Tag Archives: deficit

Get your HISD budget questions answered

Posted on February 18, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

From the Inbox: HISD to Host Live Television Show to Focus on State Budget and its Effects on HISD Viewers can call in, email, and tweet their comments and questions about the district’s budget review and planning process What: “HISD … Continue reading →

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Just call it “DewhurstCare”

Posted on February 18, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I’m not sure what to make of this yet. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Grapevine, introduced two bills Wednesday they believe could save the state a significant amount of money and produce “healthy patient outcomes.” The duo … Continue reading →

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More on Combs v. Perry over Amazon

Posted on February 17, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Trib has a good story that explains the background of the Perry-Combs smackdown over Amazon. There’s another player in this fight, and they’re on the Comptroller’s side: Retailers who charge sales taxes employ thousands of Texans, and some of … Continue reading →

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Rural school districts prepare for the worst

Posted on February 17, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I have very mixed emotions reading a story like this. For the residents of [the] tiny West Texas farming community [of Miles], the school district is central to their identity, history and way of life. “There’s a wonderful feel about … Continue reading →

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Higher tuition coming

Posted on February 17, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Well, what did you expect? The 63,000 students of the University of Houston System could be paying higher tuition as early as the fall semester, Chancellor Renu Khator told a Senate committee Monday. Testifying before the Senate Finance Committee, Khator … Continue reading →

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Sacrifice is for the little people

Posted on February 16, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

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

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The balanced budget fantasy

Posted on February 16, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

There’s really only one thing to say about this. One of Gov. Rick Perry’s campaign staples last year was that America would be a far better place if it were more like the Lone Star State — limited government, fewer … Continue reading →

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Do we now expect to get those federal education dollars?

Posted on February 15, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

You may recall that last year, Congress passed a supplemental appropriations bill that included $830 million in education funds for Texas, but which came with the requirement that Texas maintain its spending levels on education for the next three fiscal … Continue reading →

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Furloughs and pay cuts: Not just for school districts

Posted on February 15, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

For public universities, too. Francisco Cigarroa, chancellor of the University of Texas System, asked state senators on Wednesday for flexibility to cut pay for faculty and staff and mandate furloughs to cope with budget cuts topping 20 percent. […] Kicking … Continue reading →

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Get ready for another Medicaid lawsuit

Posted on February 14, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

That’s the very likely outcome if proposed cuts to Medicaid reimbursement rates go through. “You cut rates an additional 10 percent, I’m not sure I can comply with the access provision,” Thomas Suehs, commissioner of the state Health and Human … Continue reading →

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One Republican for the Rainy Day Fund

Posted on February 14, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

State Sen. Kevin Eltife says what I suspect more than a few Republican legislators are thinking. “We have to find more revenue,” the former Tyler mayor and senator of seven years said [Thursday] morning during a committee hearing. “It’s insane … Continue reading →

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About those land sales…

Posted on February 13, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The current fiscal year’s budget for the City of Houston includes revenue from the sale of some city-owned property to make it balance. This article talks about this and what might happen if they don’t sell before the end of … Continue reading →

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The bingo business

Posted on February 13, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Really interesting story about how bingo, which is legal in Texas as a charitable fundraiser, operates without a whole lot of scrutiny. In June 2006, police responded to a call from Daytime Bingo Hall in Midland reporting that $100,000 in … Continue reading →

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The business margins tax and the auto repair shops

Posted on February 12, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Among other problems with the business margins tax, small business owners have complained that it’s less fair to them than it is to the big guys. This op-ed explores one example of that. Mom-and-pop auto repair shops across Texas are … Continue reading →

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The Trib talks to Rob Eissler

Posted on February 10, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Here are a few brief video clips from the Texas Tribune conversation with State Rep. Rob Eissler, who is the House Public Education Committee chair. The full audio is here. Eissler, who believes the Rainy Day Fund will at least … Continue reading →

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The California view of Texas’ budget situation

Posted on February 9, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I figure the folks at the LA Times enjoyed themselves writing this story. Texas Gov. Rick Perry delights in telling tales of his California “hunting trips” — hunting for businesses ready to flee the Golden State. But the latest budget … Continue reading →

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The state of the state

Posted on February 8, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

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

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The business lobby’s guide to balancing the budget

Posted on February 8, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Bill Hammond, the president and CEO of the Texas Association of Business, pens an op-ed with his preferred approach to the budget. The main thing to note is right here: The state has $72.2 billion available for general-purpose spending during … Continue reading →

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Is everything on the table or not?

Posted on February 7, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Some things are more on the table than others. Tax breaks that encouraged high-cost natural gas drilling in Texas cost state government $7.4 billion in lost revenue over six years and would cost the state billions more if continued, according … Continue reading →

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Budget testimony from the Sheriff’s office

Posted on February 6, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

In addition to all of the education and HHSC-related testimony before the Senate Finance Committee this week, law enforcement agencies who will be affected by cuts to mental health services were also heard from. Here’s a press release sent out … Continue reading →

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Who wants a “first class” university?

Posted on February 6, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Constitution says we’re supposed to have one, but the budget says otherwise. [The University of Texas] has been a member of the Association of American Universities, a group of leading research universities in the United States and Canada, since … Continue reading →

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Is this finally the end of steroid testing?

Posted on February 6, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I hope so, but the fight is far from over. In 2008, Texas became the third state to begin steroid testing, setting up a massive $6 million program. Every one of the state’s 700,000-plus public school athletes — from freshmen … Continue reading →

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There are some budget cuts even Dan Patrick doesn’t like

Posted on February 5, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Hard to believe, I know. Republicans and Democrats alike protested at the Senate Finance Committee’s first hearing on proposed budget cuts. They said reductions in programs for disabled children and the mentally ill would go too deep. “When I look … Continue reading →

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It’s not just teachers’ jobs that are on the line

Posted on February 4, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Many other people will be thrown out of work under a cuts-only budget. “I don’t know that I’ll be able to stay in business,” said Jerre van den Bent, owner of Dallas-based Therapy 2000, a 3,000-employee agency helping children with … Continue reading →

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School districts begin preparing for the inevitable

Posted on February 4, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

If nothing else, we have a clear winner in the furloughs versus layoffs debate. School superintendents want more freedom in determining class sizes and permission to cut employee pay or to furlough teachers and other district employees, which school boards … Continue reading →

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Budget cuts won’t just affect public universities

Posted on February 4, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

From my inbox, an email from the new President of my alma mater. Dear Mr. Kuffner: As you may be aware, the State of Texas faces an unprecedented budget shortfall of between $15 billion and $28 billion for the next … Continue reading →

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Are you ready for the next big budget deficit?

Posted on February 3, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

It’s coming in the next legislative session. Pressed by Democratic senators on the Finance Committee, John Heleman said the state will have a $10 billion structural deficit in future budgets largely because the business tax has underperformed and the 2006 … Continue reading →

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Business leaders urged to oppose “cuts only” approach to the budget

Posted on February 2, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Good luck with that. Former Lt. Gov. Bill Hobby is helping lead an effort to rally Texas business leaders against what he calls a “catastrophic” cuts-only approach to balancing the state’s budget in the face of a massive shortfall, estimated … Continue reading →

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Superintendents speak out against school funding cuts

Posted on February 2, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

More of this, please. Speaking at a press conference during the Texas Association of School Administrators’ Midwinter Conference, superintendents and trustees urged the Legislature to use the Rainy Day Fund and search for new revenue through fees instead of the … Continue reading →

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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 →

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Bye-bye, Pre-K

Posted on February 2, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

We don’t need these things in the Century of Texas. Just how important is full-day pre-kindergarten for the state’s youngest and most disadvantaged kids? Is it more important than after-school tutoring? Than canceling music and art classes? As they brace … Continue reading →

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Furloughs or layoffs?

Posted on February 1, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe instead of firing 100,000 teachers, it would be somewhat less awful to allow for furloughs and salary cuts instead. “One of those burdens that we have placed on our school districts is that they cannot decrease your salary. They … Continue reading →

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On the road to nowhere

Posted on February 1, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Use your own favorite cliche for this. Texas soon will be shelling out more per year to pay back money it borrowed for road construction than it spends from its quickly vanishing pile of cash to build new highways. Legislative … Continue reading →

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Kicking Grandma to the street

Posted on January 31, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Another feature of the Republican budget. Hundreds of nursing homes, including dozens in Dallas-Fort Worth, may close if lawmakers cut Medicaid as leaders propose, industry officials said Thursday. Since last week, GOP leaders have introduced budgets in both chambers that … Continue reading →

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