Posted on 12/15/2011 1:55:08 PM PST by opentalk
AUSTIN --After a long run of tough times brought on by a sour economy, Texas lawmakers got some good news Monday as the state's chief fiscal officer projected a $1.6 billion surplus that could provide a much-needed financial cushion for the next session of the Legislature.
The windfall available for the fiscal biennium that started Sept. 1 was generated by better-than-expected state revenue. It could enable lawmakers to expected state revenue.
It could enable lawmakers to partly offset a $4.8 billion shortfall in Medicaid and soften some other cuts enacted during the 2011 Legislature, analysts said. The new projections by Comptroller Susan Combs will make things easier for budget-writers at the outset of the next legislative session in 2013,
...Outpacing the nation
Although segments of the economy continue to struggle, Combs said Texas "outpaces the nation," an assessment that supports one of Gov. Rick Perry's fundamental claims as a presidential candidate. Texas added more jobs than any other state during fiscal 2011, had the highest job growth rate among the 10 most populous states and had a faster growth rate than all but four states, she said.
(Excerpt) Read more at star-telegram.com ...
These are the types of things Perry needs to talk about tonight. He should stay away from attacking Mitt and highlight his many accomplishments.
Imagine how much more we’d have if the Legislature had gotten everything done suring regular session so Perry wouldn’t have had to call a special session. Not that he was able to make them show up for the special session so we had to have another one called.
Nice news for Texas....wish the same can be said for Florida...the economy is not really getting better here
And, having been in the Dallas area in October...I know things are good in the Lone Star State. My nephew, a computer programmer, cannot keep local companies from making offers. Dallas sure isn’t Orlando or Miami when it comes to work.
Glad I did not sell the land I have in West Texas
And, all this in spite of a Governor who is an Open Borders extremist and took Texans tax dollars to give to Illegal Aliens for college.
Oops. They should have kept this to themselves. Now what? California and New York suffered because of the greedy Texans and their blood lust for balanced budgets?
Texas may be forced to give some of their surplus to California. We have to spread the wealth. Or else they’ll kick Texas out of the Union.
(Oh wait! Not yet. I’m on my way! Honey, get out bags out!)
That's certainly true in every good metric I can imagine. As Ol' Doc Brinkley said: Texas is Imperial!
Low taxes, right-to-work laws, less regulation and a favorable pro-business climate accompanied by great weather are real plus marks for the Lone Star State. There's no doubt that surely God Blessed Texas!
Must be because of obama’s stimulus.
With this much surplus Texas needs to hire all those teachers back and spend that money as fast as they can.
All above is sarcasm.
and no water....
The Feds would love to tax Texas and bring them down.
I think that the Good Lord is Blessing us mightily in that regard. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. -- James 5:16.
Our prayers are evidently being answered since good soaking rains have been widespread recently. And our exceptional drought conditions have decreased by half from just 12 weeks ago.
It’s definately a feather in Perry’s cap. It should arguably help him, but I’m not sure it will. I think Palin left Alaska with a massive, jaw-dropping $8 or $9 billion budget surplus, but nobody really seemed to give her any credit, much less give a damn. The public seems more swayed by things like Obama’s faux Greek columns, apparently.
that map looks kinda scary dry....gunna be down in austin for a couple of weeks after Chrstmas. I expect to be playing golf...so no rain during the day, please.
Gingrich and Romney TALK conservative. Perry GOVERNS conservative.
Please, stop spreading false information. Perry is NOT an open borders governor—far from it.
Texas is one of the few places where playing golf is even a possibility around Christmas time. Several years back, I was visiting family friends in San Antonio and we went swimming in their outdoor pool on Thanksgiving Day. Later that day, we watched the Cowboys play up at Texas Stadium in the ice.
Our unpredictable and sometimes harsh weather is part of what makes the people here so rugged.
If Perry called a special session NOW and pushed through the Sanctuary Cities Ban bill that his backers Bob Perry and Charles Butt killed this summer - he could stamp his ticket for the nomination.
The news keeps getting better, too.
Perry announced on Cavuto’s show today that two more California companies have announced plans to move to Texas !
I still can't comprehend why a good man like Bob Perry went off the rails on this issue. His work on behalf of Swiftboat Veterans and POWs for Truth alone makes him a genuine American patriot. He's a native Texas, a Baylor grad and has been married to the same woman since 1961.
All that and more (such as his backing of Tom DeLay) shows him to be a solid individual in my estimation. What in the world could he be thinking when it comes to the illegal Mexican swarm? That pestilence must be stopped.
Yes, Tom Sullivan listed THREE companies that were headed for Texas from high tax states. Can’t remember which ones they were.
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