Democratic gubernatorial candidate apparently knows as little about world history as about good economics. He's taking Texas Gov. Rick Perry to task for "Soviet-style" budget techniques. What technique is that? Well, budget cuts, of course. Read More»

Austin's new "commuter" train is starting two years late and way over budget, but promoters of bad public policy hope no one notices. That's the only explanation for the possible call of a $1 billion bond issue in November to fund another choo-choo train. Read More»

When times are tough, taxpayers are usually forced to take it on the chin (or wallet) while bureaucrats and government employees see their paychecks continue to grow. Not so in El Paso County, if Commissioner Dan Haggerty has his way. He's proposed a 5-percent across-the-board cut in salaries to fill a $10 million budget hole. Read More»

Tuesday's primary elections went generally very well for conservatives. I'll touch on the key legislative races below, but it is worth noting that Gov. Rick Perry decisively won re-election by standing strongly for the right. His victory is a win for all Texans. Read More»

Taxpayers won a big political victory this year. Thanks to tens of thousands of Texans, the chief advocate for irresponsible transportation policy in the Texas House was forced to go silent this election season on her own plan to hike taxes and fees -- despite her claim last year to make it a centerpiece of her re-election. (Update at end of piece.) Read More»

On March 2, 1836, sixty Texas leaders gathered at Washington-on-the-Brazos. There they crafted the Texas Declaration of Independence, separating from Mexico and creating an independent nation. Read More»

What to make of a GOP candidate who openly supported Barack Obama for president in 2008? Now, several Republican candidates this cycle admit to having voted in the 2008 Democratic Primary. They were engaging in the Rush Limbaugh-inspired "Operation Chaos" -- supporting Hillary Clinton to oppose Barack Obama and disrupt the Democratic Party. Read More»

Despite the assertions of a liberal Austin American Statesman columnist, what has killed California has been their excessive spending, over-regulation and oppressive tax structure. Letting voters keep big spenders out of their wallets is what Texas needs to avoid following in the Golden State's downward economic spiral. Read More»

Earlier today Texas Gov. Rick Perry was on a radio show in Lubbock where he listed "raising the gas tax" as among the options lawmakers might consider when it comes to building roads. That's a very bad option, as Perry himself has said in recent months. What's more, it's an option that shouldn't be allowed in the room, let alone at the table. Read More»

Talk about putting your wallet where your mouth is. The city council of Grandview (pop. 1358) has turned down a half-million-dollar federal earmark secured by Democratic Rep. Chet Edwards, saying such earmarks represent ""irresponsible pork-barrel politics." Read More»