Tag Archives: Texas Enterprise Fund

House passes its budget

Posted on April 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Mostly shenanigan-free, with a nice little side order of shade for a few people who deserve it. After 15 and a half hours of debate on hundreds of amendments to the Texas House budget, lawmakers in the lower chamber passed … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Business as usual with the Texas Enterprise Fund

Posted on April 21, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Raise your hand if this surprises you. In July of 2013, Gov. Rick Perry announced that he had closed another deal. Chevron would build a 50-story tower in downtown Houston next to one of its existing office buildings. The $662 … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Business as usual with the Texas Enterprise Fund

TOP releases report on inefficiency of development tax subsidies

Posted on February 7, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: [Thursday], the Texas Organizing Project and the Workers Defense Project released a report on the ineffectiveness of tax subsidies in cities across Texas, and proposed ways to increase requirements for such deals in Houston to offer benefits … Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on TOP releases report on inefficiency of development tax subsidies

More on the initial bill filings

Posted on November 12, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

From the Trib, a sampling: As of Monday afternoon, a bill repealing the Texas Dream Act, which allows undocumented immigrant students to pay in-state college tuition rates, had yet to emerge. Lt. Gov.-elect Dan Patrick promised while campaigning that he would work … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Gov debate II: That’s more like it

Posted on October 3, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The second Governor’s debate was a lively affair. Republican Attorney General Greg Abbott, who has mostly avoided direct confrontation with his opponent in the race for Texas governor, took a hard swing at Democratic Sen. Wendy Davis over her ethics … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Gov debate II: That’s more like it

Abbott’s Enterprise Fund issues

Posted on September 30, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a bit of a problem for him, isn’t it? While critics were hounding Gov. Rick Perry a decade ago about his job-luring Texas Enterprise Fund, his lawyers went to Attorney General Greg Abbott to block the release of applications … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014, Scandalized! | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Another look at Perry’s slush fund

Posted on July 31, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Like everything with Rick Perry, there’s less to it than meets the eye. Texas Gov. Rick Perry has distributed $205 million in taxpayer money to scores of technology startups using a pet program designed to bring high-paying jobs and innovation … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Another look at Perry’s slush fund

Once again, where are the jobs Rick Perry was trying to poach?

Posted on June 17, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Politico revisits a familiar subject. Since as early as February of last year and as recently as April of this one, Perry has made eight trips to six different states, all of which have one very particular thing in common: … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Once again, where are the jobs Rick Perry was trying to poach?

One place where a little austerity would do some good

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Rick Perry’s slush funds get no love in the opening budgets. The House and Senate’s initial two-year budgets would force Perry’s deal-closing Texas Enterprise Fund to exhaust its last $7 million and throttle back on state film incentives and subsidies … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on One place where a little austerity would do some good

From the “If pigs had wings” department

Posted on June 26, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

It’s never a bad time to construct a counterfactual. What if Rick Perry had never said, “Oops”? What if he could have, for Christ’s sake, just remembered that he had wanted to gut the Department of Energy? What if he … Continue reading →

Posted in The making of the President | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Comcast SportsNet Houston

Posted on January 22, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

This would be cool. The NBC Sports Group is seeking about $2 million in state and local support to bring a major production studio and 135 jobs to downtown Houston. The operation would be for Comcast SportsNet Houston, a new … Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Why is stimulus by one type of government better than the other?

Posted on October 19, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Perhaps someone should ask that question at the next Republican Presidential debate, which they seem to have every week or so. Gov. Rick Perry’s record of creating jobs with taxpayer money is coming under greater scrutiny because of his presidential … Continue reading →

Posted in The making of the President | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Why is stimulus by one type of government better than the other?

Senate not inclined to accept Amazon’s bribe

Posted on June 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them. It looks like the Texas Legislature is likely to say no — at least for now — to Amazon.com’s proposal to bring 5,000 jobs to the state in exchange for a temporary break on collecting sales tax. … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Sacrifice is for the little people

Posted on February 16, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

You almost have to admire the gall. Milton Rister, director of administration in Gov. Rick Perry’s office, just asked Senate budget writers for a net increase of $81.5 million in state funds for the next two years. If I took … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The state of the state

Posted on February 8, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Is strong, according to Rick Perry. So strong, in fact, that we’re going to kick the legs out of social services, because clearly we don’t need them. When the state faced a budget crisis in 2003, Gov. Rick Perry’s office … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The state of the state

More Enterprise Fund failures

Posted on May 23, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

There sure are a lot of them. Gov. Rick Perry’s office has rewritten three more contracts for companies that are struggling to create the promised number of jobs after getting millions of taxpayer dollars from the Texas Enterprise Fund. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on More Enterprise Fund failures

The unemployment tax and the Enterprise Fund

Posted on May 12, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

We know that unemployment insurance taxes have gone up, and we know that the increase is more than it would have been had Governor Perry not rejected $555 million in stimulus funds for unemployment insurance. But there’s another way in … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

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 →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on The recession and the Texas Enterprise Fund

White gets down to the business of being a candidate

Posted on January 6, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Bill White spent his first full day as a former Mayor in the Rio Grande Valley. It was a productive trip for him. Power brokers in one of the state’s most Democratic regions Tuesday pledged to throw their weight behind … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A&M and the Emerging Technology fund

Posted on August 3, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Loren Steffy tells us about politics infecting research at Texas A&M. And Rick Perry is involved. Shocking, I know. In January, the state awarded A&M $50 million from the Emerging Technology Fund, which purports to benefit private-sector technology startups, for … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Perry’s salvage job

Posted on May 25, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

How can you tell that sine die is approaching? Governor Perry starts getting involved in the legislative process. Perhaps state lawmakers are fatigued by Gov. Rick Perry’s long tenure or maybe they’re just balking at his leadership, but the Republican-led … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Budget yes, UI not yet

Posted on May 21, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The conference committee on the budget finished its work yesterday. While final details are still emerging, the 10 conferees worked out a last minute plan for spending $700 million of federal stimulus money for state fiscal stabilization. They hope that … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Budget yes, UI not yet

Ogden stem cell rider removed from budget

Posted on May 19, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Sen. Steve Ogden just announced that his rider banning use of state funds for embryonic stem cell research will not appear in the new state budget. “We really couldn’t come to a consensus” so the bill will be silent … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Ogden stem cell rider removed from budget

Whatever Ricky wants

Posted on May 18, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

It’s too early to say how much of Rick Perry’s self-proclaimed agenda will get enacted this session, as much of it hinges on the budget reconciliation process as well as on legislation that hasn’t been taken up by one chamber … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Get ready for the next school funding lawsuit

Posted on April 29, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The handwriting is on the wall. Property tax cuts and a stingy state budget have left many Texas school districts saying they are short-changing children and warning of another lawsuit attempt to force reforms. Texas lawmakers plan to increase school … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Get ready for the next school funding lawsuit

Perry’s ongoing war on the unemployed

Posted on April 24, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

You have to say this about Governor Perry: He never goes off message, no matter how ridiculous that message may be. Gov. Rick Perry on Wednesday re-stated his opposition to legislation that would allow the state to accept federal stimulus … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Perry’s ongoing war on the unemployed

Another chance to slap the Governor

Posted on April 22, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The Lege has had a few opportunities to express its opinion about Governor Perry and his “leadership” this session. Passing the unemployment insurance bill, inserting the budget amendment that would strip funding from the Texas Enterprise Fund in the event … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Another chance to slap the Governor

Senate passes SB1569, but may not be able to override a veto

Posted on April 20, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The Senate passed SB1569, the bill that accepts stimulus funding for unemployment insurance, by a 19-11 vote today. As Elise noted on Twitter, two Senators flipped to No for final passage; one other Senator was either absent or did not … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Senate passes SB1569, but may not be able to override a veto

House passes budget, slaps Perry

Posted on April 18, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

State Rep. Chris Turner, on Twitter: At 3:56 am, the House unanimously passed the budget. Believe it or not, that was earlier than was originally anticipated. The pregame chatter was that the House would have to reconvene today to finish … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on House passes budget, slaps Perry

Stem cells and the budget battle

Posted on April 17, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Other than voter ID, we really haven’t had a big fight in the Lege this session. Burka thinks Sen. Steve Ogden’s scurrilous stem cell rider could be the next big brawl. The Ogden rider is not in the House bill, … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Stem cells and the budget battle

Senate panel approves budget

Posted on March 31, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

As you know, the Lege has one task they absolutely must do every biennium, and that’s pass a budget. The Senate Finance Committee has taken its first step towards doing that. A two-year state budget that accepts federal stimulus money … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

So about all those stimulus funds

Posted on February 18, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Remember how Governor Perry had argued against states receiving federal stimulus dollars? Well, he still doesn’t want them, though he’s giving himself some waffle room. Gov. Rick Perry said Tuesday he’s not sure the state should accept all of its … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on So about all those stimulus funds