- The risk and reward of Rick Perry’s flat tax gambit – James Pethokoukis, The American
Tax reform involving a flatter, fairer, smaller tax code is a great political message. Will the latest messenger prove up to the task? - Obama camp hits Perry energy/jobs plan as "old thinking" – Todd Gillman, Trail Blazers Blog
That’s can’t make Dave Carney unhappy. - HISD joins fight to strike down school finance system – HISD
The HISD Board of Education voted to authorize a lawsuit against the state on the grounds that Texas lawmakers have not met their constitutionally mandated obligation to adequately fund public education. The recently adopted state budget cuts education funding by $5 billion over a two-year period.
We have repeatedly called out the lie spread by the lockstep Texas political media that the legislature “cut” public education by $4 billion the last session (state spending actually increased by several milion). Now, we have progressed to the point that the expensive PR shop at the largest school district in Texas is using taxpayer resources not only to spread that lie, but to add $1 billion to the lie. And they’re also squandering taxpayer (read: education) resources on suing the state. Neat trick, huh?
- Tx libs run to courts on school funding – Weston Hicks, AgendaWise Reports
- $74 million spent on Texas community college students who dropped out – Mark Lisheron, Texas Watchdog
- Texas Reduces Weekend Meals for Prisoners – Manny Fernandez, NYTimes.com
Shame. - The mind of Straus: Manufactured efficiency – Robert Garrett, Trail Blazers Blog
Conservatives should always be wary when GOP pols start garnering adulation from the Texas lockstep political media. - Liberal Lance Gooden lauded by TLR – Daniel Greer, AgendaWise Reports
- Texas Watch releases scorecard of House members – Tim Eaton, Postcards
Just a thought: When a group talks like a pro-Dem group, walks like a pro-Dem group, and endorses like a pro-Dem group, it’s probably okay to identify them as a pro-Dem group. - Super Pacs and the Rise of the Non Campaign – Ross Ramsey, Texas Tribune
Yet another misleading headling from Texas Tribune. This isn’t a story about the rise of 527s due to the latest misguided round of federal “campaign finance reform” (entirely predictable, except perhaps for political journalists, and old news, since it dates to 2003!), but rather a hit piece on a perceived pro-Perry SuperPAC.