Pace of Texas Stimulus Spending Called 'Staggering'
from The Dallas Morning News
 Thanks to the federal stimulus package, the state budget deficit is all but erased and the Texas economy will see a quick injection of up to $70 billion. But oversight needs to be slammed into place quickly as the money begins flying, state lawmakers said Thursday. A special committee looking at the stimulus money began peeling away the numbers and recognizing the usually glacial pace of government has been shot into a speed boat, so lawmakers need to react quickly to guarantee that the funding is well-spent. More
Perry: Campaign? What Campaign?
from The Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Gov. Rick Perry said he had a "good back and forth" with President Obama and several Cabinet secretaries on the economic stimulus package during a meeting the governors had at the White House. Perry is one of several Republican lawmakers who have questioned strings that come attached to some of the funding, such as unemployment compensation. More
Dallas’ Balfour Beatty Construction Buys N.C. Firm
from The Dallas Morning News
Dallas-based general contractor Balfour Beatty Construction U.S. said Monday that it has purchased a North Carolina construction company. Balfour Beatty – which last year bought Dallas’ Centex Construction – purchased RT Dooley Construction Co. of Charlotte. The family-owned company had more than $300 million in revenue last year. The buy will expand Balfour Beatty’s operations in the Southeast. The company is a subsidiary of London-based Balfour Beatty PLC. More
Euless Lawmaker Taking Leadership in Contentious Partisan Issue
from The Fort Worth Star-Telegram
After being confined to what he called the "back benches" of the state House of Representatives, Rep. Todd Smith, R-Euless, is now getting his first taste of life on the inside as a committee chairman and a member of House Speaker Joe Straus’ leadership team. His reversal of fortune, however, will be far from serene. As head of the House Elections Committee, Smith will assume the leadership of perhaps the most contentious partisan issue facing lawmakers - a voter ID bill - as well as a host of other measures dealing with elections and campaign finance. More
Prepare to Pay Plenty at Pump
from The Brownsville Herald
Crude oil prices have tanked in the first six weeks of the year. But gas prices at the pump have crept higher since they bottomed out in December. What gives? "It's kind of like all the stars are lining up for gas prices to go up," said Eric Smith, associate director of the Entergy-Tulane Energy Institute at Tulane University in New Orleans. Some oil refineries along the Gulf Coast - where gasoline is produced - are scheduled for shutdowns next month; the recession has also cut demand, so fewer refineries are producing gasoline and now inventories are down, Smith said. More
 |
Product Showcase:
Johnson Custom Floors
 We are a full service turn key flooring company specializing in custom homes in the million dollar range. Our scope of work on this project includes installation of hardwood floors, stone floors, wall tiles and carpet. The projects that we work on are extremely detailed. Our installers are very experienced and can handle the most difficult projects. We use a variety of vendors so when people come to our beautiful showroom in Southlake, they can be assured to fine the latest trends in all flooring areas. More info
|
Concealed Carry Bill for Campuses Considered
from The Dallas Morning News
John Woods' heart still jumps when he hears hammering or shouting outside his window, even two years after his girlfriend was shot and killed in the Virginia Tech massacre. The routine emergency sirens at the University of Texas, where he's now a molecular biology graduate student, tie his stomach in knots. Now, Texas lawmakers are proposing the worst thing he could possibly imagine: allowing people with concealed handgun permits to carry weapons on college campuses. More
Texas Legislators Look to Help Renters with Foreclosed Landlords
from The Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Texas has always been a tough place for renters, especially those on limited incomes. But the foreclosure crisis has turned thousands of people out on the street through no fault of their own. At least three bills have been filed in the Texas Legislature that would give renters more leeway when their landlords are foreclosed on. The bills would require earlier notification about foreclosures and give tenants more time before they have to move out. More
Will Perry Reject Unemployment Piece of Stimulus Package?
from The Austin American-Statesman
Perry last week wrote President Barack Obama to formally ask for the state’s share of stimulus money. But his staff believes that he can still pick and choose parts of the package to block, and he’s made clear that he doesn’t want to use the money to broaden government, particularly if the state will have to pick up the tab a couple of years down the road. “I remain opposed to using these funds to expand existing government programs,” Perry said in his letter to Obama. The legislation contains more than $550 million for an expansion of unemployment benefits. More
Federal Control Urged In Electrical Grid Revamp
from The Houston Chronicle
Congressional leaders pushing to modernize the nation’s electrical transmission system on Monday signaled they want to put the federal government in control of decisions normally left to state authorities, from regulating electrical rates to deciding where to place power lines and poles. More
|
