Spending

Commentary

The Ginn Economic Brief: Texas Economic Situation – April 2024

Texas on the Brink: A Call for Free-Market Revival Overview Texas stands at a crossroads. Renowned for its robust economy and job creation, the Lone Star State now confronts economic challenges that could define its future. Excessive government spending, burdensome…

Research

Bold Reform to Rein in Wyoming’s Soaring Property Taxes

Executive Summary The Problem: The Three-Step Solution Our proposal turns restrained government spending into a direct benefit to those with property in Wyoming and a benefit to those without property who rent or lease. Whether someone has property or rents…

Commentary

Abbott Once Again Says He Wants to Eliminate School Property Taxes

Yes, it is possible… And we have a plan to do it.  Yesterday, at the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Texas Policy Summit,  Governor Greg Abbott took the stage to address those in attendance, discussing issues ranging from school choice to…

Commentary

Dallas Can Make Housing Affordable Again

This commentary was originally published at The Dallas Express here. It is being republished with permission from the author. Home “owners” in Dallas and surrounding cities find themselves grappling with the weight of unaffordability as property taxes soar, increasing by $120 million despite…

Research

New Property Tax Numbers Prove Relief Was Not the Largest in Texas History

Texans are upset that their property tax relief is less than the Texas Legislature promised last year. While Texans for Fiscal Responsibility wrote about how we should expect this outcome, the reporting and claims about this relief were that it…

Commentary

Texas Can Have More Tax Relief if the Legislature Stops its Out-of-Control Spending

This commentary was originally published at The Center Square here. It is being republished with permission from the author. In 2023, Texas led the U.S. on many fronts: job growth, economic expansion, energy production, and a record surplus of $33 billion. This…

Commentary

Public Service or Personal Gain?

2023 was a year of legislative disappointments: mediocre property tax relief, wasteful spending, and fiscal irresponsibility; however, there was another egregious example of legislative impropriety that may have flown under the radar for some.  While you were struggling under the…

Commentary

Year-in-Review: Texas Mired in Fiscal (Ir)Responsibility

Explore a pivotal year in Texas politics, featuring a historic budget surplus, the largest spending increase, complex property tax cuts, corporate welfare debates, and the unresolved school choice saga. This comprehensive review sheds light on the major legislative decisions and their implications for the future of Texas.

News

Impeachment Price Tag: Texas House Spends Millions of Tax Dollars on Impeachment

After months of delay following Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s call for a financial audit of the effort to impeach and remove Attorney General (AG) Ken Paxton this year, new revelations about the actual cost to taxpayers surfaced last week. These…

News

The Surge in Texas Local Debt and Property Tax Implications

Texas’ Local Debt Crisis: Unpacking the $461.3 Billion Burden In a startling revelation, the Texas Public Policy Foundation reported a significant surge in Texas’ local debt, now towering at an unprecedented $461.3 billion as of the fiscal year 2023. This…

Commentary

I Want School Choice in Texas, But Not Like This

This commentary was originally published at The Center Square here. It is being republished with permission from the author. A record number of states have passed universal school choice so far this year, but it seems Texas won’t be among them. Given…

News

The Ginn Economic Brief: Texas Economic Situation – November 2023

Texas lost jobs in October and faces major headwinds with a weak U.S. economy and a poor performance by this year’s 88th Legislature. There is a better way. Free-market capitalism is the best path to let people prosper, as it…

Commentary

Texas Bond Propositions: The Rising Tide of Property Tax Burdens and Voter Paradox

One of the perhaps most underreported outcomes of last week’s election is the overwhelming success of local bond propositions, especially those that will further increase the already rapidly growing property tax burden on Texas taxpayers. Collectively, Texas voters considered nearly…

News

Election Results: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Tuesday was election day, and Texans across the State went to the polls to cast their votes on fourteen constitutional amendments, various local propositions, and a scattering of elections for office.  Let’s briefly look at the election day results and…

NewsFederal

Federal Budget Deficit Has Nearly Doubled Under President Biden

The federal budget deficit has doubled from one year to the next a few times before. Usually, those occurrences happen in conjunction with economic bad news, something the current administration consistently says does not exist. The Numbers Game First off,…