Tag Archives: Texas Public Policy Foundation

New frontiers in propaganda

Posted on March 25, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

We are at the forefront, because of course we are. Readers of the daily email newsletter of one of the country’s leading right-wing, fossil fuel-funded think tanks were treated to a bizarre sight [last] week: an AI-generated image of a … Continue reading →

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It’s going to be lawsuit season again

Posted on January 19, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Not looking forward to it, but it’s better than the alternative. President-elect Joe Biden has big plans for his first 100 days in office, when he’s vowed to roll back the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, push policies addressing climate change … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Too many people don’t get sick leave

Posted on June 13, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

From the CPPP: All Texans should be able to care for themselves or a loved one if they get sick, regardless of what kind of job they do or how much they earn. Approximately 4.3 million Texas workers – or … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Of course Ken Paxton opposes the sick leave ordinance

Posted on May 4, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

He wouldn’t be Ken Paxton if he didn’t. Less than a week after a conservative think tank sued Austin over the city’s paid sick leave ordinance, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has thrown the state’s support behind the suit, calling … Continue reading →

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Why do business groups want to force sick people to go to work?

Posted on April 27, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

This is bad for society. The city’s new ordinance mandating that most private businesses in Austin provide paid sick leave to employees — heralded by supporters as the most progressive labor policy in Texas when it won approval two months ago — is … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Galveston wants a bag ban

Posted on December 18, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Good luck. Reacting to a groundswell of concern about the effect of plastic bags on the environment, Galveston is on the forefront of a statewide controversy over cities’ ability to ban plastic bags that are killing turtles, birds and fouling … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Paxton sues Brownsville over bag fee

Posted on October 17, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Of course he does. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is wading into another fight over local control; this one about plastic bags at grocery stores. The Republican on Wednesday sued the city of Brownsville over its $1 per-bag fee, started … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Plastic bag litigation update

Posted on July 1, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

This could be a big deal. Is a plastic bag a container? Does the definition of “solid waste management” include litter control? If a state appeals court answers yes to both of those questions, regulations on plastic bags in several … Continue reading →

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Lawsuit filed in Austin over short-term rental ordinance

Posted on June 25, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Geez. The gig economy — specifically, the short-term rental industry that includes HomeAway, Airbnb, and VRBO — is under attack by the city of Austin, Texas, according to a lawsuit filed in state court June 20, which was sponsored by … Continue reading →

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From the “Those that disregard history are doomed to repeat it” department

Posted on August 12, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

This is the state of environment protection in Texas. Texas’ top environmental regulator suggested Thursday that the state may ignore a proposed directive from the Obama administration in June to reduce carbon emissions from power plants. “I’m concerned that if … Continue reading →

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The people who signed up for insurance via Obamacare got themselves a pretty good deal

Posted on June 26, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

It worked the way it was supposed to work, in other words. Texans who received financial assistance to purchase health coverage through the federal insurance exchange are paying less in monthly premiums than individuals in most other states using that … Continue reading →

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Once again, the cost of not expanding Medicaid

Posted on December 16, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

We are paying for Medicaid expansion, regardless of what our “leaders” want. The only question is whether we get a benefit from it, or if it all goes to other states. If Texas keeps refusing to enlarge Medicaid under the … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Don’t believe anything the TPPF has to say about the Affordable Care Act

Posted on October 30, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

With the exception of some things they have to say about criminal justice, you shouldn’t believe anything the Texas Public Policy Foundation has to say, full stop. You especially shouldn’t believe anything they have to say about the Affordable Care … Continue reading →

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Texas really needs Obamacare

Posted on August 7, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

We’ve always known that Texas would be a huge beneficiary of the Affordable Care Act because of our huge volume of uninsured people, but this quantifies it in a way that really brings it home. Texas is home to more … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Even Rick Perry thinks the slash and burn crowd is nuts

Posted on June 14, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Insert pithy quote about reaping and sowing here. Gov. Rick Perry shot back Monday at conservative critics who say the state budget is growing too fast, offering the clearest signal yet that he plans to sign the two-year, $197 billion … Continue reading →

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

Water, water, not so fast

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

So much for that. A major bill on the top of Gov. Rick Perry’s priority list that would authorize spending billions of dollars on state water projects faltered in the Texas House on Monday night after a contentious debate over … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

TAB takes a hostage

Posted on July 1, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Can’t say I’m surprised by this tactic. Leaders in the business community said Wednesday that they would not stand for increased funding for education if it came with any rollback of accountability standards in Texas public schools. “If we are … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Two more ways to divert money from public schools

Posted on May 23, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Number One: Taxpayer-funded scholarships to private schools. When the Georgia legislature passed a private school scholarship program in 2008, lawmakers promoted it as a way to give poor children the same education choices as the wealthy. The program would be … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Just keep cutting till we tell you to stop

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I have two things to say about this. Looking to get an early start on shaping budget discussions for the 2013 legislative session, the Texans for a Conservative Budget Coalition recommended Tuesday that lawmakers plan to reduce welfare spending, increase … Continue reading →

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

Texas Watch on the Supreme Court

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Texas Watch: The Texas Supreme Court has a long history of favoring corporate defendants over families and small businesses, according to a decade-long review of the Court’s decision making by Court Watch, a project of the non-profit Texas Watch Foundation. … Continue reading →

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Anti-tax zealots plump for casinos

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Gambling yes! Grover Norquist, the nation’s most prominent anti-tax crusader, wrote a letter last week to Texas legislators to call for expanded gambling. “In light of the adverse economic impact that higher taxes would have, it is imperative that lawmakers … Continue reading →

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Still more evidence that tort “reform” is a scam

Posted on November 25, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Recently, I blogged about a Public Citizen report that documented the ways in which tort “reform”, specifically medical malpractice damage caps, are a scam that has done none of the things its backers promised. You might have read that and … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

More on mental health

Posted on January 27, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Stephen Schnee, the executive director of MHMRA of Harris County, and Octavio N. Martinez, Jr, the executive director of the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health and a clinical professor in the School of Social Work at The University of Texas … Continue reading →

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

We have a number for the hole

Posted on January 11, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

There’s actually more than one number that can be used to accurately describe the state budget deficit, depending on what your perspective is, but however you look at it, it’s big and it’s no longer projected or theoretical. State Comptroller … Continue reading →

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

The fight over social studies

Posted on July 14, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

We’ve talked before about how the State Board of Education wants to do to history what it’s been doing to science. The Chron adds some details to the discussion. Biographies of Washington, Lincoln, Stephen F. Austin? Not fit reading material … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Taking taxation aversion to its logical extreme

Posted on April 10, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

This story just boggles my mind. Think traffic congestion is bad now? Wait until 2012. That’s when Texas’ highway fund — which relies on a motor fuels tax that hasn’t been raised since 1991 — will be out of money … Continue reading →

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Will we or won’t we fix unemployment insurance?

Posted on February 26, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

There’s a lot of money riding on the answer to that question. The lure of $555 million in federal stimulus money for additional unemployment insurance has Texas legislators mulling whether to expand unemployment benefits to more workers. To get that … Continue reading →

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We have the beginnings of a budget

Posted on January 23, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

And with it, some idea of how deep the hole is. Maintaining basic state services over the next two years will cost Texas almost $84 billion, $3.7 billion more in general revenue than the state expects to raise during that … Continue reading →

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