Discussions about the legislature, state agencies, governance, and politics
Thank goodness the Legislature finally celebrated “the end.” They were tired and we were tired of them. Texas chose to create a limited government for a reason. I still have a button that says “what they really meant was 2 days every 140 years”. While humorous, it’s not to realistic. Still, I was thinking about […]
Continue reading →After a respite in the mountains of Colorado with my fellow American Leadership Forum classmates, I have returned to the city with a new focus. My classmates reminded me that everyone cares about the issues we most often discuss on this blog. What is the future of education for Texas? Among my classmates, there were […]
Continue reading →Alas, the Texas Legislature has tackled redistricting this Session with the same approach they have used on the budget and school finance – with little regard for the consequences. Redistricting has been a favorite topic of this blogger for some time. Last year, I published a series on redistricting that explained the process and the […]
Continue reading →Just when you thought it was safe again, the Texas Legislature reconvenes. They didn’t even take a day off from their tireless end of Session rush. The reason – School Finance. Now the rhetoric moves to a whole new level of noise. The decibels are increasing by the moment. Some claim that the reason they […]
Continue reading →Most of us believe that government is failing to govern well. At the federal level, we blame “partisan gridlock” and with good reason. A Democratic President strives to build consensus with a Republican House and a narrowly Democratic Senate. They constantly bog down in conflict and struggle to govern together. What is our excuse in […]
Continue reading →Dearest Children: We truly do have your best interests at heart. We know you are the future of Texas and we want the very best for you. Part of growing up is learning how to survive in tough times. Many of your families have faced economic challenges over the last few years. We know that […]
Continue reading →As the Legislative Session approaches critical deadlines, the emotions are running deeper. Most Legislators, with few exceptions, are not happy with the reduced budget they must balance and everyone has something important they do not want to see cut. Over the weekend, emotions in the State House rose to such a level that the Speaker […]
Continue reading →Texas needs rain! We are in a terrible drought and it is causing all kinds of problems for us. Wildfires are breaking out across the state and farmers are losing an entire season of crops. While in the urban areas we worry about our yards and green grass, the farmers are suffering serious setbacks that […]
Continue reading →The State House passed their version of the State budget late Sunday night. According to the Republican majority, it is the budget that Texans want and sent them to Austin to support. Governor Perry is lauding the budget as passed. Of course, this is all a bunch of rhetoric. Everyone, including the Republican leadership, believes […]
Continue reading →The State Comptroller announced today that she identified billions of dollars in new monies. The money was located in a hidden account that had been set up in the 1800’s and accruing interest over the years. The fund is now worth approximately $30 billion dollars. Additionally, gold bars were found and these are worth an […]
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