Category Archives: Texas Issues

More Renewable Energy Coming to Texas: Government-Induced Malinvestment

By parkercountyblog on

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New wind and solar farms are continuing to be constructed all over Texas. Longroad Energy, a company headquartered in Massachusetts, has recently announced plans to build two new renewable energy plants in Texas, which are both set to be completed in the year 2020.

Earlier this month, Longroad Energy signed a 15-year Virtual Power Purchase Agreement (VPPA) with Pennsylvania company, Crown Holdings, Inc., agreeing to supply them with over 400,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity from a new wind farm set to be located in Knox County, Texas.

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Posted in: National Issues, Texas Issues

Tax Credits: Valuable Incentive or Slippery Slope?

By parkercountyblog on
TPPF, By Carly Good|June 13, 2019
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Proponents argue that economic development incentives – such as tax credits – provide a multitude of benefits to taxpayers and society at large. This apparent popularity could be due to the perception that government subsidies effectively “have no downside and cost taxpayers nothing.” However, this is simply not the case. Tax breaks do in fact have a downside and impose a huge cost to the taxpayer. For instance, when looking at renewable energy subsidies in the State of Texas, “we estimate the total cost to taxpayers and consumers of these subsidies in Texas from 2006 to 2029 to be $36 billion.”

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Posted in: Texas Issues

WISD board votes to table compensation increase

By parkercountyblog on

By Madelyn Edwards news@weatherforddemocrat.com, June 12, 2019

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Weatherford ISD board of trustees tabled the compensation increase in a 6-1 vote on Monday evening during the regular board meeting.

Trustees discussed increasing pay for all employees by 3 percent from the pay grade midpoint on top of the state-required pay raises for employees. They are scheduled to meet next Monday to reconsider the increase.

In the motion to table, most of the board members agreed that the compensation increase decision should be resolved by July 1. Employee contracts begin in July for 12-month and 11-month contracts, and 10-month contracts, which most teachers are on, begin in August, WISD Business and Finance Assistant Superintendent Lori Boswell said.

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Posted in: Parker County Issues, Texas Issues

The Armed Citizen

By parkercountyblog on

The Armed Citizen® (630)

Read these amazing stories which highlight accounts of law-abiding gun owners in America using their Second Amendment rights for self-defense in this online edition of the Armed Citizen®.

March 27, 2019 –

In a reported home invasion in Chattanooga, Tenn., a man was doing laundry in his residence when a would-be robber entered through the front door, spoke briefly to the homeowner, and then let two other men into the residence. The would-be robber took a pistol from one accomplice and demanded money from the homeowner. Surprising the apparent robbers, the homeowner retrieved a gun from underneath a couch cushion in the living room and fired several times at the men. One man was struck by a bullet and died. A physical struggle ensued between the homeowner and the first man who entered the residence, while the third fled. The homeowner broke free and ran into his bedroom. At that time, the first would-be robber apparently ran off. Police located both suspects and charged them with aggravated robbery. (timesfreepress.com, Chattanooga, Tenn., 3/27/19)

Armed Citizen Extra
A pastor and his wife defended their Houston home from an intruder one Saturday night. After hearing something outside of their back door, they went to investigate and saw the suspect breaking in. In fear for their lives, both fired upon the man, who reportedly died on the scene. After the shooting, the couple went outside, placed their guns on the ground, and waited for the officers to arrive. (abc13.com, Houston, Texas, 5/6/19)

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Posted in: National Issues, Parker County Issues, Texas Issues

First indication that the 86th Legislative Session was an abysmal failure ~

By parkercountyblog on

The most effective and most responsive government is the one that is closest to the people.   

by Lenny Leatherman, 05/31/2019

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The first indication that the 86th Legislative Session was an abysmal failure is that the Democrats were pleased with it.

Remember all the excitement in the House and Senate as members squabbled over how to spend every last dime of YOUR money they casually referred to as surplus revenue?

Surplus revenue is your elected officials’ way of defining the $10 BILLION Texans were overcharged! Refund the surplus to its rightful owners…not a chance!

Their ‘feed frenzy’ resembled 181 buzzards circling over the Texas Capital most of which were frantically attempting to pick apart the taxpayers’ carcass!

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Posted in: Parker County Issues, Texas Issues

Commentary: Why I’m Retiring After Disappointing 2019 Legislature

By parkercountyblog on

Lawmakers tout “cooperation” and “unity” but leave conservative activists disappointed in failures to pass key priorities.

From TexasScorecard.com,  By |May 30, 2019
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How was the 86th Texas Legislative Session?

Well, if you talk to legislators themselves, it was the best ever. That is based on how they feel more than anything else. There was far more “cooperation” and “unity” than before; everybody was nicer to each other throughout this session. The fights were minimal from the outside.

So, everything is great, right?

Not exactly. We don’t send these folks to Austin to be a tax-funded social club; we send them there to get things done. So, let’s move away from feelings and look at facts and accomplishments. Did they accomplish more?

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Posted in: Parker County Issues, Texas Issues

After the Supreme Court Said Unions Can’t Force Non-Members to Pay Dues, Almost All of Them Stopped

By parkercountyblog on

After the Janus ruling, AFSCME lost 98 percent of its agency fee-paying members, while the SEIU lost 94 percent.

Reason.com, |

Jeff Malet Photography/Newscom

Given the choice of no longer paying to support unions they didn’t want to join in the first place, lots of public sector workers took it.

Two of the largest public sector unions in the country lost more than 210,000 so-called “agency fee members” in the wake of last year’s Supreme Court ruling that said unions could no longer force non-members to pay partial dues. That case, Janus v. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, effectively freed public workers from having to make “fair share” payments—usually totaling about 70 to 80 percent of full union dues—in lieu of joining a union as a full-fledged member.

Now, annual reports filed with the federal Department of Labor show that the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) lost 98 percent of it’s agency fee-paying members during the past year. Another large public sector union, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), lost 94 percent of their agency fee-paying members.

Posted in: National Issues, Texas Issues

Another One Bites The Dust: House Version Of GOP Priorities Being Killed

By parkercountyblog on

Texas Sscorecard, By |April 30, 2019

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Speaker Bonnen’s leadership team appears be reneging on a deal to advance legislation banning taxpayer funded lobbying.

While legislation dealing with the issue passed the Texas Senate weeks ago, lawmakers in the Texas House are signaling the death of a measure banning taxpayer-funded lobbying. This would be the fourth of five priorities of the Republican Party of Texas to be dealt a potential death blow by House Speaker Dennis Bonnen’s leadership team.

A constituent of State Rep. Will Metcalf (R-Conroe) was told by his staff that Mayes Middleton’s House Bill 281 is “dead.” The legislation would ban local governments from using taxpayer resources to hire lobbyists.

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Posted in: Parker County Issues, Texas Issues

State Rep Phil King’s Legislative Update

By parkercountyblog on

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Facts About Texas Property Tax Appraisal Process

Many of you have called our office to share your frustrations about your recent appraisal.  I completely understand and share your frustrations.  My appraisal for a home I have owned for over 25 years also skyrocketed.  Appraisals are managed and set at the city and county level. Tax rates are set at the city and county level. The state does not impose a property tax.  I strongly encourage you to file a protest. I am. We still have 5 weeks of the legislative session left and providing property tax relief to constituents is my number one priority.  I have several amendments prepared to try to freeze appraisals and slow down the growth and provide targeted tax relief.

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Posted in: Parker County Issues, Texas Issues

Problems With Senate Bill 11

By parkercountyblog on

Texas Eagle Forum, Trayce Bradford, April 21, 2019

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 Senate Bill 11, which mixes needed school safety provisions with non-physician mental health professionals and intrusive Threat Assessment Teams that ask highly personal and incriminating questions, is headed for the Senate floor, likely this week. Although the bill isn’t currently on the Intent Calendar we see on the internet, the bill could hit the floor as early as tomorrow.

SB11, as you remember, came out of the blue, was filed one day, and then the very next day it was heard in committee. This meant that hardly anybody had time to study the bill.

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Posted in: Texas Issues