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Connecting today’s news with the research & opinion you need.

PFinally! A Win for Taxpayers!

 

What to Know: In the face of taxpayer opposition-vehement at times—the Pflugerville City Council backed down from a massive tax increase on Tuesday.

 

The TPPF Take: Tax hikes like the one considered by Pflugerville were the topic of discussion in a recent Livestream event TPPF held with Sen. Paul Bettencourt and Rep. Dustin Burrows.

 

“The afternoon discussion covered the contours of Senate Bill 2 and got into the weeds on a few matters, like the push from some cities and counties to raise taxes by as much as 8 percent without voter approval—and what Texans should do about it,” says TPPF’s James Quintero. “Some Pflugerville taxpayers were clearly taking notes.”

Don’t Shut Down our State

 

What to Know: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says the COVID-19 trends in Texas are going the right way, but the coronavirus pandemic isn’t over yet. Still, he gave no indication of another statewide shutdown.

 

The TPPF Take: Renewing Texas’ stay-at-home order would invite personal financial devastation to millions of families across Texas.

 

“Many of the businesses that survived the first lockdown couldn’t survive a second,” says TPPF’s Kevin Roberts. “And as The New York Times reported, shutdowns are hitting Black-owned businesses hardest. Over the last three years, inequality was shrinking. With the shutdowns, it’s growing again.”

Green? No Deal

 

What to Know: What does Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s pick of Sen. Kamala Harris mean for his energy policies? Sen. Harris authored the Senate version of U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s “Climate Equity” bill, part of her Green New Deal.

 

The TPPF Take: “Climate equity” is anything but equitable for communities of color.

 

“As Sen. Harris should know from her home state of California, ‘climate justice’ initiatives will make life harder for black people in the United States,” says TPPF’s Richard Johnson. “Every serious analysis of the legislation shows astronomically higher tax and electricity cost burdens, both of which directly impact poor people, who are more likely to be minorities, the most.”