#TXLEGE: Davis, meanwhile, attempting to set up Health Care Rationing

"having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!"
2 Timothy 3:5

Never let a crisis go to waste:

pic.twitter.com/MtpH0Nc6x2

— Sarah Davis (@SarahforHD134) March 26, 2020

This is actually a couple weeks old (the letter is dated March 20), although we just discovered it this morning.

The problem, of course, is that Davis doesn't propose doing anything to increase the supply of Health Care providers.  She just wants to pour more people (and, one presumes, more money) into the status quo.  In other words, make current challenges worse.

Medicaid already suffers acute shortages.  That's the whole reason why a bunch of left leaning organizations want to scale back (*) scope of practice restrictions.  Yet, Sarah Davis has never lifted a finger on scope of practice (**).

Instead, the medical cartel gets more power.

Bottom Line: Politicians gonna politician, but still....

-------

* - We'd prefer to see scope of practice abolished outright, but the proposals the lege has discussed the past few sessions are nevertheless a gigantic improvement over the status quo.

** - Rumor has it that she's a (very strong) opponent behind the scenes, but to our knowledge she's never said anything publicly.

TPPF's "Recovery Agenda" Good Place to Start

"But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint."
Isaiah 40:31

All of this please:

Recovery Agenda 1 by Cahnman on Scribd

Additional thoughts:

• The federal stuff might be complicated, but there's no good reason for the state stuff to not happen.

• There's a pretty good case to make for completely abolishing the FDA, although dramatically streamlining it might be a more realistic proposal.

• "Eliminate regulations not necessary for public health and safety" = 90%(+) of all regulations.

• Across all levels of government, MASSIVE, unprecedented, deregulation is the only way we'll be able to generate the levels of growth we'll need to climb out of this fiscal mess.

• We're surprised efficiency audits weren't included on this list, because identifying pure waste ought to be step one for climbing out of this fiscal hole.

• We're not sure why "Expanding Telemedicine" falls under the Texas legislature section, because it's our understanding that the primary obstacles are federal.

• "Scope of practice" (ie. Allowing nurses to perform tasks traditionally performed by so-called 'licensed physicians') reform, if not outright abolition, should also be on this list.

• Texas has had applications for Medicaid waivers pending since Dubya's final year in office.

Bottom Line: Most of this should have been done decades ago, but since that didn't happen, no time like the present.

#TXLEGE: Texas needs a better way of paying for "longshot" medical care

"And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me."
Matthew 25:40

As the baby Tinslee case continues, we're struck with one thought: There's GOT to be a better way.

Obviously, the baby Tinslee case is tragic.  Obviously, Cook Children's "Hospital's" conduct has been appalling.  None of that changes the underlying issues.

We wrote last month:

Here's the secret: This type of care is extraordinarily expensive. Hospitals frequently eat that cost. These are some of the most challenging examples of what the industry calls "indigent care."

It's not an objection to which we are entirely unsympathetic.

[Note: Emphasis in original.]

Such a solution probably would involve free-market health care reforms alongside increased philanthropy.  Certainly, we have no shortage of rich people in this state.  As for free-market health care...the incumbent medical cartel is the biggest opponent.  But we're open to other suggestions [Note: That don't involve expanding Medicaid.]

Bottom Line: These sorts of cases aren't going away...and there's GOT to be a better way.

#TXLEGE: One interesting, modestly positive, note deeper in the budget

"Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished,
But he who gathers by labor will increase."
Proverbs 13:11

From the Trib story on Abbott signing the budget:

Other portions of the budget didn’t see as much growth. The $84 billion for health and human services programs is up just 1% from the last two-year cycle, and Medicaid, the federal-state health insurance program for the poor and disabled, is facing a $900 million cut.

[Note: Emphasis added.]

Hmm....

What's interesting about this is, for as much of an insaneo spending spree as they went on over education, there was no equivalent on health care.

From a macroeconomic perspective, if the state were to get serious about health care and Medicaid costs, conceivably we could absorb a rather large increase in education spending.  That's not to say that the other problems in the system would go away.  But it is to say the impact on economic growth could be contained.

Of course, all of this would require several years to play out.

Bottom Line: Probably won't amount to much, but it is a situation worth keeping an eye on....

#TXLEGE: House budget proposed CUTTING health care (plus other notes)

"Every prudent man acts with knowledge,
But a fool lays open his folly."
Proverbs 13:16

The House released their budget proposal yesterday.  Obviously, the headlines have been all about the education number (more on that below).  But we noticed something else quite interesting:

Notably, the House budget decreases state funding for health care and human services by about 3.2 percent. Education and health care make up the vast majority of state spending.

[Note: Emphasis added.]

This is interesting.  Medicaid/health care has been the fastest growing component of the state budget for decades.  Getting Medicaid under control could, conceivably, free up money for other items.  This is something for which we've been advocating for years.

At a minimum, it suggests that the House is willing to set priorities.  Yes, they plan to spend more state funds on education.  But, in order to get there, they're going to take the money from elsewhere in the budget.  That would never have happened under the previous house leadership.

As for the education number: It's the beginning of a negotiation.  They asked for a (very) big number.  Don't read too much into this (at least for now).

For now, that the House is willing to cut Health Care is much more important that whatever the final education number might be.

Then there's this:

House budget includes 10% pay raise for state district judges.

If this is OK'd, it means lawmakers would also get a pension boost b/c their pensions are tied not to #txlege pay but the pay of, you guessed it, state district judges.

Background: https://t.co/lHnuZEDWsv pic.twitter.com/QIwAxU5CKu

— Lauren McGaughy (@lmcgaughy) January 15, 2019

Obviously, it should take more than a single tweet from a DMN reporter before people blow a gasket.  But this warrants monitoring.  We'll certainly see.

Bottom Line: Obviously, it's early.  Obviously, we'll have to wait and see.  But for the House to take this type of a stand, this early, over health care is new....

#TXLEGE: Straus Done in by own Arrogance....

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

Following the disappointing results of the 2016 Texas House primaries, we had a conversation with our most trusted Capitol source; this person made a point about which we've been thinking ever since:

The Straus people won [in 2016].  But they didn't win by much.  And considering how arrogant they already are, I wonder if they're going to get so arrogant that they over-interpret their mandate and doom themselves to something far worse in 2018.

Less than two years later, that's exactly what has happened.

Two year ago, the name of the game for Team Straus was stealth.  Sure, they were terrible then, but they were a lot less in your face about it.  That changed in 2017.

This past March, following the minimum wage fiasco, we had a conversation with the leaders of a few statewide grassroots organizations.  We all remarked about how Team Straus' was being a lot more open about everything they had historically tried to keep quiet.  That continued throughout both the regular (and especially) the special session.

Consider just a few examples:

• Botching the Sunset bill -- There wouldn't have even been a special session in the first place if Team Straus hadn't failed to pass a major bill related to continuity in state government.  Straus' failure necessitated the special session.  And it was all because they got cute and tried to pass it right before a deadline.

• Every absurd spending proposal during the Special -- During the special session, the House proposed one spend-a-thon bill after the other.  There was "school finance," there was the Medicaid fiasco; essentially, there was every single bill referred to Appropriations.  They weren't hiding their desire to spend to the hilt.

• Killing Property Tax Reform -- NEWSFLASH: Property taxes are a general public issue.  Texans all over the state are getting killed by property taxes.  77% of Texans (including 63% of Democrats) support statewide property tax caps.  By killing property tax reform, Team Straus moved beyond alienating activists to a issue average voters care about a lot.

And those are just a few examples off the top of our head before we get into the regular lawlessness.

If we wanted to, we could probably list 30 incidents from this past session that we're either designed to alienate voters or completely lawless.

The ironic thing is that the same thing happened to Barack Obama.  In 2012, following his re-election, Obama got really arrogant and over-interpreted mandate.  In 2016, Obama's actions during his second term led to a far worse outcome for his party than would have happened had he correctly interpreted his 2012 mandate.

Bottom Line: Arrogance always catches up with you; sometimes it just takes awhile.

Cruz respectfully diffuses leftist Health Care trolls

"Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;"
Romans 12:10

We attended Senator Cruz's event last night in Austin; the Trib reports:

In the town halls and a flurry of media appearances this week across Texas, Cruz has been pitching his Consumer Freedom Amendment, which would allow insurers to continue selling plans that meet Obamacare requirements but also plans that do not comply with the law. The amendment has the backing of the White House and influential conservative groups, but it appears to be an open question — at best — whether some of his fellow Republicans in the Senate, especially the more moderate ones, could vote for it.

In recent days, Cruz has acknowledged the Senate bill remains in a precarious position, saying he is not sure lawmakers will ultimately be able to get it done. If they do not, Cruz told reporters Thursday in Austin, President Donald Trump is “absolutely right” in his suggestion that they should instead focus on repealing the law first and replacing it later. Asked if he anticipates being blamed should the current effort collapse, Cruz offered the closest thing to a moment of self-reflection since he embarked on the home-state tour.

“I’ve been in politics long enough,” he said. “I anticipate being blamed for the weather and anything else that happens.”

Cruz’s remark came after the town hall in Austin, where a health care-related question from an audience member led to a nearly 20-minute exchange with another part of the room that was less friendly to him. Much of that back and forth was between Cruz and Gary Marsh, a 67-year-old retiree from Austin who grilled Cruz on why he is not working to “fix” the problems he sees with Obamacare instead of repealing.

At one point, the moderator tried to move on, but Cruz stopped him, saying he wanted to give Marsh a chance to respond — something he had promised at the outset of the conversation.

....

Cruz said that when private plans are required to provide all of Obamacare’s essential health benefits, like mental health, care becomes untenably costly for the average American.

“Obamacare, the last seven years, has proven to be a manifest disaster," Cruz said.

The trib article is basically accurate, but we'll add some personal observations:

• The event was open to the public on a first come, first serve, basis; the ratio of friendly to hostile attendees was approximately two-thirds to one-third.

• There were approximately 100 or so usual suspect protesters outside the event.  We recognized several of the faces from various events over the years.  Still, nothing compared to the chaos at the Capitol on sine die.

• As the event was primarily intended to discuss veterans issues, during the early part Senator Cruz mentioned a statistic that we found flabbergasting: Apparently, the Veterans administration has more personnel on its payroll than the United States Navy.

• Cruz spoke several times about the necessity to national security of Auditing the Pentagon.

• After about 25 minutes, the discussion veered into Obamacare repeal after a questioner asked how it would impact various VA programs.  While the crowd ratio was as we described above, there were 5 or 6 who showed up with no agenda besides disrupting the event.  As a good lawyer, Senator Cruz made them ask specific questions, to which he then insisted upon not being interrupted while he answered; that led to the exchange over so-called 'essential health benefits' mentioned in the Trib article.

• One thing we haven't seen mentioned in any press reports: After the event, several left-leaning Austinites came forward to thank Senator Cruz for an open exchange of ideas and to apologize for the disruptive attendees.

• During our one-on-one conversation after the event, Senator Cruz agreed with this author that one of the most infuriating aspects of the whole Obamacare repeal discussion is the degree to which people are insisting that we need to preserve medicaid expansion to fight the alleged opioid 'epidemic,' when medicaid expansion is what's subsidizing this so-called 'crisis.'

-----

You can view the full event yourself [Note: The section on Obamacare begins at approximately the 27 minute mark]:

Zerwas refuses to condemn subsidizing heroin addiction (while telling other bald faced lies)....

"The lips of the righteous feed many,
But fools die for lack of wisdom.
Proverbs 10:21

We attended appropriations chairman John Zerwas' trib event this morning.  It was the finest form in which we'd seen a Straus lieutenant in some time.  Our question about medicaid (to which the headline refers) is the final question in the video:



Highlights:

• Something, something "new sources of revenue."

• Calls Senate budget "austere."
• Note: LOLOLOL....

• "Reasonable" medicaid growth.

• "I don't think anyone wants to go back" to 2011 education budget 'cuts.'
• Personally, we'd like to eliminate socialized education in it's entirety; failing that, we'd love to cut it a LOT further than they went in '11.

• Wants appropriations committee budget vote to be unanimous.

• School finance requires: "undistracted period of time."
• Tacit endorsement of special session.
• Backtracks when he realizes he just endorsed a special session and calls for yet another 'study' during the interim.

• Endorses continued funding of state level border operations.

• Offers qualified praise of Obamacare.
• Repeal must be "very carefully thought out."
• Something, something people who obtained insurance under Obamacare need to be taken care of.

• Tax relief: "Going to be a challenge."
• "We need to fund our schools adequately...meet our responsibilities in Health Care" before tax relief.

• Rainy day fund: "We have to have a conversation" on a raid.

• Supplemental: "Will be out in the near future."
• Calls it a "one time expense" re: RDF.
• On what planet is medicaid not an ongoing expense?!?

• Parental Educational Choice: "I have to support my public school system."
• No "at this time."

• Throws privacy act under the bus.

Q&A:

• No public conference committee on budget.
• "We have to get the work done."

• Our question: Tells bald faced lie about Medicaid expansion.
• Calls his 2013 approach "innovative."
• Ignores the fact that he fully endorsed it in 2015.
• Non-committal on Tinderholt bill.

Tinderholt proposes reigning in program recently seen Subsidizing Heroin Addiction

“A wicked messenger falls into trouble,
But a faithful ambassador brings health.”
Proverbs 13:17

There's been a longer piece about the personal tragedies being wrought by the decrepit national economy making the rounds on social media the past few days; it contains this gem about the Medicaid program in Ohio:

But how did so many millions of un-working men, whose incomes are limited, manage en masse to afford a constant supply of pain medication? Oxycontin is not cheap. As Dreamland carefully explains, one main mechanism today has been the welfare state: more specifically, Medicaid, Uncle Sam’s means-tested health-benefits program. Here is how it works (we are with Quinones in Portsmouth, Ohio):

[The Medicaid card] pays for medicine—whatever pills a doctor deems that the insured patient needs. Among those who receive Medicaid cards are people on state welfare or on a federal disability program known as SSI. . . . If you could get a prescription from a willing doctor—and Portsmouth had plenty of them—Medicaid health-insurance cards paid for that prescription every month. For a three-dollar Medicaid co-pay, therefore, addicts got pills priced at thousands of dollars, with the difference paid for by U.S. and state taxpayers. A user could turn around and sell those pills, obtained for that three-dollar co-pay, for as much as ten thousand dollars on the street.

In 21st-century America, “dependence on government” has thus come to take on an entirely new meaning.

You may now wish to ask: What share of prime-working-age men these days are enrolled in Medicaid? According to the Census Bureau’s SIPP survey (Survey of Income and Program Participation), as of 2013, over one-fifth (21 percent) of all civilian men between 25 and 55 years of age were Medicaid beneficiaries. For prime-age people not in the labor force, the share was over half (53 percent). And for un-working Anglos (non-Hispanic white men not in the labor force) of prime working age, the share enrolled in Medicaid was 48 percent.

By the way: Of the entire un-working prime-age male Anglo population in 2013, nearly three-fifths (57 percent) were reportedly collecting disability benefits from one or more government disability program in 2013. Disability checks and means-tested benefits cannot support a lavish lifestyle. But they can offer a permanent alternative to paid employment, and for growing numbers of American men, they do. The rise of these programs has coincided with the death of work for larger and larger numbers of American men not yet of retirement age. We cannot say that these programs caused the death of work for millions upon millions of younger men: What is incontrovertible, however, is that they have financed it—just as Medicaid inadvertently helped finance America’s immense and increasing appetite for opioids in our new century.

Which makes the recently filed HB 1871 by Tony Tinderholt all the more important:

Representative Tinderholt Files HB 1871 to Audit Medicaid

In an effort to protect the integrity of Medicaid and ensure taxpayer dollars are not being wasted, State Representative Tony Tinderholt has filed HB 1871 to audit the state Medicaid program.  

Most Texans agree the elimination of abuse and fraud from government programs is important. HB 1871 requires Medicaid recipients recertify their eligibility when current benefits expire. It also begins a quarterly audit of the program. Qualified individuals would be notified to ensure they continue receiving uninterrupted care during the recertification and audit processes. 

Tinderholt commented on his bill saying, "To make sure resources are available to fund programs like Medicaid, we must stamp out waste in the system. It is our duty as legislators to monitor agency spending and ensure taxpayer dollars are being used in an efficient manner." 

While exact estimates vary, experts conclude Medicaid waste numbers in the tens of billions of dollars annually in the United States. While funding comes from a number of sources, including state and federal agencies, individual states exhibit the greatest control of finding fraud in the program.    

Tinderholt said, "If people are receiving benefits to which they are not entitled, we have to get that under control. We want to be sure the funds are there for those that need them most." 

As a combat veteran, Tony has spent much of his life fighting to protect the life and liberty of others. This bill continues that fight. Tony Tinderholt represents District 94 where he lives with his wife Bethany in Arlington. Tony is a proud father, combat veteran, and conservative Republican. He was ranked the 3rd most conservative legislator of the 150 Texas Representatives.

While we're on the subject, learn more about Texas specific examples of Medicaid abusing the vulnerable here.

Bottom Line: Medicaid has always been a fiscal trainwreck, but when socialized medicine subsidizes the drug abuse we owe it to our vulnerable citizens to curtail this abusive program.  In other words, we owe it to both ourselves and the recipients.  That's win/win.

Straus' 85th #TXLEGE strategy: Small Ball Obstruction....

"As a dog returns to his own vomit,
So a fool repeats his folly."
Proverbs 26:11

Joe Straus spoke with the Trib earlier this week.  We did not attend the event but did watch the video.  You can see it for yourself below:



Highlights:

• "The President elect seems to be somewhat flexible."

• "A real opportunity" re: Medicaid and Trump.

• "There are no excuses now...[Republicans] need to perform."
• "You ask for the responsibility, you have to deliver.
• Author's Note: Save those two quotes for the next campaign season.

• Obamacare: "Won't be quickly dismantled."

• Education, transportation, water....

• Blah, blah, "water"....

• Spend more on Medicaid "for disabled children."
• "It will be addressed in our supplemental budget."
• Author's note: It's always about 'the children.'

• "We need to address school finance in a serious way."

• Blows smoke about school choice.
• House members don't support school choice.

• "Less money to spend."

• Property tax relief: "I don't know whether we can."
• For property tax relief "in a way that is thoughtful."
• Author's Note: "Thoughtful" is a word Republicans love to use when they're

• Supports "constructive" ban on sanctuary cities.
• "you have to be careful on what the words are."
• Author's Note: Sounds like he's setting up a toothless bill that allows Republicans to campaign on the issue but doesn't change much.

• Religious liberty: "Isn't the most urgent concern of mine."

• "I don't have any immediate plans to step down."
• Fun Fact: By the time the next legislative session convenes, Joe Straus will have outlasted George W. Bush, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Rick Perry, David Dewhurst, Barack Obama, and John Bohener...the parallels with Fidel Castro are starting to become striking.

85th #TXLEGE: "Kitchen Table Agenda" = More Spending

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

[Author's Note: Never forget, the Democrats in the Texas House are Joe Straus' cat's paw.]

There is a quite obviously focused-grouped talking point we've been hearing with increasing frequency over the past month: "Kitchen Table Agenda."

A couple days ago, the Trib and the Democrats let the cat out of the bag:

Minutes later, a group of Democrats from the Texas House criticized what they characterized as an embrace of divisiveness in the Senate and promised to focus on what they characterized as "kitchen table" matters.

"We have been the grownups" in the Legislature, said Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin. "We are going to continue to be the grownups."

....

The Democrats, meanwhile said they'd focus on reforming the state's school finance system, improving access to health care and making it easier for residents to register to vote and cast a ballot on election day.

Many Democrats and school officials had been hoping that the Supreme Court of Texas would rule that the state's method of funding schools is unconstitutional, forcing the state to take on the political perilous task of rebuilding it. That didn't happen, though the court did say the system was problematic and should be fixed.

Such a fix was notably absent from Patrick's list of priorities. But Democrats listed it near the top.

"We know that the school finance system is broken," said Rep. Mary González, D-Clint. "We know that, as the Supreme Court said, we need transformational change."

One key way to do that is for the state to send more money to the school districts, which would ease the property tax burden that homeowners pay to fund K-12 education, Democrats said. Howard, for instance, said she filed a bill on Monday that would force the state to pay at least half of the cost of education each year.

Translation: Pour more money down the rathole of existing bureaucracies without asking for anything in return.

Read the whole thing here.

ANOTHER anti-Paxton Hatchet Job Falls FLAT....

"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

Last week, several Texas newspapers posted a hit piece on Ken Paxton related to some Medicaid investigation about which we hadn't previously heard.  We were in the process of speaking to legal sources for our own response to this story.  Thankfully, the reporter in question belatedly published the full story in a Friday afternoon document dump late last week:

AUSTIN — Attorney General Ken Paxton took a $100,000 gift from a Texas CEO who was being investigated for Medicare and Medicaid fraud, but he had no knowledge of the probe and his agency had little to do with it, multiple agencies have told The Dallas Morning News.

"General Paxton had no knowledge or involvement in this matter," Paxton spokesman Marc Rylander told The News. Other officials also said Paxton's office played a small role in the probe and a later settlement, lending credence to the attorney general's insistence there was no conflict of interest in his taking the money. 

.... 

[T]he office of the attorney general was never directly involved in the probe, he said, and Paxton was unaware of the investigation.

The agency's Medicaid fraud unit "never received a referral" and therefore didn't investigate. The agency's Civil Medicaid Fraud Division was told about the whistleblower's lawsuit and helped negotiate the settlement terms, Rylander said.

These details were corroborated by the U.S. attorney's office and Steve Sumner, the whistleblower's attorney.

"The vast majority of damages [losses] in this case were federal in nature, and typically, when that is the case, federal agencies take the lead in the investigation," said Kathy Colvin, Parker's spokeswoman. "In this case, the role of the Texas state attorney general's office, in the investigation and settlement, was very minimal. It was primarily in support of establishing the state's loss."

Texas will receive $68,000 of the $3.5 million settlement, according to HHSC spokesman Bryan Black, who said his agency's involvement was also "minimal."

 No surprise; read the whole thing here.

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.

TPPF Immigration Paper Explodes EVERYONE'S Sacred Cows!!!

“You shall not remove your neighbor’s landmark, which the men of old have set, in your inheritance which you will inherit in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess.“
Deuteronomy 19:14

Immigration is easily the most frustrating issue with which we deal in Texas.  At times, everyone shoves their head up their keister and make economically ignorant statements.  The self-serving cronyism of the cheap labor lobby is reprehensible, but the hardline border hawks don't exactly cover themselves in glory either.  We tend to believe in a pox on all houses.  Into this void, however, steps the Texas Public Policy Foundation with a lucid discussion of both the benefits and costs of immigration in the Lone Star State.

The most important takeaway is that immigration is a net economic positive (and it isn't particularly close).  As TPPF explains: "their presences in the workforce results in lower prices that benefit consumers" (8).  By lowering our cost of living, immigration allows us to stretch each dollar further.  Specifically, "immigrants save Texas consumers between $3 billion and $6 billion per year" (8).  Like we said, it's not even close.

Illegal immigration, however, is a different animal that imposes very real costs that should not be belittled.  58% of illegal aliens are on some form of welfare (7), primarily food stamps and medicaid.  Furthermore, among illegal alien households with children, that number rises to 70% (7).

Speaking of illegal alien households with children, they really do have anchor babies: "[A]pproximately 46 percent of unauthorized immigrants are parents to minor children, compared to 38 percent of legal immigrants and 29 percent of natives" (4).  And those anchor babies really are enrolling in public schools: "[J]ust 5 percent of the school age population has immigrated illegally, but if we include the U.S. born children of illegal immigrants, that number increases to 14 percent" (7).  The total cost of education illegal alien children and anchor babies is nearly $4 billion; it's not an overwhelming amount against a state budget of $100 billion, but it ain't chump change either.

On the other hand, "[U]nauthorized immigrants are in fact more likely to be in the labor force and performing a job than either legal immigrants or U.S. natives" (5).  This helps explain one of our most politically incorrect beliefs about this topic: one major reason we have as much illegal immigration as we do is because we make it too easy for our own citizens to not work.  There wouldn't be demand for illegal labor if native born citizens weren't scamming disability.

Another interesting note is that, because Texas doesn't have an income tax, the state doesn't lose much tax revenue when illegal aliens work off the books.  The average illegal alien pays $900 per year in sales and property taxes.  Score one for having a (relatively) sane tax system!

Immigration is a classic case of diffused benefits with concentrated costs.  Immigration is a net economic plus (by far) that lowers the cost of living for all citizens.  At the same time, illegal aliens produce very real costs that should not be belittled or disparaged.  In a sane and rational world, none of those statements would be controversial.  Unfortunately, we don't live in a sane and rational world.  Against that backdrop, TPPF produced a report that is fair to all sides but deferential to none.  Kudos to them.

-----

Read the full report below:

Immigration s Impact on the Texas Economy by Cahnman

Wiley needs volunteers to work polling locations!!!

"When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice;
But when a wicked man rules, the people groan."
Proverbs 29:2

Truthfully, there are probably a lot of campaigns that need this, but we just got the following e-mail from Jay Wiley's campaign coordinator:

If anyone can hand out pushcards and/or wave a sign for any amount of time on Saturday or Sunday it would be a huge help.

Please let me know if you are able and willing to help with this! Here is the link to the map of the polls again: 

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewerhl=en_US&mid=zH8VFmh97Uhc.k07ACprt4zSY

And here is the link to sign up for a time slot, or if you'd like, simply reply to this email with what you are able to do and I'll plug you in. I will get pushcards and signs to anyone who needs them!
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1DGkx4PRmIzjAH34FeXj95FQdteWF5gIWpZn49E8nF0I/edit?usp=sharing

Let me know if you have any questions/comments/concerns. We do still need people to stand at the polls during the week days till the 26th, and we very much need people standing out here on Election Day, but right now this weekend is the priority.

Thank you all so much! Election Day is so close, we can taste it! This is an exciting time, what we've all been preparing for, and every little bit of help goes a long way. We appreciate you all so much.

Pro-ABORTION, Pro-DEATH PANEL, Pro-OBAMACARE Liberal Special Interest groups for BYRON COOK....

"While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage."
2 Peter 2:19

First things first, let's review relevant history:

• In 2013, the Texas Medical Association opposed HB 2.  In 2011, the Texas Medical Association played political games with the Sonogram Law.  Indeed, the Texas Medical Association has opposed every piece of pro-Life legislation Texas has passed over the past decade.

• The Texas Medical Association is a MAJOR obstacle to renovating Texas Advance Directives Act, which in its current form allows hospital "ethics committees" to cut off treatment against the wishes of patients and their families when they can make more money renting the bed out to someone else.

• During the past two legislative sessions, the Texas Medical Association has lobbied in favor of Medicaid Expansion under Obamacare.

Which makes the following items from various Byron Cook campaign finance reports very interesting:

Bottom Line: To understand how the Austin-insider crowd operates, follow the money.

TPPF: Do Tax and Expenditure LIMITS Matter?!?

Senator Van Taylor speaking at today's event

"Poverty and shame will come to him who disdains correction,
But he who regards a rebuke will be honored."
Proverbs 13:18

Texas Public Policy Foundation -- Constitutional spending limitations have always been one of this website's favorite issues.  With the possible exception of eliminating taxpayer funded lobbying, no other measure would do more to restrain the footprint of government over the long run.  This afternoon, TPPF held a policy primer and released a report on the issue.

Spending growth rates in Texas have been wildly inconsistent over the years.  As just one example, the catastrophically bad budget the #TXLEGE passed in 2013 was followed by the 'reasonably not crappy' budget they passed in 2015.  As TPPF explains in today's report:

Texas’ budget of $209.4 billion in fiscal years 2016-17 (Legislative Budget Board (LBB) 2015, 3) is an increase of 69 percent over the $124 billion spent in 2004-05, according to Heflin, et al. (2015,1). It is important to compare this increase with the state’s population growth plus inflation. This key metric provides a measuring stick for fiscal responsibility by accounting for potential changes in demand for government services and in the cost of providing them.

Using actual data and projections in each budget period,* we estimate that population growth plus inflation has increased by a compounded 55 percent since 2004-05. Adjusting for this, Texas’ budget is up 8.8 percent above the pace of population growth plus inflation since 2004, amounting to excess spending of $16.9 billion in 2016-17. This excess spending has put heavy burdens on Texans costing a family of four $1,251 per year and on the economy contributing to slower economic growth from higher taxes and fees than otherwise, as has been the case in high versus low-taxing states (Moore, et al. 2015, 8-9).

Legislators have recently practiced some budget constraint, particularly during the 2003, 2011, and 2015 legislative sessions when they passed budgets that increased by less than population growth plus inflation. However, in 2005 and again in 2013 the subsequent budget adopted by the Legislature increased by significantly more than this key metric, erasing most of the gains from the previous sessions (Heflin, et al. 2015, 1). While the Foundation will be working with legislators to keep the 2018-19 budget within population growth plus inflation, a better path forward to keep this cycle from repeating would be to put this limit into law.

At today's event, Dan Mitchell of the Cato Institute explained the difference between 'balancing budgets' and actually cutting government.  49 states and the European Union currently have some sort of 'anti-deficit' rules, but too frequently those are used as excuses to raise taxes, not reduce government.  That's why you need caps on SPENDING (preferably in the Constitution) rather than a poorly defined 'balanced budget' mandate.  Mitchell then reviewed various expenditure limitations various locations have tried around the world.  Mitchell said his favorite model was the Swiss 'debt break,' which limits spending increases to 2% annually in both good times and bad.

Senator Van Taylor spoke next.  He discussed how state spending as a percentage of state GDP increased from 5% in 2000 to 7% in 2012.  While that's better than other places, it's not nearly good enough for a state that claims to be conservative (and, of course, Taylor's figure wouldn't have included the spending BINGE they went on in 2013).  Taylor echoed Mitchell's sentiment that debt and taxes are symptoms, spending is the disease.  Most interestingly, Taylor revealed that during his time in the legislature, few votes have terrified his colleagues more than votes to bust the spending cap.

During Q&A, we resisted the temptation to ask the political question we really wanted to ask and instead asked about Medicaid.  Mitchell explained how, due to the rules of the program, Medicaid represents 'free money' to both state and federal officials, which incentives them to give away goodies at an even faster rate than they would if the program was either 100% state or 100% federal.  Of course, the solution is for the Feds to block grant Medicaid to the states (or for Texas to opt out of the Federal Medicaid program entirely).

Of course, when it comes to any sort of structural spending reforms in Texas (constitutional or statutory), the real issue is political.  As is the case with so many other conservative reforms, there is only one obstacle to constitutional spending limitations in the state of Texas, and his name is Joe Straus.  During Straus' four sessions as speaker, constitutional spending limitations have languished.  Last session, Straus and his handpicked Appropriations chair John Otto gutted SB 9, a tighter spending cap that was merely statutory.  While were on the topic, it's worth pointing out that Straus has stiffed both Rick Perry and Greg Abbott over this issue.

Bottom Line: YES, tax and expenditure limits matter; they matter a lot!!!  That's why the rent seeking business as usual crowd HATES them.  Constitutional spending limits would permanently reduce the footprint of government in Texas.  Reducing the footprint of government reduces the political allocation of capital, which increases living standards for everyone.  Unfortunately, the rent-seekers have derailed any structural spending reforms the past few sessions.  But the underlying case is even stronger than it was five years ago.  Kudos to TPPF for a great event!

What #SCOTUSCare means for upcoming #TXLEGE Primaries

"When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice;
But when a wicked man rules, the people groan."
Proverbs 29:2

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."
Tenth Amendment; United States Constitution

Today's U.S. Supreme Court ruling wasn't surprising.  It was par for the D.C. course.  However, it clarifies priorities closer to home.

Texas has GOT to elect legislators willing to stand up to the federal government.

The tenth amendment was a major reason we shifted our political focus from the Federal to the State level.  Unfortunately, the last two legislatures ignored it.  That must change.

We have to plan for the worst.  Every decision in the coming months must be made under the assumption that either Jeb Bush or Hillary Clinton will be the next President.  Either one will continue business as usual.

The pressure coming from Washington is going to get worse.  When that happens, the Texas Association of Business will fall in line.  When that happens, as currently constituted, the legislature will cave.

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The most important way to stand up to the federal government is to stop taking money with strings attached.  In discussing the state budget, there's a dirty little unavoidable phrase: all funds.  "All funds" includes transfer payments from the Feds.

The legislature just approved a budget where federal funds account for 32.4%.  It's primarily Medicaid.  Education is second.  Transportation funding (which usually comes with mass transportation mandates) also takes up a chunk.  That number must come down.  Every one of those dollars gives Washington leverage.

Unfortunately, those dollars also beget Austin lobbyists who will fight to the death for the gravy train.  At this point, who cares?!?  Standing up to the Federal government will require telling Austin lobbyists to pound sand.

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One specific note on Medicaid: In 2011, there was talk of having Texas opt-out entirely from the Federal Medicaid program.  That option must come back into consideration.  Obviously, there's no chance this happens if Straus returns.

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While we're on the topic, it's worth noting that reducing Texas' dependence on Federal dollars was a key component of Konni Burton's campaign.  Jonathan Stickland has also spoken favorably about this idea.  Finally, Tarrant County House candidate Bo French addressed the ruling this afternoon:

After the SCOTUS ruling today, I can’t help but think about how we got into this mess. We continue to elect Democrats,...
Posted by Bo French on Thursday, June 25, 2015

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Bottom Line: Today's ruling doesn't change anything.  This case was always a long-shot. Once again, we've seen that D.C. won't get us out of this mess.  Texans need to make standing up to the Federal government a key priority in assessing legislative candidates.  Get to work.

Official Endorsement: Steve Toth for Texas Senate

"When the righteous are in Authority, the people rejoice!"
Proverbs 29:2 (a)

In 2013, Former Texas Senate Finance committee chairman Tommy Williams shoved a budget down Texans' throats that increased spending by 26%.  Later that year, he resigned under a cloud of corruption.  The special election to replace him concludes August 5th.

In 2012, despite being wildly outspent, Steve Toth knocked off a Joe Straus lieutenant.  This was a crucial victory in the war against Team Straus.  In 2014, once again, Steve's opponent is a Joe Straus lieutenant.

As a member of the Texas House, Steve was a persistent thorn in Joe Straus' side.  He was a reliable force for obstruction where the euphemism "getting something done" usually means something bad.  Steve's endorsement list speaks for itself.

Steve was a leader in exposing CSCOPE, and remains committed to the ongoing game of Whack-a-mole.  He understands the threat, even without expansion, that Medicaid poses to Texas' fiscal future.  We first met Steve last summer, when he was handing out pizza to pro-lifers during the mayhem at the Capitol.

This is not to say Steve is perfect.  While we appreciate his attention to the border situation, we think a lame-duck special session is dangerous.  But that doesn't change the dynamic of this race.

One final note: Steve Toth understands the Old Testament.  We cannot overemphasize how refreshing we find this.  Considering the global economic uncertainty in our near future, we appreciate elected officials who are familiar with the Harbinger.

Early voting opens in two weeks.  It's time to get serious.  Cahnman's Musings unconditionally endorses Steve Toth for Texas Senate!!!

After Action Report: Americans for Prosperity's #TXO summit

"not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."
Hebrews 10:25

The greatest compliment this website can give a conference is that we didn't post anything during it because we were too busy enjoying it; on a scale of 1-10, this past weekend's Americans for Prosperity "Texas Online" conference deserves a rating higher than Barack Obama's national debt.

Dana Loesch kicked off the conference with an opening blitzkrieg.  Stating that "I don't believe in an objective media," Loesch explained she shows "no courtesy to people I don't respect."  Shannon Watts of Mom's Demand Boxed Wine Action would agree:



That being said, Loesch explained "I don't target someone unless I have a file on someone."  She spends at least an hour researching anyone she debates.  The purpose is to know you opponent better than they know themselves.

Avik Roy of Forbes magazine explained how to make policy arguments in an engaging manner.  His primary suggestion was specialization.  Your value, as an advocate, is the area that you know better than anyone else.  This website had to laugh hearing Avik Roy state that, considering that we cite his work on Medicaid all the time.  In addition, Roy explained that "when you use numbers with rigor, your political opponents can't ignore it."

At the end of the day Saturday, Steven Kruiser, Tony Katz, and Kurt Schlichter performed their hilarious new political humor show "tracked and targeted."  Because it's better to laugh that to cry at the current landscape, the show's value is obvious.  Also featured a long discussion about the sexual orientation of Larry O'Connor, which reached the obvious conclusion that Larry O'Connor's lack of fashion sense makes him
"the straightest man in America."

On Sunday, Lawerence Billy Jones spoke on a panel about how to appeal to minority groups.  He ripped the RNC's photo op approach; if conservatives are serious about engagement with groups that share our values but don't vote for our candidates, we have to understand that it will be a long, slow process.  We couldn't agree more.

Thanks also to Melissa Clouthier for opening her home for a party Friday night and to AFP for sponsoring an open bar on Saturday; that's all we're going to say on that topic.

Finally, although it wasn't part of the conference, on Sunday we also attended a service at the phenomenal Grace Church of the Woodlands with Texas Senate candidate Steve Toth.  Jonathan Cahn, who wrote the Harbinger, was the guest pastor.  He spoke about signs from the book that have continued to be filled since the book was published two years ago.  The fact that President Obama signed the beam with the relevant scripture is wild.  Kudos also to Pastor Steve Riggle, a stand-up guy who challenged his congregation to support efforts to challenge Houston's new censorship ordinance at the ballot box.

This was an unreal weekend.  We took in so much new information and met so many people that it's going to take a few days to absorb the whole thing.  But Americans for Prosperity (and Grace Church) did a phenomenal job!!!  We were incredibly blessed to participate in this weekend's activities.  Their next event is labor day weekend in Dallas.

Update: Bryan Preston has a lot more here.