Category Archives: Articles

Experience government at any level for a time and you may come to believe that it operates according to the rule of unintended results–or by a corollary, that no good deed goes unpunished. The current debate over Medicaid, the federal-state … Continue reading →

When President Clinton gave his State of the Union address recently, he made a reference to a key aspect of the peace dividend–the highly-trained men and women mustering out of the military. He emphasized his earlier proposal that gives incentives … Continue reading →

During what was once referred to as the Christmas season, there was a sign across from my office at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. It said: “Happy Winter Holiday of Your Choice.” It was witty. It was … Continue reading →

These three questions frame an issue that is older than the Republic of Texas and as current as the most recent court decision or the last speech in the governor’s race. The questions of who controls and who pays for … Continue reading →

Once again, Texas Education Commissioner Skip Meno and the State Board of Education deserve a round of applause. A few weeks ago, the Board adopted a much more rigorous set of high school course guidelines designed to better prepare students … Continue reading →

Texas could be facing a showdown with the federal government over the $5 billion plus Medicaid program because of a little-noticed portion of President Clinton’s budget bill approved by Congress last summer. The law requires states to seek recovery of … Continue reading →

Notes from a Curmudgeon People, or at least members of Congress, are concerned about violence on television. I have been, all of my adult life, a radio and television broadcaster. For about one-third of my adult life, I have been … Continue reading →

Want to see what the future of public education in Texas might be like? Take a look at what happened in Michigan last month. The Michigan legislature repealed all local school property taxes as of December 31, 1993. Those taxes … Continue reading →

With all the concern about the health care crisis, it has nearly escaped our attention that the patient shows signs of getting better. As all of us wait for Hillary Rodham Clinton to unveil the administration’s health care plan, costs … Continue reading →

Another legislative session is over and with it comes another state budget held together with band-aids, baling wire and bookkeeping tricks. It took all the ingenuity of our state leaders to come up with enough delayed payments, one-day transfers, cost … Continue reading →