Both Mainstream and Conservative Media push inaccurate narratives about Texas

"The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness."
Luke 11:34

During Policy Orientation last week, one of the panels was: "Telling the Texas Story: Do Media Narratives Portray an Accurate State of the State?"  It was a good discussion.  The short answer is NO.

Obviously, the mainstream media has narratives they push.  This is true of both the national media and their counterparts at the state level.  This narrative portrays Texans as uneducated rubes and quasi-racists.

Obviously, that narrative is bogus.  It's also irrelevant.  Nobody cares.

Unfortunately, a much more pernicious narrative exists in conservative media.  This is the idea that Texas is some sort of stalwart conservative state in the first place.  Even more unfortunate, this narrative has a real world impact.

Texas isn't a conservative state.  It never has been.  Texas is a corrupt, crony capitalist state. 

It's been that way for 150 years.

Bottom Line: Pesky facts....

"The Texan" proves its chops

"Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me:"
Ezekiel 3:17

In the past few days, we've seen movement in both the Prado Family CPS case and the "Save James Younger" case.  Both remain works in progress.  But the past week has been less than completely terrible.  Considering that we're discussing government...that's progress.

That we're even aware of such cases, however, is a testament to one news outlet: The Texan.

Over the past several months, they've covered each story at a time when others lacked either a) bandwidth or b) interest.

This isn't necessarily bashing the traditional media.  They do some things well.  For all of their flaws, we're better off with them than we would be without them.  But it is to say important stories fall through the cracks.

For a media ecosystem to thrive, we need lots of outlets.  Competition and all that.  Right now, there's a void in Texas.  This past week demonstrates that the Texan can fill a rather significant chunk of that void.

Subscribe here.

Bottom Line: Without them, this past week could have looked very different....

Burton and the Texan team are clearly doing something right

"saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”
Luke 4:34

It's now been a few months since Konni Burton launched the Texan.  Obviously, we're glad she's doing this and we're glad The Texan exists.  More voices, not fewer, and all that.

If readers will allow us a confession, however, the truth is that we haven't been paying close attention.

Until yesterday:

IN 2015, ON THE OPENING DAY of the 84th Texas Legislature, newly elected Republican Konni Burton, a former Tea Party leader, stepped onto the Senate floor wearing a pair of black cowboy boots with the words “Stand for Life” inscribed on them. The sartorial choice signaled that Burton would be the polar opposite of her predecessor Wendy Davis, the Texas Democrat who made national headlines for her 13-hour filibuster against an abortion bill, which she delivered wearing pink running shoes.

Last November, as a blue wave swept Texas, Burton lost her seat—in an area previously considered to be among the country’s most conservative—to a Democrat. She has since turned her attentions to journalism, which she feels does not respect the beliefs of hardcore conservatives. She has started a new digital media outlet called The Texan—which, she says, without recognizing any contradiction, is both right-wing and unbiased.

....

The outlet will always use “pro-life” instead of “anti-abortion,” White says. (The site Texas Right to Life praised the launch of The Texan.) They also use the term “illegal alien,” which is no longer in wide usage because it is seen as both pejorative and inaccurate, because Burton rejects the word “migrant.” Headlines speak of “religious liberty.”

The Texan focuses on state-level politics, and currently publishes about a dozen stories a week. Reporters there have recently framed a House bill to protect Dreamers as “granting citizenship to illegal aliens.” (The story cites NumbersUSA, a known anti-immigrant group which the Southern Poverty Law Center identified as nativist.) There’s also an exclusive on the website with state representative Ron Wright, who made national headlines after a video by an abortion rights group showed him saying women should be punished for having an abortion.

The full piece is snarky and derisive. That's to be expected. What's noteworthy, however, is that it's being written at all.

[Note: If you're looking for a good laugh, contrast what the Columbia Journalism Review said about the Texas with what they said about the Texas Tribune when it launched.]

Somebody's scared.

So, yeah, good deal on Konni Burton and the staff of the Texan!!!

Bottom Line: Sometime the reaction to something tells you more than the original thing it self.  Clearly, this is one of those times.  Kudos.

#TXLEGE: Burton's opponent pledges to defend Protectionism and Corporate Favoritism

"Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord,
But a just weight is His delight."
Proverbs 11:1

Beverly Powell is Konni Burton's Democrat general election opponent; the things you learn scrolling through Twitter:

Preserving chapter 312 next session and fighting to protect local government's ability to attract job creators will be a priority of mine in the #txlege. My August op-ed on the topic: https://t.co/tjfWQDdFKR https://t.co/IJXcQdyGsm

— Beverly Powell (@beverlypowelltx) October 15, 2018

Seriously...Chapter 312?!?

Powell goes further in her linked op-ed:

As a starting point, Chapter 312 of the Texas Tax Code, which authorizes cities and counties to temporarily abate property taxes for economic development projects, will expire on September 1, 2019, unless the legislature extends it. Thanks to the tools available in Chapter 312, thousands of jobs have been created or retained in Fort Worth and General Motors has expanded its operations and created hundreds of new jobs in Arlington.

Considering that Texas has some of the highest property taxes in the nation and most states offer similar economic development incentives, it is imperative that the legislature extends Chapter 312 authority in the next session.

Apparently, Powell's solution for high property taxes is to make it easier for people who can hire lobbyists to pass their tax burden onto the rest of us.  Tax abatements are great for politicians who want to get photo ops.  But they're wretched policy.  The phrase "opportunity cost" comes to mind.

Chapter 312 is a textbook case of collusion between big business and big government at the expense of everyone else.

It's also worth noting the degree to which Konni Burton has been a champion on this issue.

Bottom Line: Special privileges for the rich and powerful is a strange premise around which to base a campaign....
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More on Chapter 312:

CWG - Chapter 312 Property ... by on Scribd

Another Shoe Drops Against Barton (who, seriously, needs to go)

"It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness,
For a throne is established by righteousness."
Proverbs 16:12

Gross:

An Arlington woman has shared a series of private messages — some with sexual overtones — she exchanged with U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, a week after he apologized for texting a nude photo of himself to another woman.

The messages, which were obtained by the Star-Telegram on Wednesday, included a mix of politics and questions about whether she was “wearing a tank top only..and no panties.”

Barton and the woman exchanged the Facebook messages in 2012 and 2013 while Barton was still married to his second wife, Terri.

The woman involved in the exchange, Kelly Canon, said she and Barton had been exchanging messages on Facebook Messenger for several years, mostly discussing politics.

“He took it a step too far on rare occasions,” said Canon, who is active in the Republican party. “He was very fascinated with my attire, to the point of being inappropriate.”

Barton, a 68-year-old Republican from Ennis, on Wednesday confirmed to the Star-Telegram that the message exchange took place.

“I will affirm I did have that exchange, but nothing more,” Barton said in a text message.

His consultant said he apologized to Canon.

Canon said Barton did not apologize to her about the Facebook messages, nor did she ask for an apology.

Canon shared a collection of messages, including Barton’s question about her wearing panties after midnight on June 13, 2012, followed by him asking, “right now?”

....

Other messages shared by Canon include:

On Oct. 2, 2013, Barton messaged her that “men are men...and u r definitely a sexy woman.”

When Canon responded that “all the good ones are married,” Barton replied: “I dont know about good..but I am married.”

“Well, that means you’re one of the ‘good’ ones, then!” Canon said.

“Thank u,” wrote Barton.

“Just calling ‘em as I see ‘em!” Canon wrote.

Barton replied: “but ...I am not thinking good thoughts at this moment...blush.”

Canon said she and Barton never had a physical relationship.

“Oh hell no,” she said when asked. “I never even considered that.”

Canon did say she believes it’s “inappropriate for a congressman to be talking to a constituent like that. ... He wouldn’t say that if I was a guy.”

Divorce records filed in Waxahachie show that Joe and Terri Barton were married May 29, 2004 and stopped living together on or around February 2014. Their divorce was signed Feb. 25, 2015.

Thoughts:

• Kelly Canon is a well known Tarrant County Activist.  We've known her for years.  She's instantly credible.

• Once again, this is an elected official soliciting a private citizen.  That he's doing it through a Congressional Facebook page makes it abuse of office.  Neither is acceptable.

•  Seriously, he needs to go.

More From Facebook:



Konni Burton released a statement as we were writing this post:

PRESS RELEASE_Senator Burton Joins Tarrant County Conservatives in Calling on Barton to Step Down by Cahnman on Scribd

The actual messages:

#TXLEGE: Lower profile issue illustrates Straus doesn't give rat's rear end about "economic competitiveness"....

"He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck,
Will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy."
Proverbs 29:1

As Straus pursues this loathsome little "economic competitiveness" stunt, it's worth reflecting on an issue from the special session that didn't get a lot of press at the time: PERMITTING REFORM.

Low housing costs are routinely cited as a major reason why both businesses and individuals move to Texas.  Unfortunately, as the number of people moving here this past decade has driven up demand, supply has failed to keep pace.  The natural result is higher prices.

There are a number of reasons why this is happening.  But one of the biggest is that the permitting process is a bottleneck that adds costs and delays construction projects.  Obviously, Austin is the worst offender, but they're not alone.

This summer, Governor Abbott partnered with Konni Burton on SB 13: "Relating to the issuance of a permit by a political subdivision."  The bill would have eliminated bureaucratic slow walking by making the permitting issuance mandatory after a certain period.  It also would have eliminated a number of the excuses political subdivisions use when denying permits.

You can see what happened:

Bottom Line: If you aren't serious about abusive municipal permitting, you aren't serious about housing costs.  If you aren't serious about housing costs, you aren't serious about "economic competitiveness."  Case closed Joe.

#atxcouncil Approves $122 MILLION for office building....

"There is desirable treasure,
And oil in the dwelling of the wise,
But a foolish man squanders it.?
Proverbs 21:20

We signed up to testify in opposition to items 16 - 18 from today's council meeting:

16.	Approve an ordinance amending the Fiscal Year 2016-2017 Office of Real Estate Services Capital Budget (Ordinance No. 20160914-002) to increase appropriations by $121,850,000 for the Planning and Development Center acquisition, for a total appropriation of $122,500,000. Related to Items #16 and #17.

17.

Authorize negotiation and execution of all documents and instruments necessary or desirable to purchase in fee simple 5.164 acres and improvements out of Lot 3F Austin Mall located at the southwest corner of Middle Fiskville Road and Highland Mall Boulevard at the Austin Community College Highland Mall Campus in Austin, Travis County, Texas, from Highland PDC, LLC, in an amount not to exceed $122,500,000, including closing costs (District 4). Related to Items #16 and #18.

18.	Approve a resolution declaring the City of Austin's official intent to reimburse itself from proceeds of certificates of obligation to be issued for expenditures in the total amount of $121,850,000 for the Planning and Development Center acquisition. Related to Items #16 and #17.

The theory behind the project is that one of the problems with the permitting process is that simply getting the permits requires one to traipse all over town.  Thus, putting all the offices in one physical location will "streamline the process" (Note: Why can't this be done online?!?) (Note II: A nine-figure fiscal note is a strange definition of "streamlining.")

We had to leave before they got to this item, but if we'd testified we would have hit the following five points:

• Cost - First things first, dadgum $122 MILLION is a LOT of money.  For an office building.  According to the city's documents, they want to build 264,000 square feet of office space.
  
  $122,500,000/264,000 square feet = $464.02 per square foot.
  
  According to any number of commercial real estate sites we checked, the average rate to rent existing office  space in Austin ranges from $23.00 to $50.74 depending on the neighborhood; new construction maxes out at $150 per square foot..
  
  Two weeks ago, Mayor Adler told this author to bring it to his attention when we think the city is spending money irresponsibly; this is a pretty good place to start.

• Financing Mechanism - As item #18 makes clear, they're financing this through "certificates of obligation."  The beautiful thing about certificates of obligations for governmental entities is that they don't require voter approval.  While c of o's can have a legitimate cash management function, to use them for this sort of capital expenditure of a horrible abuse of the process.
  
  On a semi-related note, we fully intended to bring this one up with the legislature whenever we get new leadership in the Texas House.

• Housing Costs - The city claims that the C of O's will be repaid by "development fees" instead of property tax revenue.  Of course, in order to raise the revenue needed to cover $122 million in obligations, you would need to shoot the development fees through the roof.  And that means every single piece of new construction from here to eternity will have to include those fees in the final cost to the end user.
  
  Translation: Higher housing costs.

• Highland Mall Redevelopment - There's widespread agreement across the political spectrum that mixed use development is the best function of the highland mall tract.  Creating a five-acre city office complex on that property will mean the surrounding area is DEAD after 6pm.  Dead zones like that are kryptonite for vibrant neighborhoods.

• Wrong Mindset - Everyone agrees that the permitting process is too bureaucratic.  But instead of eliminating bureaucracy...we're just going to build the bureaucrats a beautiful new building.  Does anyone actually believe that's going to "streamline" anything?!?
  
  Again, on a semi-related note, this is why Konni Burton's permitting bill is so desperately needed.

Following passage of the item, Mayor Adler released the following video to Facebook:

So he's arguing that he saved taxpayers $45 million...but the project is still going to cost $122 million?!?

Bottom Line: Never, ever, ever forget that, once you get past the headlines, politics at every level in the state of Texas is mostly about good ol' boys putting together shady real estate deals...and someone's getting paid on this one.

#TXLEGE: Statements about several of today's bills....

"Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy!
For You shall judge the people righteously,
And govern the nations on earth. Selah"
Psalm 67:4

[Note: The business and commerce committee hearing can be viewed here; our testimony on the health insurance bill can be viewed around the 1 hour 15 minute mark, our testimony on the not changing permitting rules in the middle of the game bill can be found around three hours.]

We signed up to testify on six separate bills today at the Capitol.  We were only able to deliver that testimony on two.  On the final four bills, our remarks are the testimony we would have given if we'd been able to stick around."

• SB 8 (Creighton): "Relating to health plan and health benefit plan coverage for elective abortion."
  
  We testified that, similar to the local defunding bill from yesterday,  so long as our society is going to permit the slaughter of innocent children, they ought to at least not ask the rest of us to pay for it.
  
  That being said, we also realized later that eliminating abortion coverage from basic health insurance can only lower premiums.
  
• SB 12 (Buckingham): "Relating to limiting the applicability of municipal and county regulations affecting real property." [Note: This is the bill that would prohibit cities from changing the rules for construction projects in the middle of the game.]
  
  One of the taxpayer-funded municipal propagandists used the phrase "using zoning to protect property values" and we found that an astonishing euphemism for using the coercive power of the state to artificially restrict housing supply.
  
  Furthermore, we pointed out that housing costs are the biggest expense for the overwhelming majority of families nationally, in Texas, and here in Austin.  When abusive municipal governments, starting with but not limited to the city of Austin, change the rules in the middle of the game it drives up those housing costs.  This is terrible for upward economic mobility.
  
• SB 13 (Burton): "Relating to the issuance of a permit by a political subdivision."  [Note: This bill would establish firm deadlines for cities and counties to deny building permits.  Unless the political subdivision actively denies the permit, it is considered automatically granted after a certain period of time.  Also prohibits county and municipal governments from mandating wage rates.]
  
  Everything aspect of this bill is awesome.
  
• SB 14 (Hall): "Relating to a property owner's right to remove a tree or vegetation." [Note: This is the tree bill.]
  
  This bill has received a surprising amount of national attention, so there's not a lot that we have to add.  The property rights aspect of this discussion is obvious.  The only thing we would add is that the local politically entrenched disingenuous NIMBY crowd loves to use the tree ordinance as an excuse to delay construction and that anything that reigns in those people can only be a good thing.
  
• SB 1 (Bettencourt): "Relating to ad valorem taxation."
  
  There's been a lot of ink spilled over property taxes, to which we will simply add that the current property tax system is an obvious macroeconomic storm brewing on the medium-term horizon and that it's one of the few things that could truly take down the Texas economy (local government debt is the other).
  
  Furthermore, lowering the property tax cap would benefit renters alongside homeowners.  Renters (even if they don't realize it) pay property taxes through their rent.  Unfortunately, renters don't receive homestead exemptions.
  
• SB 18 (Estes): "Relating to a limit on local government expenditures."
  
  The flip side to clamping down on taxes is that you need to clamp down on spending as well and this bill does that.
  
  Furthermore, if you're serious about eliminating property taxes, making cities and counties live under spending caps  starts to make that a realistically viable option in four or six years down the line.

#TXLEGE: Wrapping up our testimonies from the 85th Regular Session....

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
John 8:32

[Note: A very big, public, THANK YOU to Buddy Kipp of Empower Texans for pulling the video from the legislature's website.]

We've finally gotten our legislative testimonies from the regular session online; presented in chronological order.

• 1/26/2017 -- UT Regent confirmation hearing (Original post 1, 2)
  
  

• 3/14/2017 -- SB 113: "Relating to the provision of and local regulation of certain for-hire passenger transportation." [Note: This was Don Huffines version of the Uber bill that would have completely deregulated ALL ground transportation.] (Original Post)
  
  

• 3/14/2017 -- SB 451: "Relating to regulation of short-term rentals and short-term rental marketplaces by municipalities and counties."
  
  

• 3/23/2017 -- SB 19: "Relating to performance-based tuition limitations for and a temporary limitation on the amount of tuition and fees charged by certain public institutions of higher education. (Original Post)
  
  

• 3/27/2017 -- SB 445: "Relating to the authorization and reporting of expenditures for lobbying activities by certain political subdivisions and other public entities." (Original Post)
  
  

• 4/4/2017 -- SB 650: "Relating to tax increment financing." (Original Post)
  
  

• 4/11/2017 -- HB 3418: "Relating to municipal zoning affecting places or areas of historical, cultural, or architectural importance and significance." (Original Post)
  
  

• 4/18/2017 -- HB 2551: "Relating to regulation of short-term rentals by municipalities and counties." (Original Post)
  
  

• 4/26/2017 -- SB 1151: "Relating to the protection of expressive activities at public institutions of higher education." (Original Post)
  
  

• 5/11/2017 -- HB 100: "Relating to the regulation of transportation network companies; requiring an occupational permit; authorizing a fee." (Original Post)
  
  

• 5/11/2017 -- CSHB 21: "Relating to the funding of primary and secondary education." (Original Post)
  
  

• 5/15/2017 -- HB 17: "Relating to the establishment of the Texas Higher Education Innovation Accelerator for public institutions of higher education." (Original Post)
  
  

• 5/17/2017 -- SB 822: "Relating to the transfer of certain property from The University of Texas System to the Parks and Wildlife Department." (Original Post)
  
  

• 5/17/2017 -- SB 19: "Relating to performance-based tuition limitations for and a temporary limitation on the amount of tuition and fees charged by certain public institutions of higher education." (Original Post)
  
  

#TXLEGE: Senate state affairs hears taxpayer funded lobbying DISCLOSURE bill....

"And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.
John 21:25

[Note: You can see our testimony at approximately the 75 minute mark here.]

This morning, the Senate State Affairs committee heard SB 445 (Burton), which would require political subdivisions to disclose the contracts they use to hire lobbyists at the Capitol.  It would also require a public, recorded, vote of the relevant governing body before they could hire a lobbyist.  Honestly, it's astonishing they weren't already required to do so.

Taxpayer funded lobbying is a wicked and pernicious practice that should be banned entirely.  It's anti-taxpayer.  It's anti-property rights.  And it's anti-School child.  It enables a corrupt shell game that benefits all kinds of special interests at the local level.

Thus, the bill considered today doesn't go nearly far enough, but it is constitute a meaningful step in the right direction.

And sometimes, at the Capitol, you just need to accept that legislators are only comfortable going so far at any particular time; in the latter part of a session, you can't let the perfect be the enemy of the significantly better.

We listed the Bible verse above because, in many ways, the metaphor of the world not being able to contain the books that could be written sums up our feelings about the evils of this practice.  In preparing to testify, the challenge was how to sum it up in two minutes.  Thus, we'll stick with the 50,000 foot overview.

By holding this hearing, the Senate has already done more to address this issue than any legislature ever has before.  This bill is significantly better than the status quo, and if this is where you can get 19 votes, then the legislature should pass it.  But the practice needs to be banned entirely, and we will continue to advocate in that direction.

Bottom Line: Thank you to Senator Burton for raising the profile of this issue and thank you to the committee for giving this issue more attention than it's ever received in any previous session; #ONWARD....

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Why civil asset forfeiture reform might actually have a chance....

"Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need."
Ephesians 4:28

We attended Konni Burton's press conference on civil asset forfeiture this afternoon and learned something very interesting: Senfronia Thompson is on board!!!

For those who don't know her, Senfronia Thompson is a 22 term veteran and the dean of the Democrats in the Texas House.  As such, she's a very prominent Joe Straus lieutenant.  In this situation, that development is helpful.

We can justifiably bemoan the situation, but it doesn't change the fact that having a prominent Joe Straus lieutenant vocally supporting you on a particular bill helps given the current leadership structure.

FWIW, the kerfuffle with Trump last week might have actually helped this issue.  Given the issues involved, altering civil asset forfeiture was always going to require putting together a right/left coalition to surmount the "law enforcement" industrial complex at the Capitol.  And the past week gave Democrats a reason to prioritize this issue to stick it to Trump.

Similarly FWIW, this is probably good politics for Joe Straus: he can still kill almost every grassroots priority, but still point out that he passed a prominent Konni Burton bill.

Serendipity is funny.

Bottom Line: We have low expectations across the board this session, but on this issue circumstances might be lining up in a way we wouldn't have anticipated a month ago.

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View the full press conference:

Burton responds to overcriminalization by challenging BOTH parties sacred cows....

"He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?"
Micah 6:8

Konni Burton filed a bill today that would prohibit arresting citizens for Class C misdemeanors (unfortunately, except for so-called 'public intoxication'); Grits for Breakfast analyzes the politics perfectly:

This is one of those issues which separates wheat from chaff in both parties: It divides Republicans who really want less government from those who just talk a good game. And it flushes out all the Dems whose fealty to "civil rights" ends at voting rights but somehow never extends to the 4th, 5th, and 6th Amendments if the police unions complain.

Read the whole thing here; Charles Blain has more here.

ABSURD anti-Burton attacks beget UNLIKELY Defender....

"And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart."
Galatians 6:9

You know you've entered bizarro world when the Ft. Worth Star Telegram defends Konni Burton:

State Sen. Konni Burton, R-Colleyville, has filed Senate Bill 242, expanding current law dealing with parent’s right to school district information about their children.

Burton would expand language in the Education Code to make sure all knowledge about students — not just written records — would be available to parents.

Some parents and LGBTQ advocates have warned that the changes would require teachers and/or faculty to reach out to parents to tell them about a child’s sexual orientation.

“The focus of our bill has nothing to do with issues of sexuality and gender, and everything to do with how parents are treated by the government entities they fund,” Burton says in a statement posted on her website.

....

She wants to change the language in the existing law to reflect a more ironclad policy: If parents ask; faculty and teachers must tell.

But the key word is ask. Parents would have to ask teachers for the information. Nothing in the language of the bill requires faculty to be proactive with any knowledge about or from students.

“The bill does not require a school district employee to stop everything they’re doing and reach out to a parent,” Burton wrote.

Nor does it remove the existing child abuse exemption. Texas law allows school faculty to make judgment calls and withhold information if a student’s safety is endangered.

....

If the student’s safety isn’t in danger, parents have the right to know what’s going on with their children — even if causes awkwardness at home.

If there is reason to believe a student would be kicked out the house, neglected or in any way their safety is undermined, that would fall under the child abuse exemption and schools should protect the student.

This bill isn’t the disaster that some say it is, but it requires careful examination of its language.

Read the whole thing here.

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It's impossible to overstate the significance of this editorial.  Since the Tea Party became a significant force in Tarrant County, the Star-Telegram has become notorious for cheap shot attacks against various grassroots activities.  This kerfuffle was tailor-made for them.

That the Star-Telegram, of all media outlets, decided this non-troversey was absurd speaks volumes.

Burton files modest education transparency bill; Sexual Authoritarians throw fit....

"And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light."
2 Corinthians 11:14

Last week, Konni Burton filed a bill that would increase transparency and parental involvement in government schools.  This was met with hysteria from disingenuous national left wing groups claiming the bill would 'out' homosexual students.  Today, Burton explained the issue in detail:

[T]he focus of our bill has nothing to do with issues of sexuality and gender, and everything to do with how parents are treated by the government entities they fund. I would firmly stand against any policy that treated parents as unessential in their child’s life, regardless of what group the policies were intended for. You will not find the words “sexuality” or “gender” anywhere in the proposed bill. You will find, in addition to what is already a parent’s right to know (again, listed above), that we include the child’s general well-being and health, both physical and mental, in our proposed legislation.

It’s also imperative to note that existing law, as well as my proposed bill, have an exception for abuse or neglect, which clearly calls for reporting without the knowledge or consent of the parent.

Beyond that, the bill does not require a school district employee to stop everything they’re doing and reach out to a parent. Again, state law already secures a parent’s right to know on numerous elements of their child’s life and teachers today are not expected, asked, or mandated to stop mid-lesson to reach a parent. Currently, a teacher may decide when and how to proactively reach out to a parent about anything of importance to them, which is how it should work. The proposed bill does absolutely nothing to change this present mechanism for a parent’s right to know. The bill does, however, strengthen the existing expectation that when a parent contacts a school and inquires about their child, they will receive accurate information and not be punished by local policies that while well-intended, do more harm than good.

Many of the extremely sad and dire scenarios being spread by those who peddle in misinformation and stoke the flames of fear are not only incongruous to the proposed bill as written, they are incongruous with existing state law. In short: parents and schools have always been partners in the education and rearing of children, and they have always exchanged information in the best interest of the child. However, myself and others witnessed firsthand a local school in my district attempt to subvert that relationship.

Read the whole thing here.

Burton 85th #TXLEGE Priority: Property Tax APPRAISALS!!!

"But the former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people, and took from them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver. Yes, even their servants bore rule over the people, but I did not do so, because of the fear of God."
Nehemiah 5:15

This is a fantastic idea:

As I hope you are aware, I have attended several hearings of the Senate Select Committee on Property Tax Reform & Relief. At each hearing I heard homeowner after homeowner testify on how the rapid growth in their local property taxes has burdened their family and, in some cases, threatens to drive them out of their home. Texans are demanding property tax relief and appraisal reform.

One of the major drivers of the growing property tax burden is the increase in appraisal values. Typically, your county's Appraisal District selects the Chief Appraiser and tasks him or her with hiring all personnel necessary to carry out the district's operations. Meanwhile, members of the Appraisal Review Boards are appointed with the responsibility of hearing all the protests of the assessed values on properties. Certainly, the Cheif Appraiser and members of the Appraisal Review Board strive to do a great job for their communities in these roles; however, the current system does not allow for direct accountability to the local taxpayers.

To increase taxpayer representation in the appraisal process, I am planning to propose legislation next session which will provide for the election of the Cheif [sic] Appraiser in a partisan November election. The elected appraiser will then be responsible for directly appointing the members of his or her county's respective Appraisal Review Board. Under this new structure, taxpayers will have an elected official to hold accountable at the ballot box for their appraisals and for the review board's management and attitudes towards them, and the outcomes of their protests.

Read the whole thing here.

"Economic Development" -- A Debate on Corporate Welfare in Texas

"Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord,
But a just weight is His delight."
Proverbs 11:1

This afternoon TPPF hosted "Economic Development: A Debate on Corporate Welfare in Texas."  Speakers included Richard Corcoran (incoming speaker of the Florida House of Representatives), Senator Craig Estes, Bill Hammond of the Texas Association of Businesses, and Dean Stansel of the SMU Economics department.  We'll present our thoughts thematically rather than chronologically.

Term Limits:

During his opening remarks, Corcoran made an offhand comment about how eliminating various corporate welfare funds in Florida (including their equivalent of the enterprise fund) only came about because of the churn term limits forced upon their legislature.  The short version is that as the RINO's were forced to retire, they were replaced by conservatives until a critical mass was finally achieved in the past few years.  There's a lesson in there Texas would be wise to learn.

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Texas' "Uncompetitive" Property Tax system and "abatements":

Hammond argued that property tax "abatements" by school districts are essential for "large capital investment" because Texas' property tax system is, in the words of Bill Hammond himself, "uncompetitive."  Hammond was essentially arguing that, because high local property tax burdens eliminate the return on business investment, local jurisdictions (esp. school districts) need to be able to "abate" those taxes.  Hammond cited Louisiana as some sort of vague example of a state that does this successfully.

Of course, Hammond's newfound chagrin for Texas' "uncompetitive" property tax system was amusing to anyone who followed the last session of the Texas legislature.  Last session, alongside Team Straus, Hammond led an effort to obstruct Lt. Governor Patrick's property tax reform efforts. At the time, rather than fixing the property tax system, Hammond et. al. pushed a dopey scheme "alternative plan" to instead cut a sales tax nobody is complaining about.

Thankfully, several other panelists and audience members pointed out that the solution to an "uncompetitive" property tax system was to fix it for everyone, not create new carve outs for politically connected special interests.

In a separate piece of semi-related good news, Hammond announced he's leaving TAB at the end of the year; we'll help him pack.

One final note: Apparently, Hammond was once a Dubya gubernatorial appointee to the workforce commission, which means he's a Karl Rove crony...boy does that explain a lot.

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Sen. Craig Estes:

Senator Estes appeared genuinely torn.  We kept an eye on his body language throughout and he looked like...a guy legitimately wrestling with the issue.  A cynic might argue that he's an incumbent reading the writing on the wall in Dan Patrick's Senate.  An optimist could say that he's recently gotten wise to the issue.  Either way, we always welcome movement in our direction and encourage Senator Estes to discuss the issue with Konni Burton.

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Impact on Florida:

Corcoran pointed out that no company, or professional sports team, or film production outfit that threatened to leave Florida following their elimination of various corporate welfare programs has actually followed through and done so.

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Bottom Line: Corporate welfare leads to the politically directed allocation of capital, which serves no positive economic purpose but undermines credibility for other aspects of economic liberty; Texas cannot eliminate all of it fast enough.

Burton to make Local DEBT office priority during 85th #TXLEGE....

"The rich rules over the poor,
And the borrower is servant to the lender."
Proverbs 22:7

We don't believe in the concept of "spirit animals," but to the extent that we have a spirit animal in politics, it's Konni Burton:

Texans are saddled with the second highest local government debt burden in the country. Local governments currently borrow through the use of bonds, which are approved by the voters in their jurisdiction. Often these elections are not held during the November general elections when voter engagement and turnout are highest. Despite the low level of voter participation in bond elections, the entire community is responsible for an outcome in which more debt is incurred.

Local governments owe it to their citizens to provide a compelling case for taking on new debt in a way which recognizes and discloses both the ultimate impact on an individual's property tax burden and the entities' current, outstanding debt obligations.

To this aim, I intend to propose legislation requiring local governments to disclose to individuals the impact of a proposed bond on their property tax burden through mail. Further, after this information has been mailed out, the local government must hold a public meeting in which the total fiscal impact of the proposed new debt is explained and the citizens are afforded an opportunity to participate in dialogue on the merits of the proposal. And finally, when citizens go to vote, the ballot must contain information on the proposed new debt, including the average increase in taxes for the properties affected, as well as the total cost to repay the debt.

If we arm citizens with the most complete information, they will be able to make the best decisions for their community and their wallets. Bonds are a necessary tool for financing large projects, but we cannot allow "death by a thousand cuts" for our Texas property owners to continue.

Amen Sister; read the whole thing here.

#TXLEGE: Senate Pressure re: Property Taxes already changing local behavior....

"But the former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people, and took from them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver. Yes, even their servants bore rule over the people, but I did not do so, because of the fear of God."
Nehemiah 5:15

This is fantastic:

Plano Property Tax Hearing (10.03.16) by Cahnman on Scribd

Zimmerman poised to test "Konni Burton Theorem"

"Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord,
But a just weight is His delight."
Proverbs 11:1

We have recently developed an informal hypothesis.  We've dubbed it the "Konni Burton theorem."  It goes like this: In swing districts, credible advocates for limited government win where kumbaya-style moderates lose.

In 2014, Konni Burton was elected to a Texas Senate seat in a Tarrant County swing district that was previously held by Wendy Davis (yes, THAT Wendy Davis).  During that year's general election, Burton was such a strong advocate for limited government that she refused to endorse the Texas "Medical" Association's monopoly over liability insurance.  Burton was successful in a district where moderates Mark Shelton and Kim Brimer had recently lost.

We mention Konni Burton as a long winded introduction to the fact that we attended Don Zimmerman's Austin City Council re-election campaign kickoff party last night and we sense a similar phenomenon.

Obviously, Zimmerman has been an unapologetic advocate for economic liberty and tax relief during his time on Council.  He leveraged his position on the dais to defeat the Travis County Courthouse bond.  He also stopped a hostile annexation for the first time in city history.

And, at least based on last night's turnout, Don has struck a chord in district 6.  Several dozen people showed up over the course of the event, though we didn't think about doing an actual body count until after the fact.  At a minimum, Zimmerman should have no trouble finding volunteers.

As we wrote about Burton and Zimmerman back in January: "Burton and Zimmerman are the most prominent voices in their respective legislative bodies in opposition to corporate welfare and other forms of cronyism and rent-seeking (*).  Both represent districts that are competitive in a general election.  Burton and Zimmerman's success proves that disgust with rent-seeking for purposes of "economic development" extends beyond Republican primary voters into the general electorate."

Bottom Line: We'll see what happens, but if Don Zimmerman ultimately wins re-election (especially in this climate), it will provide a lesson in how to win swing districts that others would be wise to emulate.

Konni Burton: Where Texas stands on MEDICAID

"Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you."
Hebrews 13:5

Remember, Medicaid became the largest component of the state budget a couple years ago:

As controversial and mismanaged as the Affordable Care Act has been, I do not foresee Texas expanding Medicaid any time soon. There is no guarantee the funding stream from the federal government will be available as promised seeing that our government now operates purely on borrowed money.

....

Texas leaders are aware of the costs of health care and opted in 2011 to request a Medicaid 1115 Waiver, in which the federal government granted our state $29 billion over 5 years to increase efficiency and quality care while reducing costs for our most low-income residents. An extension was granted to Texas last week, such that Texas hospitals will continue to function as normal for the next 15 months and receive an additional $3.1 billion infusion into our Medicaid system.

During the 2017 session, the Legislature will be taking a hard look at Medicaid and health care subsidies, as this category now receives the highest expenditure from the state, equating to roughly 34% of our budget or $70.3 billion, and surpasses spending on all levels of education, which is a core function of state government.

Read the whole thing here.