Category Archives: State Budget

Why the State Budget Crisis is Real (in Texas)

Posted on August 15, 2012 by

This piece by Mark Funkhouser, director of the Governing Institute, says a lot of things I’ve been trying to write about Texas’ state budget crisis lately: Why the State Budget Crisis is Real “What’s going on with state budgets? The … Continue reading →

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Regressive GOP Tax Plans Would Hurt Families and Small Businesses

Posted on August 3, 2012 by

This column ran in the San Antonio Express News on August 2, 2012. While I applaud Talmadge Heflin for at least discussing the need for new revenue options, his and recent Republican proposals on an already regressive sales tax in … Continue reading →

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“Stop Bullshitting”

Posted on July 19, 2012 by

This is the bottom line quote from Richard Ravitch of the State Budget Crisis Task Force on the fiscal situation of state governments and state budgets.

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Do they really want change? Or just a sound bite?

Posted on July 16, 2012 by

Texas Governor Rick Perry and House Speaker Joe Straus have recently called for “budget transparency” and getting rid of budgetary “smoke and mirrors.” They seem to have a calendar that reminds them every several months that it’s time to come out and … Continue reading →

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Texas needs more than just debate on the rainy day fund

Posted on March 22, 2012 by

This column ran in the Austin American-Statesman on March 22, 2011 Imagine the State of Texas as a new car. Today, our state faces a $27 billion budget shortfall, and if we’re not careful, that deficit will be a flat … Continue reading →

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Court Gives Texans a New Change

Posted on November 21, 2011 by

This column ran in the Houston Chronicle on November 21, 2011. At a time when Americans are understandably cynical about our political system, Texans may have cause to celebrate positive developments this holiday season. We’ve had to endure a difficult … Continue reading →

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Texas’ Debt Ceiling

Posted on August 3, 2011 by

With all our attention focused on the federal debt-ceiling debacle in Washington, it is easy to ignore our own state debt crisis here in Texas. Texas’ debt is increasing at a rate that rivals the federal government’s, yet no one … Continue reading →

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Response to Attacks on Non-Partisan Legislative Board

Posted on March 25, 2011 by

Facts are important, and politicians in Austin are wrong to attack the non-partisan experts at the Legislative Budget Board simply  because they don’t like what they have to say.

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