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during the 84th session?— PAGES 10-14

A NEWS MAGAZINE FOR ALL TEXANS

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Vol. 2 - Issue 4The latest news content is available at TexasScorecard.com

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SEE HOUSTON — PAGE 3

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWS DIGEST AT www.EmpowerTexans.comINSIDE PG 2

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PG 4 PG 5 PG 5Reinforcing the need for reform San Antonio’s Golden Throne Every. Vote. Matters

AROUNDT E X A S

Senator Bob Hall: Inconsistency Breeds Corruption

BY MICHAEL QUINN SULLIVAN EMPOWERTEXANS.COM

BY CHARLES BLAIN EMPOWERTEXANS.COM

With 90,000 acres of land at stake, the Texas Attorney General and state’s General

Land Office are joining landowners in trying to stop the federal government from taking Texans’ property.

The Bureau of Land Management claims 116 miles of land along the Texas-Oklahoma border is federal property, a contention disputed by families who have owned, maintained, and used the land for years.

A fight in federal court picked up steam recently when a federal district court allowed Land Commissioner George P. Bush to enter the lawsuit on the

side of the landowners.Earlier, the court permitted Texas

Attorney General Ken Paxton to join the suit.

“We will not allow the federal government to arbitrarily infringe upon Texas land and undermine the private property rights of our citizens,” Paxton said when announcing his intention to enter the fray.

In a statement issued after the federal court allowed his agency’s entry into the fight, Bush said “When it comes to property rights, don’t mess with Texas.”

Bush described the BLM as attempting to “unlawfully take privately and publicly owned lands” that belong to individuals or to the state.

Federal Land GrabHouston’s Inspector General will

soon be investigating an ethics complaint against Houston

Controller Chris Brown. The complaint, filed by a former intern in the controller’s office, alleges Brown fired him after he attempted to facilitate a public finance training seminar for council members. He alleges senior staff inside the controller’s office feared it would further expose the city’s dire fiscal situation to the council.

Atlas Kerr, a senior at the University of Houston, interned in the controller’s office from January 2016 until the end of March. A Houston native, Kerr said he was ambitious to get a firsthand view of public finance because he cares about the future of the city.

While interning, Kerr discovered that Moody’s Analytics, a subsidiary of Moody’s Corp. (which just downgraded Houston’s debt rating), hosts public

Ethics Complaint Filed Against Houston Controller’s Office

We will not allow the federal government to arbitrarily infringe upon Texas land and undermine the private

property rights of our citizens.— Ken Paxton, Texas Attorney General

PROTECTING PROPERTY

LOCAL ELECTIONSEARLY VOTING

Monday April 25 – Tuesday, May 3, 2016

ELECTION DAYSaturday, May 7, 2016

MORE ONLINE

2016 LOCALENDORSEMENTS

Tax Reform Texans must speak loud and clear — PAGE 3

A TAXING QUESTION: 4B OR NOT 4Bby Lauren Lawson empowertexans.com

IS IT TIME FOR ONE BIN FOR ALL?by Charles Blain empowertexans.com

CORECARD WWW.TEXASSCORECARD.COM2Mayor Daley told the police ‘shoot to kill’ in Chicago during the Democrat Convention, older classmates being drafted…” were just some of the tumultuous issues Gregory recalls debating with her classmates.

Nowadays, she puts that experience to use by putting in hours performing campaign activities and finding other ways to stay involved. “I attend city council meetings, Commissioner’s Court, and School Board meetings. I’m also always preparing and serving food at fundraisers or meet and greets.”

Service, Gregory says, is the most important aspect of holding public office. But without an actively engaged citizenry, politicians will end up serving their own interests and abandon their campaign promises.

“Our publicly elected officials from city, to state, to federal should return to being servants of the people instead of lording over the masses. Until the heart of a servant returns to our elected officials, the battle will continue being about power and control. That is not what our forefathers had planned.”

When she’s not too busy, Gregory likes to stay busy with water sports, hand sewing, reading, gardening, but most emphatically helping others. “Helping others accomplish their dreams and goals brings great returns on the investment of time,” Gregory says. “I’m always on the lookout to vet a new servant of the people!”

CORECARD2

BY GREG HARRISON EMPOWERTEXANS.COM

BY CARY CHESHIRE EMPOWERTEXANS.COM

BY CHARLES BLAIN RESTOREJUSTICEUSA.COM

DEBBIE GREGORYA SERVANT’S HEART

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” The famous quote by the

late Sir Edmund Burke is one that Whitney resident Debbie Gregory says greatly influences her daily life. She is always looking out for new ways to help out her community, and says her faith and desire to serve has driven her to get involved in a myriad of ways — whether that be block walking, campaigning, attending local government meetings, or helping out in various community groups.

“We should be our own best resource,” Debbie says. “Bringing community togetherness, uniting to support one another and protect each other instead of relying on government to be the source of provision on any level.” To that end, Debbie helped organize the Hill County Tea Party in 2009 to help educate her neighbors about what was going on in politics at all levels. In addition, she has

the teamPresident & CEO

Michael Quinn Sullivan

Managing EditorMorgan Williamson

Assistant EditorBuddy Kipp

Capital CorrespondentCary Cheshire

Field CorrespondentGregory Harrison

Metroplex BureauRoss Kecseg

Houston BureauCharles Blain

West Texas BureauLauren Lawson

General CounselTony McDonald

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Texas Scorecard is a general interest news magazine produced by Empower Texans. Unless otherwise noted, the content is the property of Empower Texans and may not be reprinted without permission. Content from Texas Scorecard is available to the public online at TexasScorecard.com.

Entire contents © 2015 Empower Texans. All rights reserved.

PROFILES IN CITIZEN LEADERSHIP

also been involved with the VFW Aux. American Legion, Hill County Republican Women’s Club, Lake Whitney Garden Club, and the Association of Realtors.

Born in Great Falls, Montana in 1955 and, following her father’s series of career moves, Gregory eventually found her way to Texas where she feels blessed to enjoy a life with a large blended family. Early on in her education, Debbie says she recalls being the lone conservative contrarian in classroom discussions – a tradition she’s carried on to this day.

“Many times, I would be the only person on the conservative side of a discussion or debate. In fact, our teacher’s nickname for me was ‘Miss America’ – in a derogatory manner. She would say things like, ‘Oh, here comes Miss America to disagree…”

Debbie recalls debating many contentious political issues in government class during her early education. And they’d have quite a few: “During my high school years, the voting age was lowered to 18, Richard Nixon won in a landslide,

Recently, the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) issued a comprehensive paper titled

‘Texas School Finance: Basics and Reform.’ The paper articulates both where Texas’ educational system currently stands, as well as a path to better success.

“Texas’ school finance system is surrounded by confusion,” said Michael Barba in a press release issued by TPPF. “The first purpose of this work is to bring clarity to this issue so that we can all improve the system for generations to come.”

The paper reinforces through argument and concrete data positions what conservatives have been advocating for quite a long time: simple reforms that would benefit both children and taxpayers along with the expansion

of school choice. Though the latter measure is in place at some level in 29 of 50 states, school choice has yet to gain any codified foothold in the Lone Star State.

Both Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick as well as TPPF made school choice policy goals in the last legislative session, but fell short of enacting such reforms into law. Over the interim Patrick charged the Senate Education Committee to investigate school choice with an eye toward next session.

“The Education Committee will continue our work to make Texas’ schools the best in the nation,” said Patrick. “I have asked the committee to study the implementation of school choice options in other states including the impact on student performance and local district budgets in order to determine the best school choice plan to serve Texas students.”

The entire TPPF report can be viewed at TexasScorecard.com.

Reinforcing the Need for Reform

As usual, states are making strides with increasing transparency and easing the

violations of civil liberties while the federal government is moving in the opposite direction, attempting to tighten its chokehold on Americans and their freedoms.

Recently, Tennessee passed a civil asset forfeiture bill that would increase the transparency of the often-criticized program, allowing lawmakers the ability to quantify the impact of the program on a yearly basis. H.B. 2176 which was introduced by State Rep. Timothy Hill (R-Blountville) and passed unanimously would require the Tennessee Department of Safety to

States Advance as Federal Government Regresses

SEE LIBERTIES — PAGE 3

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IN THE LEAD

HOUSTONfrom PAGE 1

LIBERTIESfrom PAGE 2

The most effective ways to deliver lasting property tax relief are reforms that limit the taxing,

spending, and borrowing power of local governments. But Texans should not expect such protections to be enacted willingly—they must speak louder than the government forces opposing them.

First, property tax limits need to be strengthened.

In 2015, reformers in the Senate sought to do two things—lower the annual rate at which local governments can increase their coffers (also known as the rollback rate), and require local voter approval for governments seeking to break that limit.

Local governments, their tax-funded lobbyists, and their associations came out in fierce opposition. Unsurprisingly, too many local officials oppose the idea of having to obtain voter approval to raise property taxes. So much for believing in “local control.”

It’s worth noting that school districts already face a similar requirement. Imposing a limit on tax-hiking cities and

counties is not only common sense, but equitable.

Furthermore, the current rollback limit only applies to funds that flow into a government’s annual operating budget, not the portion of property taxes that repay debt. A better approach would be to apply the rollback limit to all property tax revenue collected, including funds used for debt service.

Second, tax reform should also involve limits on local spending growth.

Houston voters petitioned for and passed a charter amendment limiting the annual increase in property tax revenue, otherwise known as the revenue cap. But the city found a way to circumvent voters—they simply created new taxes not subject to the cap. As a result of ignoring glaring fiscal problems, the big-spending city is in financial trouble.

To force a greater degree of fiscal discipline, pro-taxpayer legislators could impose a spending limit that applies to total spending (both tax and fee supported), to prevent local politicians from circumventing property tax caps with higher fees or new taxes.

Finally, Texas’ debt epidemic must be addressed.

Texans Must Speak Loud and Clear on Tax ReformBY ROSS KECSEG EMPOWERTEXANS.COM

Voters should be given basic financial information on the ballot, such as the current debt of the asking entity, the total cost of the ballot proposition including both principal and interest expense, and the resulting impact on property tax rates if the measure is approved or rejected.

Local officials have openly admitted they will only put on the ballot what’s minimally required by state law. In other words, to increase ballot transparency that empowers voters, the legislature must act.

Voters should also be given the choice of voting separately on unrelated construction projects, such as athletic complexes, administration buildings, and new schools. And the legislature should prohibit districts from using debt to buy short-term consumables, such as band-uniforms, computers, and other items.

All too often, voters make the mistake of assuming their job ends at the ballot box. But Texans would be well served to hold elected officials accountable before, during, and after the election season. To do so effectively, they must understand reform, demand action from state legislators, and petition the support of local officials.

finance trainings at their headquarters in New York City. The training program covers the operations of the municipal bond market, how to determine the financial strength of a city, and how to analyze financial statements of municipal governments.

While the training normally costs $4,000 per attendee, Kerr was able to coordinate with Moody’s to host a session in Houston and found a way to subsidize the program so it would be at no cost to the council or taxpayers.

Six Council Members, including Budget and Finance Committee Chairman Jack Christie (AL-5), expressed interest in either attending the training seminar themselves or having a staff member attend. The only council member to reject the offer outright was Amanda Edwards (AL-4).

With six members on board, Kerr was told to create a formal presentation for City Controller Chris Brown and other senior staff. Kerr delivered the presentation to Deputy Director Shannan Nobles, Communications Director Roger

Widmeyer, and Keir Murray. Oddly, Keir Murray is not a City of Houston employee, but is the principal of KLM Public Affairs, the political consultant who ran Brown’s campaign.

Kerr says that the three senior advisors abruptly ended his presentation saying the financial information didn’t need to be shared with council. Kerr alleges that Nobles went as far as to say, “It isn’t Council’s job to learn public finance.”

Kerr was dismayed that senior staff at the Controller’s office seemed intent on hiding the city’s financial information from council members.

Following the incident, Kerr went to speak with an advisor at the University of Houston’s CHIP program about his placement in the controller’s office. CHIP is the Civic Houston Internship Program, which partners U of H students with internships in Houston’s government.

After speaking with the CHIP advisor, Kerr received an email from his supervisor asking him to come to his office immediately the next day. At that meeting Kerr was fired, allegedly because “it was inappropriate that [Kerr] spoke to another program about [himself].”

Kerr has now filed a complaint with

the city’s inspector general regarding his dismissal and the decisions of senior staff in the controller’s office to hide financial information from the council.

This incident exemplifies the mismanagement in many of Houston’s government offices. The inspector general needs to determine whether Chris Brown knew of the decision to halt the financial training and, if not, determine who is actually in control of decision-making in the controller’s office.

Much of the dishonesty of Houston’s government was blamed on former Mayor Annise Parker and Controller Ron Green. But this glaring example shows that dishonesty and corruption are ingrained in the culture of Houston’s city government. Combating it will require persistent vigilance. After all, an advocate like Atlas Kerr should be celebrated, not fired.

It’s time for council members to demand answers from the controller’s office as to why the subsidized seminar was killed, whether Kerr’s dismissal was a retaliatory act, and what other financial information is being deliberately hidden from council.

report to lawmakers the total number of seizures in a given year, Hill said it’s meant to “pull back the curtain and bring transparency.”

Two days before the Tennessee house passed this bill the federal government breathed new life into their civil asset forfeiture program that encourages collusion between local and federal law enforcement.

The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 reduced asset forfeiture program funding by roughly $1.2 billion, essentially shutting down the Department of Justice’s Equitable Sharing Program. But the program, which allows seized assets to be shared between local and federal authorities, is back.

“The Department of Justice is pleased to announce that, effective immediately, the Department is resuming Equitable Sharing payments to State, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies.”

Leave it to the federal government to be pleased about bringing back a program that limits an individual’s civil liberties and seizes property without just cause.

We must remember that the people whose property is seized aren’t necessarily criminals. This is not criminal asset forfeiture; it’s civil asset forfeiture. Under civil asset forfeiture officers can suspect property has been used in a crime, with no evidence, and then seize it. The individual must then go through the burdensome government hurdles to prove their property’s “innocence” and retrieve it.

In 2014 alone law enforcement seized $3.9 billion in property under the guise of civil asset forfeiture (while only $697 million was seized under criminal asset forfeiture) so of course the federal government wants the program to be reinvigorated.

While we see federal government renewing these constitution-disregarding laws there is a glimmer of hope as states begin to take up the issue and amend state laws. It is a signal that, at least on the state level, the voices of criminal justice reformers are being heard.

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Following in their trend to find new, creative ways to flush money down the toilet, San Antonio City

Council voted recently to commit to spending approximately $100,000 to build precisely one public toilet.

That, unfortunately, was not a misprint. They are not building one public toilet facility — but exactly one, singular stall.

For $97,700.Although officials have no idea where

downtown they plan on building the monument to waste, they do have a particular product (and price tag) in mind: Oregon-based Portland Loo: a unisex single-stall toilet structure.

This isn’t the first inordinately expensive project which San Antonio has received inspiration for from Portland. For example, watchdogs on both sides of the partisan divide may recall city

BY CHARLES BLAIN EMPOWERTEXANS.COMBY GREG HARRISON

EMPOWERTEXANS.COM

BY DUSTIN MATOCHA EMPOWERTEXANS.COM

officials citing the relative success of Portland’s streetcar system as justification for a similarly wasteful pet project that San Antonio residents have rejected at every turn.

Taxpayers can take some satisfaction in the expenditure, as Councilman Ron Treviño — the man who began pitching for the loo last summer — says the thing is, “built like a tank.” He also defended the price tag in the terms that the city is “buying something of value here, something that’s durable.”

It’s a good thing the city doesn’t have any difficulties funding basic responsibilities such as police or fire pensions, or this purchase would seem pretty irresponsible. After all, it’s not as though they’ve had budgetary problems so severe they felt compelled to annex (against the counsel of San Antonio’s own police union) neighboring communities against their will.

Wait, nevermind...

The alarming lack of transparency of Texas’ special purpose districts is not a new

issue to those who have been paying attention. But the fact that the liberal-leaning, nationally syndicated John Oliver Show managed to pick up on the issue enough to devote an entire segment to the absurdity of these quasi-autonomous local ghost governments reaffirms the need for significant reform.

Created to provide a dedicated revenue stream for things such as emergency services, water and utilities, special districts have thrived from the lack of oversight from state and local government. While some of these districts operate with transparency, others take full advantage of state government’s inability to monitor the numerous entities.

An FBI criminal probe is underway in Harris County for Emergency Service District 11 (ESD #11), which oversees Cypress Creek EMS (CCEMS). This comes after

CCEMS ignored a criminal subpoena from the Harris County DA. In the past, CCEMS has filed three lawsuits against the Texas Attorney General to prevent them from being forced to publicize records of where tax dollars are being spent.

Financial records of the ESD came into question when a group named “Friends of Cypress Creek EMS” popped up. Although the group was not registered as a political action committee it provided political funding to a number of ESD 11 commissioners. Unsurprisingly, Cypress Creek EMS has an exclusive contract with ESD 11. After public information requests were filed, the district’s commissioners refused to turn over financial information regarding CCEMS and refused to compel CCEMS to turn over their own financial information.

The abuse by these districts is widespread.

Roughly $1.1 billion in bonds has been approved by a limited number of voters in Harris, Fort Bend, and Montgomery Counties as reported by the Houston Press. These voters temporarily move into an area, with the assistance of developers, where

Special Districts Run AmokSan Antonio’s Golden Throne

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Every March, Sunshine Week reminds us to examine transparency in Texas, where there

is still much progress to be made.During the 2015 session, lawmakers

created a huge haystack in which to hide government contracts. They are called “form 1295 filings,” and at the current pace, there will be more than 50,000 of them filed on the Texas Ethics Commission’s website before the end of the year.

First, more transparency is good and taxpayers should be glad that that 1295 forms exist and there will be so many of them. But, 1295 forms are being promoted as a measure to allow Texans to see when and how their elected officials do business with government. On this front, there is a much better option.

The vast majority of papers in the 1295 form haystack will be filed by owners of

companies that are not involved in government. As a way of holding elected officials accountable, the new law is the equivalent of asking for a few documents and having a truckload delivered to your door.

Politicians should directly disclose any contracts they or their family members have with government entities. This policy was proposed but not passed during the 2013 and 2015 legislative sessions. Then the form 1295 disclosures from companies could be organized and used to check lawmaker disclosures for honesty.

Alternatively, if politicians are ultimately required to disclose their government contracts, they could easily include them with their personal financial disclosures – a form already required by law (though not published on the TEC website – yet another area for improvement).

Lawmakers have fought tooth and nail against this, which strongly suggests many of them are benefiting from government contracts. When elected officials do business with government, it brings into doubt the independence of their voting behavior.

Preemptive Disclosures Needed

SEE SPECIAL DISTRICTS — PAGE 5

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No lie is more persuasive than the excuse "my vote doesn't matter." Tell that to the 13

people whose votes decided the match-up in an open-seat senatorial contest that involved more than 133,000 voters.

In the east Texas senatorial contest, four candidates in the GOP primary vied for the open seat vacated by Kevin Elite: two sitting state representatives, a school board member and former Army general, and local activist. The school board member had the support of the liberal crony establishment in Austin, while the two state reps were seen as splitting the district's conservative vote.

As it turns out, the school board member – James "Red" Brown – came in third. The state reps, Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola) and David Simpson (R-Longview) are in the run-off. Hughes received 48 percent of the vote. Simpson is in . . . by 13 votes (of the 133,037 ballots cast in the race).

In fact, Brown had originally thought he was going to be in the run-off. When the polls closed on March 1, it became apparent that the #2 and #3 slots would be close and the counting of absentee, military and provisional ballots would decide the outcome. In the Tyler Morning Telegraph's March 10 story about the ongoing count, Brown was leading by a vote.

"My daughter drove in from college; she’s the deciding vote," he told the newspaper – prematurely, as it turns out.

With all the ballots now accounted for, his daughter should have brought a baker's dozen of friends with her.

Hughes and Simpson will meet in the run-off on Tuesday, May 24.

Every. Vote. MattersBY MICHAEL QUINN SULLIVAN EMPOWERTEXANS.COM

BY ROSS KECSEG EMPOWERTEXANS.COM

BY GREG HARRISON EMPOWERTEXANS.COM

State Sen. Bob Hall (R-Edgewood) penned a letter recently urging the Texas Secretary of State Elections

Division Office to rescind all waivers allowing counties and precincts to deviate from election law, arguing that doing so creates fertile ground for local corruption and election fraud.

“As public servants, we have an obligation and duty to ensure integrity and operational consistency for our elections,” stated Hall. “Taking shortcuts or establishing procedures to ‘make it easier on election officials or to save time’ at the sacrifice of vote integrity and record retention should be unacceptable to responsible government officials.”

There are multiple practices codified in statute to ensure election integrity that are currently ignored at the local level across

Senator Bob Hall: Inconsistency Breeds Corruption

During the 84th legislative session, State Sen. Don Huffines (R-Dallas) advanced a complete

phase out of Texas’ disastrous business tax, otherwise known as the franchise tax. Now he’s calling for the repeal of the Motor Vehicle Inspection Tax, an outdated “vehicle safety” mandate that’s proven to be nothing more than a waste of time and money for Texans.

In an op-ed published in the Texas Tribune, Huffines noted how Texas has held onto the misguided policy of vehicle inspections long after the regulation-addicted federal government repealed similar laws over forty years ago.

If repealed, Texas would join thirty-four other states that no longer require

Huffines: Repeal the Motor Vehicle Inspection Taxvehicle inspections.

Nebraska repealed its vehicle inspection mandate in conjunction with a study of the impact its elimination had on defect-related crashes. Following its repeal in 1982, defect-related crashes significantly decreased by over 16%. A report submitted to the North Carolina Assembly cited the failure of similar “safety” programs, using data obtained by Nebraska's study and others conducted across the country.

Huffines further outlined the total cost associated with levying the ill-conceived tax, citing the disproportionate burden it places on low-income Texans.

“So let's call these inspections what they really are: a tax on Texans’ time and money. [It] costs Texans an annual $267 million in fees alone. What's arguably

worse is the tax on our time — the program forces more than 50,000 trips to the inspection station every single day, resulting in more than 9 million wasted hours every year. That adds up to $203 million in lost wages, based on average salary data…This type of flat cost disproportionately affects lower-income Texans, and while most begrudge the annual trip to the station, these individuals are truly harmed by this unnecessary and counterproductive mandate.”

Almost every Republican in Texas campaigns on promoting economic growth by limiting government, lowering taxes, and repealing unnecessary regulations. By calling for repeal of the inspection tax, Huffines has identified another opportunity for such lofty rhetoric to be put to the test.

Texas via special waivers from the Texas Secretary of State Elections Division Office. Of those practices, Hall cites both the printing and signing of Zero tapes when the polls open for early voting and election day, and the printing / signing of precinct returns (audit tapes / tally / results tapes) directly when the polls close at the polling location, both on early voting and election day.

“Texas election laws mandate a system of checks and balances that include paper and electronic tabulation when the polls open and close to prevent fraud and corruption of votes cast electronically,” Hall argues.

“Some of these counties print the tapes and some do not. Without the printed tapes there is no way to validate the computerized election results. These inconsistencies in election record retention are breeding ground for election fraud and is an unacceptable practice for

anyone who believes in the rule of law.”Currently, local officials can seek

waivers from these practices, which are required by statute in the Texas Election Code. “These waivers are being provided by the Texas Secretary of State’s Election Division Office,” says Hall, who, in response to constituent concerns, called on the office to rescind these exceptions.

“Due to an increasing number of complaints, it is time for the Texas Elections Division Office to take immediate and decisive action to rescind all waivers issued by that office instructing the local election officials to violate election law and instruct all Texas counties using electronic voting systems to consistently adhere to all election laws.”

“Vote integrity is one of the sacred responsibilities of our government,” Hall states in closing. “Without integrity, we have no legitimate government.”

they will be the deciding factor on millions in bonds. Less than a year ago, two Montgomery County residents moved a trailer onto an uninhabited tract of land known as Municipal Utility District No. 148 and approved $500 million in bonds. Along with the approval of bonds they voted for five

uncontested board members whose addresses happen to be the Coats Rose law firm in Houston.

Trying to obtain a clear financial picture of 2,600 Special Districts in Texas is a daunting task. Many do not have websites, and the ones that do don’t post updated financial information. Reaching out to the Comptroller’s office doesn’t provide much relief because, “there is no one

centralized, comprehensive authority for special purpose district financial information in Texas.”

Considering the number of individual districts and their poor reporting standards, it is understandable that the Comptroller doesn’t have the bandwidth to centralize this information. But that doesn’t mean the districts should be allowed to avoid accountability.

Accountability shouldn’t stop at the city or school district level. Legislation to increase reporting, election, and ethical standards is imperative to keeping these taxing entities in check. When government officials blatantly disregard criminal subpoenas and special interests “rent” voters to approve bonds and well-connected board members, reform is desperately needed.

SPECIAL DISTRICTSfrom PAGE 4

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Recently the hashtag #NeverTrump has become a very popular rallying cry of sorts on Twitter for

conservatives with strong objections to GOP presidential frontrunner Donald Trump. Unfortunately this sentiment, while legitimate in its reasoning, has the potential for catastrophic consequences.

As the Digital Communications Coordinator for Empower Texans, I spend my days staring at a constantly scrolling social-media feed filled with political commentary from the leading conservative voices in our state and across the nation. #NeverTrump has been added to the end of many tweets condemning Trump’s latest sound bite, flip-flop, or one of Trump’s own inflammatory tweets. The hashtag has now been adopted by conservatives from all walks of life.

The concerning fall out from this

To ensure greater control of government by the people, we need to ensure that measures to

set back transparency are dead on arrival.

Lately, there have been rumblings from bureaucrats and tax funded lobbyists complaining about the burdens of open records laws. Government entities often propose changes to the law to make it more difficult to make requests.

For instance, Canada charges $5 for simply submitting an open records request, and some Texas bureaucrats would like to follow suit. The charge is often framed as a deterrent to what ethics and transparency bureaucrats label “vexatious requesters.”

While vexatious requesters may exist, they are the exception, not the rule. All Texans should not be punished for the actions of a select few. The truth is most lawmakers receive less than a handful of requests every year.

Texas should be a state where disclosure is the rule and not the exception, and those disclosures should be made quickly and free of charge.

During Sunshine Week, the U.S. Congress passed a measure that would make disclosure the default. This should make things cheaper, which is often not the case with requests for information, especially when controversial information is sought.

Could it be that government entities refusing to comply with the purpose of open records laws is causing vexatious requesters to send more and more requests? When citizens feel like their government is dragging its feet or hiding something, it usually leads them to ask more questions and make more requests.

Another bureaucratic trick is to slow responses to open record requests to a snails pace. Bureaucrats hope to outlast requestors using months and months of delays.

Transparency makes Texas government stronger. Open records requestors are doing a civic duty and should be lauded for their vigilance. We should work to clear obstacles from their path, not to create them.

your kids classroom. Want to see an end to sanctuary cities? That legislative initiative can’t seem to get through the Texas House even now with a 98-52 Republican advantage.

Just imagine how many more conservative reforms the House coalition of Democrats and liberal Republicans led by Speaker Joe Straus can kill when they have a few extra votes on their side.

In most places state legislatures debate whether to cut or raise taxes, not Texas, our lawmakers spent last session arguing passionately over which taxes to cut! This citizen-friendly mindset could come to a screeching halt and reverse course if conservatives do not show up and vote.

We as Americans focus too much on that fancy office 1,500 miles northeast of here, but we fail to see how those other contests below that race on the ballot affect everything we do. Directly. Immediately.

You can be #NeverTrump, it is your right and duty to vote your conscience, but never forget that there are real conservatives on the ballot who are ready to fight for you. They need you to show up in November.

Beware of Efforts to Curtail Requests

BY TONY McDONALD EMPOWERTEXANS.COM

BY BUDDY KIPP EMPOWERTEXANS.COM

The Problem with #NeverTrump“movement” is in the potential for many to feel that #NeverTrump means, “stay home.” Too often these tweeters fail to explain that they will not vote for a president, or simply vote for a third party, but they will however vote to protect conservatives the rest of the way down the ballot.

In Texas, voters will choose their representative in the U.S. and Texas House of Representatives, state senators, State Board of Education, sheriffs, District Attorneys, and many other very important positions that will have a direct impact on their everyday lives.

If #NeverTrump-ers stay home they will not only concede the White House to a Democrat, which they feel is no worse than if they voted for Trump, but they will also open the door for Democrats in races in which they would otherwise not be a factor.

Do you hate Common Core? Stay home and see what the Democrats who win the SBOE positions will install in

Texans for Fiscal Responsibility is pleased to present local government endorsements for the

upcoming election on Saturday, May 7th, 2016. Early voting for this year's cycle will be held Monday, April 25th through Tuesday, May 3rd. Dates regarding elections in Texas can be found at the Secretary of State's website.

TFR's local endorsements were made based on candidate questionnaires, personal interviews, and feedback from Regional Advisory Boards in each county.

“Due to the vast number of races across North Texas, Texans for Fiscal Responsibility worked closely with Regional Advisory Boards made up citizens to identify pro-taxpayer candidates running in contested races,” said Ross Kecseg, who heads the TFR's Metroplex Bureau. “Our local bureau relies heavily on the insight of engaged citizens who have a working knowledge of the issues facing their own communities."

2016 Metroplex EndorsementsBY ROSS KECSEG EMPOWERTEXANS.COM

NEWS ONLINE AT www.EmpowerTexans.com

EDITOR’S NOTE

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BY CHARLES BLAIN RESTOREJUSTICEUSA.COM

BY ROSS KECSEG EMPOWERTEXANS.COM

American prison systems encourage recidivism. We set inmates up for failure by releasing them back into

the world they came from with no money, limited job prospects, and nothing but the clothes on their back. But, if given the chance, I believe the Prison Entrepreneurship Program (PEP) will lead the way in showing that the free market can lead to redemption.

PEP is a uniquely Texan program that began at the Cleveland Correctional Center in Cleveland, Texas. Through brotherhood, faith, skills development, and real-world interaction, PEP truly reforms its inmates before release — giving them the tools they need to successfully reintegrate into society.

I personally volunteer with the program and can attest to its unique method that encourages convicted men, who are within three years of release, to find their inner entrepreneur and redirect their actions into something positive. On average, PEP graduates only go 20 days without employment following release and 100 percent of graduates have found employment within 90 days of release.

Not only is this program benefitting the inmates afforded the opportunity; there’s an added taxpayer bonus. In Texas it costs about $21,000 per inmate annually, totaling more than $3.3 billion per year for the state. PEP doesn’t accept a cent of government funding and, instead, is financed through individual supporters, as well as organizational and church partners. Unsurprisingly, they are exponentially more successful than government-run prisons where the national recidivism rate is about 43.3%, whereas PEP boasts a less than 7% rate.

Graduates of the program have started over 200 businesses and six of those gross over $1 million in revenue.

We talk about reforming communities and reinforcing family values, but the actions we have taken do not support that claim. When inmates have the ability to successfully reform and redirect their energy to become not just contributors, but innovators in society, it’s up to us to nurture that.

Many of the men in this program have gone to jail for nonviolent crimes. PEP targets the core issues and reforms inmates which, on a larger scale, reforms the communities they come from, instead of throwing them into a system that further encourages the lifestyle that brought them there.

Free Market Doing What Government Can’t

Unless the Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD) experiences a serious

shakeup during May’s local elections, both taxpayers and students will continue to be gouged with skyrocketing property taxes and tuition fees.

Texans for Fiscal Responsibility has endorsed three candidates running for separate seats on the board: Richard Morgan, Brad Underwood, and Dorothy Zimmerman. All three are also supported by taxpayer advocate and retiring DCCCD board member, Bill Metzger.

Record-high taxes levied by the college have not resulted in more affordable access to education. In fact, the opposite has happened.

Over the last ten years, students were hit with record tuition hikes. In-district and out-of-district Texans saw a 73% and 94% hike, respectively. Out of state students saw their rates jump 33%, with a 60% increase for international students.

Despite enrollment steadily declining every year since 2010, DCCCD officials continued to expand their massive budget. Most taxpayers are unaware that the separately governed entity spends more money than what Dallas County

itself collects in property taxes.A cursory review of the college’s

audited financial report reveals two glaring problems. The first is an excessive number of academic facilities.

In anticipation of increased enrollment that never fully materialized, elected officials aggressively added 22 new academic buildings after 2008. But since 2010, enrollment has continued to decline every year.

The second problem is one emblematic of government institutions—an ever-increasing budget largely unrelated to the educational services needed, driven in part by a massive increase in non-instructional positions.

While instructional spending itself rose twice as fast as student enrollment since 2006 (36% vs 19%), spending for non-instructional staff grew three times faster than enrollment (62%). In fact, after initially reducing administrative staff after enrollment began to decline, those staffing reductions were eventually reversed.

Today, the total number of non-teaching staff nearly exceeds the previous high in 2009, just before student enrollment peaked.

Critics are left wondering whether DCCCD’s board believes its mission is that of an employment or educational

institution.With Bill Metzer as the only dissenting

vote, the board has voted to raise property tax rates 52% since 2006. The board’s insistence on raising taxes on a larger tax base has resulted in them collecting twice as much tax revenue today as compared to 2006.

Remember, that’s on top of doubling tuition rates for Texas students.

District officials will point to “stagnant funding” from the state, which only rose eight percent over the same period. But the government’s own financial statements disprove this false claim.

Total revenue collected by DCCCD including federal and state subsidies, tuition, and tax revenue has increased nearly three times as fast as student enrollment (57% versus 19%). The discrepancy becomes all the more dramatic after enrollment began to fall in 2010, as the district’s budget continued to grow almost every single year.

Dallas County voters who care about taxpaying families, struggling businesses, and low-income students would be wise to vote in May’s election. DCCCD’s trustees serve six-year terms, so a missed opportunity in 2016 will all but guarantee more of the same—skyrocketing spending, property taxes, and tuition.

Dallas County College Gouging Students and Taxpayers

A task force of three major state agencies, charged by Gov. Greg Abbott with assessing economic

activity and workforce challenges, has begun holding forums to gather input from Texans on the state’s diverse needs and strengths.

The Tri-Agency Taskforce recently conducted its first forum in Midland, beginning a tour of many throughout the Lone Star State. The taskforce, made up of the heads of the Texas Education Agency, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and the Texas Workforce Commission were charged by Abbott to “assess local economic activity, examine workforce challenges and opportunities, and consider innovative approaches to meeting the state’s workforce goals.”

Forums will be visiting eight Texas cities over the next four months.

Topics discussed at Midland’s forum included the need for better college prep in the high schools, ways to improve recruiting techniques among Permian Basin companies, and the need for more skilled workers.

While workforce needs were discussed in depth, much of the conservation revolved around the role that education plays in producing a qualified workforce, with specific attention paid to the issue of teacher effectiveness and local retention.

Mike Morath, the newly-appointed Education Commissioner, talked about the importance and success of applying free market concepts to the school system. In particular, he talked about how he helped restructure evaluation levels and compensation structure during his time as a trustee for Dallas ISD and its effectiveness in improving teacher retention and instruction quality.

In Dallas, he noted, “teacher compensation was divorced from performance,” and instead was tied to seniority. The lack of correlation between

pay and performance didn’t give teachers the incentive to necessarily improve their quality of teaching, he said, and took away the healthy competition that you see in a free market. Instead, they restructured the pay system so that teacher compensation is now tied to performance and there are more evaluation levels that can be attained – giving both the instructor and school leadership a better idea of where the teacher is at.

He also said this proved to be a better allocation of the district’s financial resources considering on average over 50% of a districts resources are spent on teacher salary.

When asked how teachers reacted to the change in pay structure, he said that “60% of the teachers were in favor of it,” and that teachers are the resource that matters most.

The Tri-Agency Taskforce will be making their next stop in San Antonio on April 26th, followed by Houston April 29th, Dallas May 11th, El Paso May 20th, McAllen May 25th, and Tyler/Longview June 2nd. They will be ending the tour with an Austin Workforce Summit in September.

Taskforce: Free Markets Needed To Improve Workforce Education

BY LAUREN LAWSON EMPOWERTEXANS.COM

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The fate of pro-teacher reforms designed to reward teachers and improve student achievement

inside Dallas Independent School District (DISD) will be determined in May’s school board election

The Teacher’s Excellence Initiative (TEI) has been an overwhelming success, and is supported by many teachers. As a result of the new plan, approximately 70% of teachers received a pay increase of varying degrees last year.

Former superintendent Mike Miles spearheaded the reform along with former DISD board member, Mike Morath. It passed the DISD board in 2014 by a vote of 7-2.

TEI was born out of a desire to treat teachers more fairly by adding an

incentive component to their pay, rather than system based solely on education and tenure.

The idea is simple, but powerful.Incentivizing and rewarding teachers

will help the district retain its high-performers, recruit new staff, and reward existing teachers for their accomplishments based on merit.

A combination of test scores, the progress of individual students, and qualitative student feedback are now factors in determining annual increases, in addition to other evaluations.

Critics opposing the broader reform movement continue to speak out against TEI by citing teacher turnover statistics and spinning it negatively. But supporters argue that staff turnover is necessary in order to recruit better talent and help shed the district of teachers who fail to perform.

The old system is analogous to giving every student the same grade, regardless of how well they achieve. Such a grading system wouldn’t be fair, nor would it motivate students. In fact, it would discourage students who are outperforming expectations and devalue the importance of academic success.

The same is true with teachers. Tenure-based systems provided little incentive for individual teachers to excel because compensation is entirely unrelated to performance-based metrics. The longer a teacher teaches, and the more degrees they acquire, the more they are paid.

The simple reality—as with any labor market—is that individual teachers are inherently different in how they perform. In the tenured system, high-performing teachers were discouraged by a system that treated everyone the same, regardless of merit.

Teachers should be encouraged to work hard, improve their skills, and succeed. While there may still be ways to further improve TEI, it’s implementation was a huge leap forward in attempting to reward hard-working teachers and promote student achievement. Parents and taxpayers should support reformers who champion these ideas in the upcoming elections.

To that effect, Texans for Fiscal Responsibility has endorsed Dustin Marshall for District 2, which covers North and Near East Dallas. Marshall is running in a three-way race to fill a vacancy left by former DISD trustee and pro-reform advocate Mike Morath, who resigned after Gov. Greg Abbott appointed him as Education Commissioner.

Not only is Marshall articulate, passionate, and knowledgeable, he’s also pledged to protect the gains already made by the district. He’s also a vocal advocate for numerous reforms aimed at improving educational achievement inside DISD.

The McKinney ISD school board has decided to foist a $220 million proposal on May’s ballot, a plan

largely unrelated to improving educational quality. Its most controversial component is a $50 million football stadium that—if built—will be the most expensive of its kind in the United States.

Such wasteful excess has become commonplace in a system that all-too-often glorifies athletic buildings over the needs of teachers and students.

Not only is the proposed stadium expensive, but it resembles a facility more fit for the Dallas Cowboys than high school athletes. When bond proponents were asked at a McKinney Tea Party meeting if they explored more reasonable alternatives, they admitted they did not.

It gets worse. The stadium’s total cost far exceeds what will appear on May’s ballot. Part of the cost would be paid by leftover funds from a previous bond, although voters at the time were not told it would be used on a stadium.

When the cost of land and other expenses are included, the total price tag tops $70 million. And when interest expense is added, its total cost approaches $100 million, or twice what voters will see on the ballot. Approval of this new debt deal will push taxpayer's total liability near $1 billion.

Voters will not have the option to reject the stadium separate and apart from other unrelated items. Officials have chosen to bury the overpriced boondoggle in a single proposition, bundling it with security enhancements, facility renovations, and the controversial purchase of nearly $10 million in laptop computers.

Voters who oppose the stadium will have to say “no” to the entire proposal, with the “needs” of the district held hostage to the “wants.” Officials undoubtedly fear, that if given the choice on the ballot, voters may reject the unnecessary portions of the plan such as laptops or the stadium.

The proposed stadium location is also sparking outrage and confusion. A retired TxDOT official gave testimony explaining how arterial roads surrounding the site are not capable of handling its traffic demands. And most roads cannot be expanded, even if the location itself was ideal.

Furthermore, the site is inconvenient, located at the southern tip of MISD’s boundary. As a result, citizens are suspicious that its placement has more to do with “economic development” than convenience for parents and students.

It’s worth noting that while McKinney ISD’s tax base is growing every year, its student population is not. Critics argue the $220 million is little more than the government continuing its history of

borrowing as much as its tax rate will allow.

While strong arguments can be made for select parts of the bond proposal, proponents are hoping their promise of a 2-cent decrease in MISD’s already maxed out property tax rate will help persuade skeptical voters.

But what MISD officials aren’t telling taxpayers publicly or on the ballot itself, is the tax impact of revisiting the proposal. If the stadium was removed from the proposition, taxpayers could expect a much larger 6 cent decrease in property taxes. And if no more debt were issued, taxpayers would see an estimated 19 cent reduction in their MISD tax rate.

It’s important to remember that low-income Texans, the elderly, and struggling businesses also shoulder the burden of record high property taxes resulting from excessive school bonds.

Taxpayers should demand more of their elected officials. Not only should voters be given the choice of voting on separate propositions on any debt deal, but greater scrutiny should be applied to ensure schools don’t continue to bilk taxpayers at the maximum tax rate simply because they think their coffers are growing.

If MISD voters want either to occur, they must first reject May’s proposition. Due to the way the all-or-nothing proposition was designed, school officials have given taxpayers no other alternative.

May’s Election Will Determine Fate of DISD ReformBY ROSS KECSEG EMPOWERTEXANS.COM

McKinney ISD’s Shameless Debt PropositionBY ROSS KECSEG EMPOWERTEXANS.COM BY GREG HARRISON

EMPOWERTEXANS.COM

Still bruised from narrowly surviving a vicious primary, State Rep. Byron Cook (R-Corsicana) is once again

trying to push what has become his signature issue — regulating the political speech of Texans. And he’s hoping to accomplish it by working around both the Governor and the Constitution by proposing it as a constitutional amendment.

Gov. Greg Abbott voiced opposition to such efforts last year: “As a justice on the Texas Supreme Court, I wrote that laws like that are unconstitutional and I based that decision on United States Supreme Court Decisions. It’s important for legislators to not try and pass laws that have already been ruled unconstitutional.”

Which is precisely why Cook wants to amend the Constitution in order to empower speech regulators. Cook has tried —unsuccessfully— to pass such laws in the past. As recently as last session, when a comprehensive ethics bill (SB 19) was passed out of the Senate, it was routed to Cook’s committee — where he bastardized it into an unconstitutional nightmare that would have violated every prong of the First Amendment.

Now, Cook is tacitly admitting that his

Cook’s Tacit Unconstitutional Admission

SEE COOK — PAGE 10

CORECARDVOL. 2 - ISSUE 4 - WWW.TEXASSCORECARD.COM 9HOUSTON AREA

Opposition to a Houston affordable housing project has noticeably escalated in recently.

While affordable housing is often a hot button issue, the opposition to this project says they are only against it because of its lack of planning and transparency on the part of the Houston Housing Authority (HHA).

HHA’s plan is to renovate their current headquarters at 2640 Fountain View and rebirth it as a 233-unit affordable housing complex. The organization’s goal is to start construction this year and begin leasing as early as the summer of 2018.

A community meeting held at Briargrove Elementary School regarding the project brought hundreds of residents out to voice their concerns. The planned development, which sits between Tanglewood and the Galleria, is zoned in Briargrove’s school district — creating a major point of contention because the

school is already above capacity.The most articulated concerns voiced

about this project include:• Wasteful spending of $50 million in

federal tax dollars• Abundance of affordable housing

already in the area• Lack of transparency from HHA• Disregard of Briargrove Elementary

capacity for both current and future residents

• Largely commercial and high traffic area without green space or walkability

HHA analyses disagree with those of the opposition. The authority anticipates about 90 school age children would occupy the new residence, equating to roughly 7 per grade. They also point to the opening of Mark White Elementary, which is currently being constructed to provide relief to overcrowded area campuses. HHA says that their analyses dispel the claims brought about by the opposition and most of the pushback comes from residents’ fears of having low-income tenants in their neighborhood.

Both sides of the project have created websites to combat opposing narratives and garner support for their goal. The opposition created Stop Fountainview Project to inform Houstonians of their plan to push back while the proponents of the project created HHA Development.

Elected officials that represent the area and oppose the development have joined together in an unofficial coalition which includes: Houston City Council Member Greg Travis, HISD Trustee Harvin Moore, State Rep. Jim Murphy (R-Houston), State Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Southside Place), and Congressman John Culberson. The group has also reached out to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro, and Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush asking for intervention.

HHA says they are committed to proceeding with the project, but they may face a major hurdle – the City of Houston. The development plans must be reviewed and approved by the city before they issue HHA a building permit.

Recently, Moody’s Investors Services downgraded Houston’s general obligation tax rating to

Aa3 - and kept the city’s outlook listed as negative.

The downgrade affects roughly $3 billion in previously issued bonds. Moody’s says the outlook reflects the weakening economy and fiscal performance exacerbated by the drop in oil prices.

The report did offer some insight into the service’s view of newly elected Mayor Sylvester Turner’s handling of the fiscal situation:

“The rating recognizes the positive actions taken by the new Mayor and his plan to engage several stakeholders to modify the city’s fix costs and generate additional revenues, all within the next 18 to 24 months.”

Moody’s went on to say that these signal changes from initiatives passed under Parker’s Administration.

The report pointed to the fixed pension costs that were roughly 31% of the FY2015 budget. Turner’s ability to fix the structural imbalance could lead to an upgrade in the future.

While the report mentions the revenue cap as a reason for the stagnation of the city’s revenue, it’s necessary to understand that Moody’s analyzes the city’s fiscal health - not good governance. If history is an indicator, removing the revenue cap will do anything but ensure that city officials will spend additional revenue efficiently.

Before asking taxpayers for more revenue, city officials need to continue taking the hard steps in limiting the spending of city hall and winnowing down the bloat of local government.

BY CHARLES BLAIN EMPOWERTEXANS.COM

BY CHARLES BLAIN EMPOWERTEXANS.COM

BY CHARLES BLAIN EMPOWERTEXANS.COM

Moody’s Further Downgrades Houston’s Debt

Affordable Housing Divides Houston Community

Despite the best of intentions, many laws fail to keep up with technological, societal, and

cultural advances. But as Milton Friedman famously said, “…it is a mistake to judge policies and programs by their intentions, rather than their results.” This truism couldn’t be more evident than in the case of James Meyers.

Meyers’ story is a clear-cut example of a punishment that far outweighs the crime. He recently made headlines when, while taking his daughter to school, he was pulled over for a broken taillight.

After running his name, the officer alerted Meyers of an arrest warrant for him from 2002 for failing to return a VHS tape to J&J Video in Rowan County, a North Carolina video store that shut down nearly 10 years go.

Meyers thought this was a joke, and although in reality it wasn’t, the officer allowed him to drop his daughter off and

go to work as long as he agreed to “turn himself in” later the same day. Thinking it would be easily straightened out, Meyers turned himself in that afternoon and was handcuffed and formally arrested – for failure to return rental property.

The ridiculousness of this story prompted a response from the movie’s Writer, Director, and lead actor Tom Green. “I think it’s sort of an example of how bureaucracy can get out of control,” Green stated.

Meyers was given a court date of April 27th, and Green insisted he would assist with a “good word” or “financial assistance” as long as the sum wasn’t excessive.

“They’re not focusing on the crimes I think they should be focusing on,” Meyers recounted. “That hour the cops sat out there with me, the hour and a half I was down in the magistrate’s office, could have been spent somewhere else.” At first glance the story may seem comical, but for the victim, it was anything but funny.

All too often, we hear similar stories of over-criminalization.

Over-criminalization in the 21st century is a serious problem and is an even bigger issue for the victims it disproportionately affects.

Consider the plight of Jory Enck of Copperas Cove, Texas, who was arrested for failing to return a GED study guide to the library.

Or, you might recall the eighth-grader in Louisiana who was arrested and locked up for six days in a juvenile detention facility before seeing a judge, all for throwing Skittles on the school bus.

After the six-day detainment, even the judge’s first comment was, “Am I to get this right? Are we really here about Skittles?”

While Meyers’ story hopefully has a good outcome, it signals the need for common-sense reform. Over-criminalization in the 21st century is a serious problem and is an even bigger issue for the victims it disproportionately affects. In addition to exorbitant fines, victims face the burdensome cost of fighting the courts and missing work as a result of trivial “crimes.”

You would be hard pressed to find anyone who would agree with arresting and charging someone for forgetting to return one video tape fourteen years ago. If we continue to allow punishments to far outweigh the crime we will never have a meaningful sense of equity in the criminal justice system.

Crime: Failure To Return VHS Tape

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CORECARD WWW.TEXASSCORECARD.COM10

Twenty-eight miles north of Houston sits The Woodlands. Under most definitions, the

thriving area would be considered its own city – except it’s not, it’s a Census-Designated Place (CDP) in a perpetual annexation fight on two fronts — against Houston and Conroe.

A CDP is the complete opposite of a city, which is considered an incorporated place that levies its own taxes and fees for local government services. Because of this, the county government has more influence (and responsibility for services) in the community than it does in a city, town, or village.

Montgomery County currently has jurisdiction over the thruways of the community. But because of the Commissioners Court’s plan to proceed with the Woodlands Parkway extension, which was already rejected by voters, the community is urgently seeking a way around the court’s forceful push: incorporation.

"The Woodlands has nearly doubled in size since year 2000. Were we a city, we would be about the 30th largest city in Texas," said Woodlands Director Laura Fillault. "As an unincorporated area, we are increasingly vulnerable to the county's whims."

While incorporation would shift the burdens of police, water and sewer service, road maintenance, and more to the government of the Woodlands rather than the county, some say it’s a small price to pay to remain independent from the encroachment of Conroe or the

financial despair foisted upon them by Houston.

After the absorption of Kingwood by Houston, The Woodlands residents urged their then-elected officials State Sen. Tommy Williams (R-The Woodlands) and State Rep. Robert Eissler (R-The Woodlands) to pass two bills: HB 4109 and SB 1012 which allowed The Woodlands to expand, begin to collect sales tax, and proffer regional government agreements.

Approved in 2007, the agreement with Houston protects The Woodlands from annexation for 50 years in exchange for $45 million in sales taxes over a thirty-year period. This pay-off was necessary due to problems with current state law that allows for forced-annexation, a process by which a city can absorb new territory without having to obtain voter approval of those being taxed. In other words, the law places the interests of tax-hungry cities ahead of local taxpayers.

The Woodlands has until 2057 to incorporate or face annexation by one of the two growing cities to the north and south of it. Fillault went on to say, “Nine years have already passed since the regional participation agreement was signed with Houston and Conroe and very little has been done to plan incorporation. It's time to embrace what we've become; a successful, desirable, vibrant mid-sized Texas city."

As county officials continue to push unwanted road projects in the community, members of The Woodlands Board of Directors are seeking input from residents about their opinion on annexation.

In advance of Houston ISD’s upcoming budget, officials are making a wide variety of cuts across the district to

minimize the inevitable $107 million budget shortfall.

One of the programs to hit the chopping block is former Superintendent Terry Grier’s signature program – Apollo 20.

Apollo 20 was launched in 2010 to “prepare HISD students for college and career success.” Though the program was kicked off with $16.8 million in initial funding, it simply hasn’t proved to be the success Grier intended it to be.

Aside from program reduction, interim Superintendent Ken Huewitt is eliminating over 250 positions out of nearly 2,000 from the facilities department.

This is the same department that received repeated reports of waste and mismanagement, but ignored those claims and instead reprimanded the whistleblower, Frank Hodges.

Although the district has a grossly overpaid administrative department, HISD schools have long been underfunded and understaffed. Of the 284 campuses in the district, 39 do not

have an on-site nurse, 151 lack counselors, and 193 are without librarians.

And yet, HISD’s trustees deem it acceptable to spend $250,000 per school to rename campuses named after confederate figures, without any deliberation or analysis of the cost implications.

Officials blame the shortfall solely on the state’s Robin Hood funding scheme. But in reality, it is a creation of two fundamental problems—a progressive governing philosophy driving over-spending, and the school boards enthusiastic willingness to rubber stamp district administration as opposed to providing oversight and accountability. Over the years the board has passed through additional spending while scoffing at the notion that cuts in any area may be necessary.

One of the most notable examples of the board’s incompetence was the mismanagement of repeated bond programs, which were rampant with collusion, corruption, waste, and mismanagement. The board shrugged off responsibility and instead punished taxpayers with yet another debt proposal.

Because of their cavalier attitude, the state’s largest district is facing a massive deficit that will take even more significant cuts to repair.

HISD Eyes Districtwide CutsBY CHARLES BLAIN EMPOWERTEXANS.COM

BY CHARLES BLAIN EMPOWERTEXANS.COM

Has The Time Come For The Woodlands To Incorporate?

actions were unconstitutional — by trying to amend the constitution to allow them.

The Tyler Morning Telegraph reported on why his reasoning for compelling non-profits to disclose donors is flawed. The Tyler Paper writes:

“The U.S. Supreme Court has already ruled that there are good reasons to not disclose the source of donations. The case was called NAACP v. Alabama, and it was decided in 1958. The state of Alabama wanted to force the NAACP to reveal its donor and membership lists. The Court held that if Alabama did so, the NAACP’s

members and donors could be at risk….”“In other words, forcing a then-

unpopular organization such as NAACP to expose its members and supporters would interfere with those members’ rights of privacy and free association,” the paper writes. And they would be correct.

Make no mistake: that is precisely why Cook wants the donors of non-profits disclosed.

We’ve reported before on how Cook has abused his position(s) to bully people in his community and in business who did so much as put up a yard sign for his opponent.

The last thing a man like that needs is a list of names.

COOKfrom PAGE 8

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Editor's note: Each week we publish commentary from our subscribers. Commentary may be edited according to community standards. 

TAX MONEY FOR LOBBYISTS?Why do we have elections for the Texas

Senate and House of Representatives? To elect the most qualified people to represent our district. If we do that correctly, we shouldn't need a taxpayer funded lobbyist and to my knowledge, this will be Mr. Turners 4th session to "represent" Brown County.

I for one do not believe our tax money should be spent on hiring a lobbyist to “represent" us in Austin.

Mr. Turner began his political career as a Democrat and our representatives will be conservative Republicans, who may or may not agree with him on policies. Mr. Turner is also an avid believer in the ways of the Texas House Leadership and Speaker of the House, Rep. Joe Straus, which in many people's opinion is what is wrong with the system in place. My question to our local government is, would Mr. Turner be helpful or interference while our elected Representatives attempt to fulfill their campaign promises?

With all due respect, Mr. Turner, you had your turn, now let our elected officials have their turn.  They are the best of the best, and have done their homework and will have many experienced, conservative colleagues at hand if any guidance is needed. I don’t believe they need “babysitting!”

Let’s spend our tax money in other ways – maybe the dash cameras needed by our law enforcement?

— Y. Peters, Brownwood, TX

TAKE BACK AUSTINTime to take back Austin. The depredations

committed by leftists who control it have far exceeded any sense of propriety. Destroying the career of Tom De Lay was bad enough but that absurd charge against Perry should be the last straw.  Progressives are flagrantly misusing the Austin legal establishment to create havoc among the conservatives of this state. It is time to take those rascals to the woodshed.

I suspect the bulk of progressive votes originate in that bloated university situated there whose progressive faculty, progressive staff, and progressively indoctrinated student body provide the voting block keeping that town on the progressive side of the aisle. Maybe it is time for the state legislature to take a hard look at that place (and other state universities as well) and perform some seriously overdue auditing of the departments and personnel. How many language departments does a university actually require? How many departments in social sciences offering absolutely useless degrees need be there? How many basket weaving courses offered for athletes to maintain “eligibility,” athletes who never

graduate and  may well sign their professional contracts with a big old  X? And finally, how much salary should be paid to professors who rarely (if ever) actually teach classes? How much is paid to the deans of those useless departments (and just how are the salaries of the bloated university bureaucracies   determined)? These are just a few examples where a serious audit might reveal redundancies, expensive redundancies, which could be remedied. And in the process, perhaps send back to the source many of those imported progressives who have contributed to that bloated progressive Austin population.

While examining the universities of Texas, it might behoove the legislature to begin the national conversation of just why do so many of our citizens require a college degree for gainful, well-paying employment? Once a high school diploma was all that was required for the average wage earner to provide a very good standard of living for his family.

Has the requirement for selling insurance, or working in any of the trades actually changed so much that a college degree is required? Or is it perhaps that the employment market has little use for high school graduates who read at the third grade level?  In short, the quality of education offered by the public schools of Texas needs to be reassessed with the goal of providing the education necessary to turn out citizens who are capable of making a good living, and of understanding their form of governance well enough to make sound judgment decisions at the ballot box. Repeat, it is time for Texas to take back ownership of Austin from the progressives.

— M. Nash, Canyon Lake, TX

GRASSROOTS PRIORITIESWe need to get all the Conservative

Republican grassroots (who are going to the State Convention as delegates) working together to get this on the Platform this year.

Here is an example (not in order of priority) of what I think are good examples of the Top 10 Federal and State Legislative Priorities that Republicans want passed:

Top 10 State Legislative Priorities: • Texas Legislature and Governor shall

declare the unconstitutional Homosexual Marriage ruling and the (un)Affordable Care Act null and void in Texas under the powers reserved to the States as guaranteed by the 10thAmendment.

• Amend the Texas Constitution with a tighter, more meaningful spending limitation based on population growth and annual inflation.

• Texas Legislature shall pass a law requiring all state and local government entities to determine how much illegal aliens have cost them for the last ten years and submit the total bill to the Federal Government for reimbursement due to the failure of the Federal Government to protect the State from the illegal alien invasion.  Current estimates are over $100 Billion dollars.

• Texas Legislature and Governor shall prohibit sanctuary cities in Texas by removing

state funding to those cities that do not obey the laws.

• Texas Legislature shall pass a law requiring proof of U.S. citizenship from those applying to receive taxpayer funded public benefits.

• Texas Legislature and Governor shall require all school districts to spend at least 80% of their payroll expenses on classroom teachers.

• Texas Legislature shall fund education by allowing dollars to follow the child instead of the bureaucracy, through a program which allows parents the freedom to choose their child's school, public or private, while also saving significant taxpayer dollars.

• Texas Legislature shall pass a law prohibiting state and local government entities from collecting dues for labor unions through public employee payroll deductions.

• The State of Texas shall use surplus revenue and other available general revenue to buy-down state debt.

• Texas Legislature shall reduce the high levels of local debt by passing law that requires a 51% turnout for bond elections and adds local government entities to the constitutional debt ceiling.

Top 10 Federal Legislative Priorities: • Pass a Federal ban on abortions over 20

weeks due to Fetal Pain. • Open up over 7 Million jobs for U.S.

citizens by deporting all illegal aliens (using both incentives to leave voluntarily and

punishments like asset forfeiture if illegal aliens have to be removed involuntarily).

• Pass Federal laws to stop illegal aliens from getting public money.  Illegal aliens have cost taxpayers over $1 Trillion dollars over the last ten years.

• Mandate e-Verify for all employers and all employees.  Pause all legal immigration for two years or until our 20 Million unemployed U.S. citizens have full-time jobs.

• Reduce our $530 Billion annual trade deficit by bringing jobs back to the U.S.A. by reducing business taxes and regulations and giving tax credits for job creation.

• Pass Federal laws to stop the $200 Billion in tax credit fraud committed using the Earned Income Tax Credit over the last ten years.

• Pass Federal laws to stop the $50 Billion in annual tax credit fraud committed using the Child Tax Credit over the last ten years.

• Balance the Federal Budget within 4 years using at least 67% spending cuts.

• Pass a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

• Impeach all Federal Judges who violate their sworn oath to defend and protect the U.S. Constitution as written.

— B. Baldwin, Plano, TX

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The Problem with #NeverTrump

Tax Reform Texans must speak loud and clear — PAGE 3

2016 LOCAL ENDORSEMENTS— PAGE 6