Senators Showed More Interest In Giving Themselves Raises Than Property Tax Relief in Hearing
Wednesday, the Texas Senate Committee on Finance convened for the first time since the last special legislative session to consider interim charges related to the state budget. Among the issues discussed were things like inflation, Russia, and state pension reforms....
Majority of Highest Paid State Employees Work for Teacher Retirement System
Last week, the Midland Reporter-Telegram reported on the 15 highest-paid Texas state employees. They used data collected by The Texas Tribune as a part of their ‘Salaries Explorer’ obtained through information requests from the Texas State Comptroller. Curiously, 11...
10 Facts About Property Taxes In Texas
Property taxes are one of the most confusing systems that taxpayers are tasked with understanding in Texas. The system itself is purposely complicated, with lawmakers changing definitions and the state Tax Code nearly every two years, it is nearly impossible for the...
Biden Administration Floats Federal Student Loan Forgiveness
On Monday, President Biden met with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, where among other issues he mentioned that his administration is looking into options to forgive a substantial but unspecified amount of federal student loan debt. Earlier this month,...
Fiscal Conservatives Start From Wrong Premise on State Spending
Ask yourself, do you believe the government is too big already? More often than not the answer we get at Texans for Fiscal Responsibility (TFR) as we travel around the state, visiting with Texas taxpayers, is a resounding yes! Despite this, for years now, the Texas...
They Shout Relief, But Where Is It?
Despite years of desperate cries from Texas taxpayers seeking significant property tax relief, Texans are once again being reminded that our lawmakers have no real desire to help lower our property tax bills. With stories of many Texas taxpayers experiencing as high...
Inflation Hits a 40 Year High… Again
The latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) data released Tuesday reveals that year-over-year inflation for the month of March hit 8.5%. This was a 1.2% increase from the previous month of February. Inflation has become a major problem for most Americans and unfortunately,...
Taxpayers Suffer As Superintendents Prosper
Last week the Texas Education Agency (TEA) released its most recent superintendent's salary report to the public. The report includes some disturbing results and shows that the average superintendent makes considerably more than the average Texan. The top ten...
Texans Prepare to Protest Property Appraisals
If you are a Texas property ‘owner’ it is likely you have already received your property appraisal this week from your county’s appraisal district. Many Texans are reporting higher than expected appraisals, which almost assuredly translates to an increased property...