Spending

Commentary

Texas: A Leader in Tax Competitiveness, But Room to Improve

Texas ranks 7th in the 2025 State Tax Competitiveness Index, benefiting from its lack of an individual income tax and a competitive unemployment insurance tax system. However, high property taxes, a complex corporate tax system, and excessive government spending, all…

Research

Texas Spending in the Current Biennium Likely to Top $400 Billion

The old truism is that there are two certainties in life, death and taxes. I’d like to modify that slightly to death and government spending.  After all, government spending is why taxes exist. No spending, no taxes. But there is…

Commentary

2024 Victory Marks the Beginning of the Fight for Fiscal Sanity

The 2024 election results were a clear victory for fiscal conservatives across Texas (and the country as a whole). With the Republican Party securing expanded majorities in both chambers of the State legislature, a unique opportunity is presented to push…

Commentary

Here’s How Much Thanksgiving Dinner Will Cost You in 2024, Compared to 5 years Ago

Every year, a survey is released detailing the average cost of Thanksgiving dinner for American families. Volunteers across the country visit their local grocery stores to assess the prices of the common staples found in a “typical Thanksgiving feast,” for…

Explainers

Sustainable Tax Relief: Why Surplus Triggers Are Better Than Revenue Triggers

States across the country are rethinking tax reform to stay competitive for residents and businesses. Many are exploring ways to phase out personal income, business franchise, and property taxes to attract workers, foster economic growth, and ensure property rights. But…

Commentary

Texas Schools and Local Governments Want Even More Money

Election season is finally upon us, and while many are heavily focused on federal and state elections, one of the important issues that will appear on millions of Texan’s ballots are propositions with a direct impact on their pocket book. …

Commentary

Elon Musk Sounds the Alarm

Massive Government Spending, Out of Control Debt, and Government Inefficiency Abounds Tesla and SpaceX pioneer, and X (formerly Twitter) CEO, Elon Musk, has absorbed himself into the world of political advocacy with his endorsement and vocal support of President Donald…

Commentary

The True Extent of Inflation

The Inflation Toll: Biden/Harris Policies and Texas’ Economic Struggle As Texas grapples with unregulated and irresponsible spending on behalf of state legislators, the economic policies of the Biden/Harris Administration have cast a long shadow over the Lone Star State’s desire…

Commentary

The Ginn Economic Brief: U.S. Economic Situation-October 2024

Big Government Is Holding America Back America’s federal debt has now skyrocketed past $35 trillion—an increase of $2.3 trillion in just the last fiscal year. Inflation persists, with core prices rising 3.3% over the past year. Meanwhile, government jobs are…

Commentary

The Case for Prosperity: Less Government, More Growth in Texas

As Texas faces rising property taxes and record-high government spending, it’s time to reassess the path toward long-term prosperity. Recent data illustrates Texas’ strengths and challenges.  In August 2024, Texas maintained a 4.1% unemployment rate, while the state’s GDP grew…

Commentary

The High and Rising Burden of Property Taxes.

The following piece is taken from Dr. Vance Ginn’s Testimony to the Texas House Select Committee on Sustainable Property Tax Relief: Over the last decade, the Texas Legislature has made some progress in providing property tax relief, but the housing…

Research

2026-27 Frozen Texas Budget: Reining in Unsustainable Spending

Overview Introduction ​Recently, the Texas Legislative Budget Board released the Fiscal Size-Up 2024-25 Biennium report with the latest estimated or budgeted amounts in the prior 2022-23 budget and the appropriated 2024-25 budget. The results from the 88th Texas Legislature’s efforts…

Commentary

Commentary: Texas Is Overfunding Public Education

The State of Texas is pouring unprecedented amounts of taxpayer money into public education with little to show for it.  From the 2014-15 school year, to the 2022-23 school year, total education spending surged 53% to $92.4 billion, while per-student…

Commentary

The Ginn Economic Brief: Texas Economic Situation – Summer 2024

Texas at the Crossroads: Sustaining Leadership Amid New Challenges Texas has long been at the forefront of job creation in the U.S., consistently outpacing other states, particularly since the COVID lockdowns. However, recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics…

Commentary

It’s Time to Relieve Texas Families 

Texas families are facing an affordability crisis that is being exacerbated by property taxes: a never-ending tax that, fundamentally, serves as a form of perpetual rent to the government.  While the Legislature has taken steps recently to address the rising…