- Legislative process reveals hard truths – Jason Embry, Austin American-Statesman
The growing public concern about the state budget is not simply a collection of exaggerated sob stories manufactured by activists and operatives on the left.
True — many of the state’s lackluster political journos have played a role too. Opinions from them or “nonpolitical analysts” notwithstanding, if we could tax, spend, and borrow our way to full employment, there would be negative unemployment nationally right now! We can’t, and thankfully we’re not going to try in Texas. - The Welfare Queens of Texas – Wick Allison, D Magazine
The Legislature has increased spending 36 percent since Republicans took over in 2003, while not raising revenue to pay for it. This house of cards had to collapse someday. - What the Lean House Budget Bill Means for State Employees – R.G. Ratcliffe, BurkaBlog
Unshackled from the need to feign fairness or objectivity for a newspaper, Ratcliffe’s first BurkaBlog opinion post spreads the tale of woe of all the state bureaucrats who used to be his sources for stories. UPDATE: Speaking of which, be sure to read this comment. - Premature budgets, rant – On the South Steps
- Texas Association of Counties is at it again – denying taxpayer protections – AFP Texas
- Tougher penalties for mail-in ballot fraud up for debate Monday in Texas House committee – Steve Miller, Texas Watchdog
- Calls for University "Entrepreneurship" at UT – Reeve Hamilton, Texas Tribune
Texas Tribune’s effort at “balance” on this topic? - Former Lt. Gov. Hobby calls for end to tax break for high-cost gas production – Dave Montgomery, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
- More scrutiny for longtime tax breaks proposed – Laylan Copelin, Postcards
- Jack Pratt: The TT Interview – Texas Tribune
- Texas casinos face long odds from one key senator – Patricia Kilday Hart and Patrick Danner, Houston Chronicle
- State lawmakers grapple with online sales tax issues – Barry Harrell, Austin American-Statesman
- Preservation Board seeks more leeway – Mike Ward, Austin American-Statesman
- Retired Gen. Tommy Franks backs Michael Williams for Senate – Todd J. Gillman, Trail Blazers Blog
- Demos may try to oust Rep. Joe Pickett – Zahira Torres, El Paso Times
That wasn’t hard to see coming. - PPP: Republican frontrunners lose ground; could Perry be the beneficiary? – Paul Burka, BurkaBlog
Only in the minds of some Texas political journos who remain whimsically attached to the notion.