Texas GOP Vote

"Blue State" California voters just voted down tax hikes support by "Ahnold" and his cohorts in the legislature.  Now, the question is whether California voters will demand the next step toward true reform: cutting government spending.  This victory won't be much good without it.
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I fully expect to see President Obama’s social engineering plan collapse in late calendar year 2009 and thus all of the debate over the plan will become moot. The collapse will occur because the President has succumbed to the very trait that he accuses CEOs of having in the private sector---overreaching for short-term goals to the detriment of the long-term picture.  In his zeal for instant success for his social engineering agenda, he and his team overlooked some basic numerical facts.   Read more »

Do you think $100 Million is a lot of money?  Not when we're talking about government spending!  This short video helps you visualize the size of Obama's budget cut initiative when compared with the rest of the federal budget!!

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…. Continues from Bob Lemer’s previous post:  “Stop State Spending Insanity Part II – Out of Control!”

Suggested Composition Of The Special Commission. 

I have already presented the reason for having Mr. Paul Burka of the Texas Monthly serve as chairman.  The commission needs to have significant input from the applicable areas of elected state government that deal with the state’s finances.    Read more »

…. Continues from Bob Lemer’s previous post:  “Stop State Spending Insanity Part I – Background”

So How Does Actual Growth In Spending From State-Generated Revenues Compare To State Economic Growth Since 1978? 

The answers to that question are presented in Exhibit A.

State revenues from the federal government first must be deducted from both total revenues and total expenditures in order to examine what is truly happening regarding spending of state-generated revenues.  The federal government furnishes only cost recoveries, with a zero bottom line effect.  Additionally, the state has no control over the revenues to be given it by the federal government.   Read more »

Disclaimer from the author: This piece was written just before the legislature "solved" the school finance problem via the business tax.

Executive Summary

Texans were seduced into voting for a 1978 state constitutional amendment that falsely promised a state tax cap.  Ever since then the state legislature has not come close to honoring even the loosest interpretation of that poorly crafted amendment, sometimes refusing to acknowledge its mere existence.
Fact is, since 1978 the rate of growth in state spending, instead of being better controlled, has been exacerbated and has greatly exceeded the combined rate of growth in the state’s population and inflation.   Read more »