Category Archives: Budget ballyhoo

It’s the “I am rubber, you are glue” election

Posted on March 24, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron notes that some of the charges that the two gubernatorial campaigns will lob at each other could easily be lobbed right back at themselves. Perry slammed White for not ruling out new taxes, pointing to 2003, when state … Continue reading →

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Homeowners insurance

Posted on March 19, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

An awful lot of attention gets paid to property taxes and the rate at which they rise due to higher appraisals. There are other variable costs to home ownership, however, and one of them is homeowners insurance. As a result … Continue reading →

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The gambling industry is ready for the next legislative session

Posted on March 19, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Bad budget times are fertile ground for those who want to see an expansion of gambling in Texas. “We are planning to lay out our case again to the Legislature,” said Duane Galligher, a spokesman for the Texas Gaming Association, … Continue reading →

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The school district squeeze

Posted on March 17, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Everywhere you look there’s bad budget news. “This is the worst I’ve ever seen it,” said Fort Bend ISD Chief Financial Officer Tracy Hoke, who’s worked in school finance for two decades. “I could turn out every light, and we’d … Continue reading →

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Making money on both ends

Posted on March 15, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I’m glad to hear that the food stamp backlog should be cleared up soon. I’m not so glad to hear that one of the guys who bears responsibility for getting us into that mess in the first place now stands … Continue reading →

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Food stamp application backlog to be cleared by April

Posted on March 14, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a little bit of good news. Texas’ food stamp application backlog is now expected to be cleared by the end of April, Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Tom Suehs told lawmakers today. […] The commission had projected it … Continue reading →

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White: No expansion of gambling

Posted on March 14, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I’m okay with this. Democratic gubernatorial nominee Bill White said today he does not support the legalization of slot machines and does not think Texas should legalize casinos across the state. “I don’t think the State of Texas should be … Continue reading →

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What passes for good budget news these days

Posted on March 11, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Sales tax revenue didn’t decline as much as in previous months. In February, the state’s sales tax collections were down 8.8 percent compared with the same month a year earlier. Though still in the red, the February figure looked better … Continue reading →

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Food banks to help with food stamps interviews

Posted on March 4, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

This sounds like a good idea. Houston’s food bank will begin helping qualify eligible Texans for food stamps on Monday under special authority from federal officials designed to shorten long wait times. The waiver will allow food banks in Houston, … Continue reading →

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Those evil, dirty, federal dollars

Posted on February 26, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Rick Perry loves ’em. Which of the following revenue sources has grown the most since Rick Perry became governor? A. Sales tax, driven by a strong economy. B. Natural gas production tax revenue, driven by a strong economy and the … Continue reading →

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How are you going to balance the budget?

Posted on February 24, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

If you’re thinking that the candidates for Governor are being a bit vague about how they’re going to deal with the looming budget shortfall, you’re not alone. Texas expects a shortfall of at least $12 billion when lawmakers meet to … Continue reading →

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D Magazine on John Carona

Posted on February 21, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting profile, worth a read, on State Sen. John Carona, who’s become somewhat of a radical in his party for actually being old-fashioned enough to try to solve problems and make government work. I think he’s right about this: With … Continue reading →

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How you can tell when someone isn’t serious about making budget cuts

Posted on February 20, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

An inability to prioritize is a pretty strong indicator. The $135 million budget cut proposal from the Texas Education Agency includes one item that will probably not please Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst. The agency suggests eliminating the $1 million needed … Continue reading →

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Sales tax collections keep going down

Posted on February 15, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

That sound you hear is the budget writers gnashing their teeth. In more grim news for Texas’ budget, state Comptroller Susan Combs said Friday that monthly sales tax collections are down again, the eighth straight month of double-digit declines. Collections … Continue reading →

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If we must cut the budget, let’s be smart about it

Posted on February 11, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The Trib remembers the last time the state of Texas had a huge budget hole, and how it made things worse in its attempt to deal with it. For some, it’s not too early to fret that lawmakers will balance … Continue reading →

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The recession and the Texas Enterprise Fund

Posted on January 30, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

A report worth reading from Texans for Public Justice: The global recession that hit Texas in 2008 is playing havoc with Governor Perry’s signature business-incentive program: the Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF). A review of 45 TEF projects that received $363 … Continue reading →

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Unemployment up in Texas

Posted on January 28, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Not the kind of story Rick Perry wants to see with an election coming up. The state’s economic recovery hit a snag in December, as employers cut 23,900 jobs after expanding payrolls in October and November. The Texas unemployment rate … Continue reading →

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Are we recovering yet?

Posted on January 19, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Economist Ray Perryman thinks so. Texas will be “last in, first out” among states battling the recession, although a recovery that has already started will require patience, a leading economist says. The Lone Star State proved resilient because of advantages … Continue reading →

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More food stamps fail

Posted on January 18, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The dimensions of this failure are just staggering. Texas has the worst performing food stamp program in the nation, says the federal director who oversees the project designed to help desperate people get nutritious meals. Texas ranks last among the … Continue reading →

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No race to the top

Posted on January 13, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

By now you’ve probably heard the news that Governor Perry has directed the Texas to not compete for “Race to the Top” stimulus funds. Gov. Rick Perry said today that Texas will not compete for up to $700 million in … Continue reading →

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Trying again with IBM

Posted on January 12, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe the second time will be the charm. The turnaround of the troubled $863 million data center contract between Texas and IBM Corp. has cleared its first major hurdle. On Tuesday, state officials released an “agreement in principle” for restructuring … Continue reading →

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Sales taxes still sliding

Posted on January 9, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Still no sign of a turnaround in many Texas cities. Municipal sales tax collections across Texas fell 11.4 percent in November, raising new economic worries amid signs of recovery in housing and other industries. The declines are discouraging to city … Continue reading →

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State to audit food stamp delivery process

Posted on December 27, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Better late than never. Health and Human Services Commissioner Tom Suehs has asked [state auditor John] Keel to audit the food stamp program to improve accuracy and efficiency. “We must fix our system so that it works for everyone. I’m … Continue reading →

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It’s almost as if the answer were staring us right in the face

Posted on December 21, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Same song, I forget which verse. As compared with a year earlier, sales tax collections were down 14.4 percent in November, and those kinds of returns have hastened budget-cutting talk. But what’s really driving the conversation is a decision that … Continue reading →

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Unemployment taxes triple

Posted on December 9, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Here comes the Rick Perry unemployment tax increase that we’ve been waiting for. Nearly two-thirds of Texas businesses will see the unemployment taxes they pay per employee per year nearly triple – from $23.40 to $64.80 – under rates announced … Continue reading →

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The Speaker knows what we’re up against

Posted on December 3, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I’m sure House Speaker Joe Straus is looking ahead to the 2011 session and stockpiling the Maalox and Excedrin. Among the “interim charges” to 31 committees handed out by Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio – issues for lawmakers to study … Continue reading →

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Did I mention that we’re facing a revenue shortfall?

Posted on December 1, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

In case I haven’t beaten this horse beyond recognition yet, the stimulus money really saved our budgetary bacon this year, and without something equally dramatic, we are so screwed in 2011. “It was a deficit budget as written,” said Scott … Continue reading →

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No check for you!

Posted on November 28, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Nice little bit of holiday cheer for Texas’ retired public employees this week. Retired public employees discovered yesterday that they would not receive additional $500 checks this year. According to Senator Robert Duncan, R-Lubbock, they shouldn’t hold their breath for … Continue reading →

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School districts feeling the crunch

Posted on November 27, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The state’s budget problems, which are caused to some degree by the economic slowdown, aren’t just problems for the state. They’re local problems as well, and the entities that have been hardest hit are those that had been given short … Continue reading →

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The budget mess that awaits the next Governor

Posted on November 25, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

We already know that the next Legislative session will be a whole lot of no fun thanks to declining revenue estimates and our structural deficits. Here’s a further illustration of the problem. The current state budget is financed with $12 … Continue reading →

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State sales tax revenues way down

Posted on November 20, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The 2011 legislative session is going to be so much fun. Sales tax revenues have taken double-digit dives for five months running; in each of those months, the state’s income from those taxes has been more than 10 percent lower … Continue reading →

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Our healthcare system is great, if you ignore all those people who can’t afford it

Posted on November 18, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

State Rep. John Zerwas demonstrates that being a physician doesn’t make you qualified to talk about health care reform. His article is as embarrassingly idea-free as his national colleagues’ plan was. After the usual paean to tort “reform” and invective … Continue reading →

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Easing eligibility requirements on food stamps

Posted on November 15, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I suppose you could consider this to be a small benefit of the food stamps snafu. Texas is easing a requirement that most families on food stamps must be interviewed every six months, a step that will relieve pressure on … Continue reading →

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Here comes the unemployment tax increase

Posted on November 12, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Here comes that unemployment insurance tax hike we’ve all been waiting for. Under state law, the state’s unemployment trust fund is supposed to stand at 1 percent of taxable wages, or about $860 million. The fund has been depleted in … Continue reading →

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