News and Commentary
Episode 11: Jeff Cason, Quid Pro Joe and a Political Culture of Spending
Episode Description π° In this episode of π§ππ«π£ππ¬ππ₯ π§ππππ¦, 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,…
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…
Biden Caught in Another ‘Quid Pro Joe’
Where is the outrage for the many obviously corrupt business and political dealings of Joe Biden? In the last week, the government of Saudi Arabia made public that U.S. President Joe Biden was engaged in yet another quid pro quoβor,…
Episode 10: BONUS EPISODE: Bill Peacock, Host of The Liberty Cafe Podcast
Episode Description π° In this bonus episode of π§ππ«π£ππ¬ππ₯ π§ππππ¦, 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…
Episode 9: Bill Peacock, Local Government Property Tax Loophole & Election
Episode Description π° In this episode of π§ππ«π£ππ¬ππ₯ π§ππππ¦, we highlight some of the more interesting points to come out of our recent interview with Bill Peacock, we discuss a loophole local governments are exploiting related to setting property tax…
Inflation Increase Is More Than Expected
Consumer Price Index (CPI) data for the month of September was released Thursday morning, and with it came more bad news with regard to our economic outlook. Inflation (year over year) came in at 8.2%. Though this is down from…
Texas Taxpayers Weigh Concerns Ahead of November Election
With only a month before the November general election, we surveyed subscribers of our weekly email, The Fiscal Note, about the issues they consider most likely to impact their decisions at the ballot box. The question posed to subscribers of…
Cities Using Loophole to Raise Taxes Without Approval Elections
Many taxpayers have reached out to us regarding cities and other local political subdivisions raising taxes beyond their voter approval thresholds without triggering an election. Many have wondered how this is possible after the supposed “historic property tax reform” of…
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…
Episode 8: Texas Gubernatorial Debate & Property Taxes
Episode Description π° In this episode of π§ππ«π£ππ¬ππ₯ π§ππππ¦, we discuss the recent and only Texas Gubernatorial Debate and more specifically the candidate’s thoughts on property tax in Texas, as well as a Texas House Appropriations Subcommittee which was apparently…
Texas Taxpayers Do Not Support Continued Corporate Welfare
Following a recent interim hearing of the Texas House Ways & Means Committee where they discussed several issues important to Texas taxpayers (including the potential revitalization of Chapter 313 tax abatements), we surveyed subscribers to The Fiscal Note about whether…
In Debate, Abbott Says He Will Eliminate School Property Taxes
Last Friday, Texas taxpayers had a chance to watch the one and only debate between former U.S. Congressman Beto O’Rourke (D) and incumbent Governor Greg Abbott (R) before the November general election. The two addressed several issues important to Texans,…
Political Theatre on Fiscal Prudence in Texas House of Representatives
During the 86th legislative session in 2019, state lawmakers passed legislation related to strategic fiscal reviews of state agencies and programs, seemingly an attempt at fiscal prudence relating to the allocation of tax dollars at the state level for some…
Episode 7: Political Activism, Deceptive Cities, and Chapter 313 Tax Abatements
Episode Description π° In this episode of π§ππ«π£ππ¬ππ₯ π§ππππ¦, we discuss political activism in fiscal policy, deceptive cities raising taxes, and chapter 313 tax abatements. Articles Referenced The Importance of Political Activism in Fiscal Policy (9.26.2022) Fort Worth Slaps…
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….