Texas including what changes, if any could benefit the state budgeting…

Podcast - Taxpayer Talks

Episode 9: Bill Peacock, Local Government Property Tax Loophole & Election

Episode Description πŸ’° In this episode of π—§π—”π—«π—£π—”π—¬π—˜π—₯ π—§π—”π—Ÿπ—žπ—¦, we highlight some of the more interesting points to come out of our recent interview with Bill Peacock, we discuss a loophole local governments are exploiting related to setting property tax…

NewsFederal

Inflation Increase Is More Than Expected

Consumer Price Index (CPI) data for the month of September was released Thursday morning, and with it came more bad news with regard to our economic outlook. Inflation (year over year) came in at 8.2%. Though this is down from…

NewsState

Cities Using Loophole to Raise Taxes Without Approval Elections

Many taxpayers have reached out to us regarding cities and other local political subdivisions raising taxes beyond their voter approval thresholds without triggering an election. Many have wondered how this is possible after the supposed “historic property tax reform” of…

Podcast - Taxpayer Talks

Episode 8: Texas Gubernatorial Debate & Property Taxes

Episode Description πŸ’° In this episode of π—§π—”π—«π—£π—”π—¬π—˜π—₯ π—§π—”π—Ÿπ—žπ—¦, we discuss the recent and only Texas Gubernatorial Debate and more specifically the candidate’s thoughts on property tax in Texas, as well as a Texas House Appropriations Subcommittee which was apparently…

NewsState

In Debate, Abbott Says He Will Eliminate School Property Taxes

Last Friday, Texas taxpayers had a chance to watch the one and only debate between former U.S. Congressman Beto O’Rourke (D) and incumbent Governor Greg Abbott (R) before the November general election. The two addressed several issues important to Texans,…

Podcast - Taxpayer Talks

Episode 7: Political Activism, Deceptive Cities, and Chapter 313 Tax Abatements

Episode Description πŸ’° In this episode of π—§π—”π—«π—£π—”π—¬π—˜π—₯ π—§π—”π—Ÿπ—žπ—¦, we discuss political activism in fiscal policy, deceptive cities raising taxes, and chapter 313 tax abatements.   Articles Referenced The Importance of Political Activism in Fiscal Policy (9.26.2022) Fort Worth Slaps…

Explainers

Explainer: What Are 313 Tax Abatements?

A topic that has become more popular recently due to Speaker Dade Phelan’s support for their renewal is Chapter 313 tax abatements. However, when interacting with taxpayers, I have noticed that most people have no clue about the controversial program….

NewsLocal

Fort Worth Slaps Taxpayers in the Face, Raises Taxes

It happened again: yet another deceptive tax increase by a major city. Last night, Fort Worth officially adopted its new tax rate of 71.25. This comes despite opposition from the public and two city council members dissenting to the tax…

Commentary

The Importance of Political Activism in Fiscal Policy

In the past year, conservatives have seen a lot of political activism in reaction to the Biden administration’s failures. We have also seen backlash from social norms moving away from traditional values. For instance, we have seen conservatives become politically…

Podcast - Taxpayer Talks

Episode 6: Fed Rate Hikes, Executive Overreach, & Eating Crickets

Episode Description πŸ’° In this episode of π—§π—”π—«π—£π—”π—¬π—˜π—₯ π—§π—”π—Ÿπ—žπ—¦, we discuss recent federal reserve rate hikes, Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s executive overreach, and eating crickets.   Articles Referenced Abbott Refuses to Relinquish Power, Extends COVID Emergency Again (9.20.22) Explainer: What…

NewsState

Abbott Refuses to Relinquish Power, Extends COVID Emergency Again

Yesterday, Abbott renewed his COVID disaster declaration for another 30 days. Texas is now lagging behind the rest of the nation as one of only 12 states that have refused to lay down their unconstitutional executive power. This marks the…

Explainers

Explainer: What Is the World Economic Forum?

For the last few years, it’s been hard to go to a grassroots gathering without at least a mention of the World Economic Forum or a quote from the infamous Klaus Schwab. If you haven’t heard of the World Economic…