News and Commentary
The Ginn Economic Brief: Texas Economic Situation – August 2023
Texas is a leader in job creation over the last year and since February 2020. But Texas faces major headwinds as the recently ended 88th Legislature looked more like California than what is expected from the free-market bastion of hope…
Unexpected Twist: Dallas Mayor for Fiscal Responsibility?
In the intricate political landscape of Texas politics, more often than not those politicians that claim to be “Republicans” or “conservatives” advocate for fiscally responsible government, lower taxes, and less spending by government entities. Dallas Changing their Playbook? Yet, in…
“Taxes Ought Not to Pay for Your Bags of Fudge Rounds”
Recently a song from an independent music artist Oliver Anthony went viral on social media, ultimately topping many song-ranking charts, much to the chagrin of many well-established music artists. The song is chalked full of anti-elitist themes, presumably speaking to…
Get Involved Now! Local Governments to Adopt New Property Tax Rates
Are you a homeowner? A small business owner? Farmer or rancher? Texas property owner of any kind? If you are, then this information is for you! Tax Rates Every year, local governments in Texas set a budget for their operations…
The Gold-Backed BRICS Currency and the Danger to the Fiat Dollar
Introduction In the realm of global finance and economics, the potential introduction of a gold-backed currency by the BRICS countries—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—has gained attention as a potential challenge to the established fiat dollar system. This proposal…
Need to Know: A Look at the Texas Constitution Amendment Propositions on the Ballot
This November, Texans across the State will go to the polls to vote on fourteen (14) amendment propositions to the Texas Constitution. These proposed amendments were passed by two-thirds of both the Texas House and the Texas Senate and require…
Legislators Celebrate Second-Largest Property Tax Relief Package in Texas History
In an official commemoration surrounded by Texas legislators, Governor Abbott ceremoniously signed and celebrated the second-largest property tax relief package in Texas history. Taking place in New Caney, Texas, and livestreamed online, Governor Abbott on Wednesday ceremoniously signed the new…
Political Calculus Changing Around Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying Ban?
Will Texas ban the practice of taxpayer-funded lobbying in the next legislative session? Taxpayer-funded lobbying, simply put, is the practice of local political subdivisions (school districts, cities, counties, etc.) hiring lobbyists in Austin to lobby lawmakers to increase the local…
Continued Uncertainty on the Economic Horizon
It has now been more than three years since governments across the country forced us into an artificial recession in response to COVID-19, interrupting some of the greatest economic growth and prosperity under President Trump that America had seen in…
Systemic Struggles: Recent Bank Failures and Their Implications
With all the recent talk of extraterrestrial aliens and Ukraine, you might have missed the recent news story of yet another bank failure in the United States this year. July saw another bank failure in the United States, the Heartland…
EXPLAINER: Federal Interest Rates
What They Are and How They Affect You Last week, the U.S. Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) increased the Federal Funds Interest Rates to 5.25-5.50%, for a 22-year high. This follows almost a year and a half of…
Bidenomics: Exposing the Marxist Road to American Communism
The year is 2035. Kamala Harris is in her second term as president of the United States, after serving as vice president under Joe Biden for eight years. The “Inflation Reduction Act 5.0″ and the third iteration of the Green…
Abbott Signs Texas Property Tax Relief Package into Law
After months of debate, political posturing, stalemate, and eventually a consensus deal between both chambers of the Texas Legislature, the long-awaited property tax relief package has finally been signed into law by Texas Governor Greg Abbott. Governor Abbott officially signed…
Corporate Welfare in Texas: The Ugly Truth
As the smoke begins to clear after the conclusion of the regular 88th Legislative Session and two special sessions, Texans are beginning to examine the myriad of both progress and damage accomplished by the Texas Legislature. In the damage category,…
Texas Passes Largest Budget Increase in Texas History
Overview Texas Passes Largest Budget Increase in Texas History Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) recently signed the Texas budget (HB 1) passed by the 88th Texas Legislature with the largest spending increases, the largest corporate welfare increases, and the largest social safety net…