Tag Archives: CPPP

Some reactions to LBB recommendations

Posted on February 2, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Statesman asks around about three of the Legislative Budget Board recommendations for raising revenue. First, the suggestion to allow liquor sales on Sunday, which it projects would generate an extra $7.4 million. Not surprisingly, the liquor industry favors this, … 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

Please use the Rainy Day Fund

Posted on January 11, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t have any faith that those who need to hear this are listening, but as the 82nd Lege gets gaveled in today, it still needs to be said. A coalition of progressive organizations from throughout Texas called for “a … Continue reading →

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

Medicaid: Ideologues versus experts

Posted on November 16, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The fascinating thing in this story about the Republican plan to kill Medicaid is just how half-baked the idea is. GOP Gov. Rick Perry, fresh off a big re-election win and touting his new book on states’ rights, is among … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Medicaid: Ideologues versus experts

How much do kids count?

Posted on July 30, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

In Texas, the answer is not much at all. Between 2000 and 2008, the number of Texas kids living in poverty grew by 240,000, accounting for 23 percent of the total child population. The national child poverty rate is 18 … Continue reading →

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

Why we can’t just cut our way out of the budget deficit

Posted on June 5, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

For one thing, there’s very little fat, and not much discretionary spending in the biggest budget items like health and human services. Of the $23 billion in state dollars appropriated in the current budget for health and human services programs, … Continue reading →

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

Our Hispanic schools

Posted on May 19, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Take a look at the future. If you want to see how profoundly the state’s population is changing, look at the faces of the children in Texas public school classrooms. In all but rural areas, Hispanic enrollment is rapidly surpassing … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo, The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Who can get health care in Williamson County

Posted on May 13, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

This is a bad idea. Williamson County commissioners have decided to stop paying health care costs for indigent adults and children who don’t have valid Social Security cards. County Judge Dan A. Gattis said last week that he wanted to … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Who can get health care in Williamson County

Feel the fees

Posted on April 12, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The Trib reviews the bidding from the 2003 legislative session as a preview for what’s to come next year. The 2003 session most closely mirrors the current scenario — a national recession, a previous budget balanced with the use of … Continue reading →

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

State auditor issues recommendations for fixing food stamps

Posted on April 2, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

It’s about what you’d expect. The state agency that oversees Texas’ food stamp program is outdated and staffed by inexperienced workers, leading to long delays and inaccurate processing, said the state auditor in a report released Tuesday. “To improve the … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on State auditor issues recommendations for fixing food stamps

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

Posted on February 11, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

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

Posted in Budget ballyhoo, Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

State sales tax revenues plummet

Posted on November 11, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

No surprise here. Sales tax and natural gas tax collections fell more than $1 billion short of projections in the 2009 fiscal year, according to a state comptroller’s report, fueling questions about the financial heartburn that may be ahead for … Continue reading →

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

Playing politics: Not just for the Forensic Science commission

Posted on October 13, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Hey, you know that two billion dollars of federal funds we need to borrow to shore up the unemployment insurance trust fund? I’m sure you’ll be shocked to hear that Rick Perry’s appointees on the Texas Workforce Commission are thinking … Continue reading →

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

State to grudgingly hire a few more food stamps workers

Posted on October 4, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Don’t strain yourselves, fellas. State leaders announced late Friday that more employees will be hired to help process food stamp applications. […] “In these tough economic times, the state of Texas must do everything in its power to ensure Texas … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on State to grudgingly hire a few more food stamps workers

Food stamps fail

Posted on September 28, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

News item: Budget board denies request for more food stamps workers. The Legislative Budget Board has denied a request from the Health and Human Services Commission to hire about 650 state workers to relieve the state’s food stamp enrollment system, … Continue reading →

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

You can pay me now, or you can pay me later

Posted on August 14, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Odds are, we’ll opt for later to deal with the large deficit we’re facing with the unemployment insurance trust fund. Texas’ jobless-benefits fund is empty, and the state will probably borrow $1.5 billion from the federal government to pay benefits … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on You can pay me now, or you can pay me later

More on food stamps lawsuit

Posted on August 13, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron now has a story about the lawsuit that has been filed over Texas’ inability to process food stamp applications in the federally-required 30 day time period. There’s not much in the story that we don’t already know, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

HHSC sued over food stamp delays

Posted on August 5, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

This will definitely bear watching. Legal services lawyers for the poor have filed a class-action lawsuit demanding immediate repair of Texas’ much-criticized eligibility screening system for health and welfare programs. The suit was filed in U.S. District Court in Austin … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 20 Comments

As goes Cy-Fair, so goes Texas

Posted on July 28, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Earlier this month, I noted that the Cy-Fair ISD was considering the repeal of an optional homestead exemption so it could pay for salaries and services it needed for the schools. They backed off after residents protested, choosing instead of … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

More unemployed, fewer benefits

Posted on July 15, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Boy, no one could have predicted this. In a sign of lingering hardship, more than 15,000 Texans will lose their unemployment checks at the end of the month because they have exhausted their benefits after 59 weeks without a job. … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Sales tax revenues drop

Posted on July 15, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The 2011 legislative session is going to be so much fun. Texas’ sales tax collections could fall $550 million short of budget projections for the current fiscal year, figures released Friday by Comptroller Susan Combs show. The $1.6 billion collected … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Sales tax revenues drop

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

More unemployment funds available

Posted on May 15, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The bad news is that Texas’ rate of unemployment continues to rise. The good news is that this means more federal funds for unemployment insurance are available, and these come with no conditions on them. Texas now qualifies, thanks to … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on More unemployment funds available

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 →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Will we or won’t we fix unemployment insurance?

Expanded gambling: It isn’t just for race tracks any more

Posted on February 25, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s an update to the story about the big expanded gambling bill that was filed yesterday. Slot machines also would be allowed at the state’s existing race tracks under the proposal by Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston; Sen. John Carona, R-Dallas; … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Expanded gambling: It isn’t just for race tracks any more

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 →

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