Spending

Podcast - Taxpayer Talks

Episode 12: BONUS EPISODE: Texas State Representative Jeff Cason

Episode Description πŸ’° In this bonus episode of π—§π—”π—«π—£π—”π—¬π—˜π—₯ π—§π—”π—Ÿπ—žπ—¦, we talk with outgoing Republican Texas State Representative Jeff Cason about fiscal issues facing Texas including the property tax and the appetite in the Texas Legislature to address them, his…

Podcast - Taxpayer Talks

Episode 11: Jeff Cason, Quid Pro Joe and a Political Culture of Spending

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 Texas Republican State Representative Jeff Cason, the recent “Quid pro-Joe” scandal regarding Saudi Arabian oil,…

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…

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…

NewsFederal

Yet Another Somber Debt Milestone

$31 trillion. Written another way, $31,000,000,000,000. Sadly, milestones like these seem to have become all too regular. They are almost as certain as the political theatre performed by the U.S. Congress every few months over whether or not to raise…

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…

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…

Podcast - Taxpayer Talks

Episode 4: Special Episode from the Texas Capitol

Episode Description πŸ’° In this episode of π—§π—”π—«π—£π—”π—¬π—˜π—₯ π—§π—”π—Ÿπ—žπ—¦, we discuss observations from Texas House Appropriations and Ways & Means Committee hearings that took place Thursday where they discussed things like property tax, appraisal reform, corporate welfare, and state spending. We…

News

Democrat Lawmaker Suggests Expanding Medicaid is Wise Fiscal Policy

Democrat State Rep. Bobby Guerra (Mission), who “boasts” a career rating of an F on the Fiscal Responsibility Index and scored a dismal 17 out of 100 in the most recent legislative session, recently took to the Rio Grande Guardian…

NewsFederal

They Dare Not Call it a Recession

Thursday, Americans woke up to the news that the U.S. economy continued to contract for the second straight quarter. For Americans who have been experiencing a higher cost of living in the last year or so, it is not necessarily…

Commentary

Introducing the Texas Prosperity Plan

AtΒ Texans for Fiscal Responsibility (TFR), we hear from Texans every day, impacted by the rising costs of living, rising property tax burdens, and general dismay towards a government that seems to represent their own interests less and less. For too…

NewsLocal

New Report Shows the Increased Debt Burdens on Texas Taxpayers in Largest Cities

Recently, Truth in Accounting published their latest Combined City Taxpayer Report of the 10 most populated cities in the United States and the debt burdens put on each of their taxpayers. The report attempts to measure the annual financial reports…

NewsFederal

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,…

Commentary

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…