“Almost 53 percent of spending by Texas governments is done at the local level. Unfortunately, detailed information on that local spending is virtually inaccessible to taxpayers, who are the true local control. “As our new report Texas Transparency: Then and Now published earlier this week shows, Texas’ experience with spending transparency undercuts all the excuses...
Press Release December 3, 2008AUSTIN – Today’s issuance of the last school charters allowed under current law makes it essential that the Texas Legislature repeal its cap on charter schools. “Restrictions imposed by the Texas Legislature now deny tens of thousands of students the opportunity to enroll in their preferred public school,” said Brooke Dollens Terry, education policy analyst...
Press Release November 21, 2008AUSTIN – Tens of thousands of Texas school children will be locked out of the school that can best meet their needs once the State Board of Education hits the Texas Legislature’s cap on charter schools later this week. “The State Board of Education has done what it can to promote competition and innovation in...
Press Release November 20, 2008“Next year, the Texas Legislature will reveal whether it has learned the lessons of 2001 or whether it will spend us into another budget crisis. By choosing one of the more conservative options on the 2010-11 spending limit, today’s Legislative Budget Board decision is a positive sign. “In 2001, the legislature convened with a $6...
Press Release November 14, 2008“The Sunset Advisory Commission’s staff recommendations would create a Texas juvenile justice system that produces better results for youths, crime victims, and taxpayers. “Having juvenile probation and juvenile corrections under separate funding streams has not served Texans well. Merging those funding streams will incentivize counties to rely on local, community-based programs that are more effective...
Press Release November 12, 2008AUSTIN – Texas’ efforts to make it the nation’s leading wind energy state have come at a cost – at least $60 billion between now and 2025 – that will be borne by consumers and taxpayers, according to a report released today by the Texas Public Policy Foundation. “The combined cost of subsidies, tax breaks,...
Press Release October 28, 2008“Gov. Perry’s action today highlights a major advantage of privatizing government services. When a function performed by government goes wrong, bureaucratic rules often protect the personnel or programs at fault. But when a private vendor is involved, the state can hold it accountable to its contract and ultimately seek competition from other vendors. “Unions and...
Press Release October 28, 2008“The Texas Public Policy Foundation applauds the governor’s efforts to keep Texas’ economy vibrant by controlling the growth of government. While the governor acknowledges a requirement for basic government services in the state, he also understands the value of a definitive cap on government spending. “Gov. Perry is correct that the growth in government spending...
Press Release October 23, 2008AUSTIN – Andrea Whitman has joined the Texas Public Policy Foundation in the newly created position of Program Coordinator. She will manage the Foundation’s policy events and supports its policy marketing, media, and outreach activities. “Andrea brings to the Texas Public Policy Foundation an impressive track record in both the variety and quality of her...
Press Release October 22, 2008HOUSTON – Speaking today to Houston business leaders, renowned climate scientist Dr. Roy Spencer said that new data collected from NASA satellites show that there are significant errors in the climate models used by the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Dr. Spencer – published author, principal research scientist for the University of...
Press Release October 7, 2008AUSTIN, TX – Several major trade associations and research organizations today formally launched the Texas Coalition for a Competitive Workforce (TCCW) to encourage focus on career and college readiness in public schools; improved career and technology education; and expanded teacher incentives – all with the goal of better preparing students for life after high school....
Press Release October 2, 2008AUSTIN – Today, the Sunset Advisory Commission approved reforms that will make the Texas homeowners’ insurance market more competitive and reduce costs for both consumers and taxpayers. “The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) has been in regulatory limbo for the last five years,” said Foundation policy analyst Drew Thornley. “With these reforms, its marching orders...
Press Release September 24, 2008