Travis Fell

Want a Mortgage? Get a Burqa.

By Travis Fell | 11/06/08

Bailout Opens Door to Shariah Compliant Finance Amid the post election euphoria, it is helpful to keep in mind that we still have Islamofascist enemies determined to do us harm and overthrow our way of life. Their latest stragem is Shariah-Compliant Finance, which is now a much greater threat due to the recent $700B US Government bailout of the US financial industry. This article by Frank Gaffney Jr. does a good job at spelling out the... read more »

Texas Early Voting and the "Operation Chaos" Effect

By Travis Fell | 11/03/08

Do Texas Early Vote Totals Belie Low Republican Enthusiasm Meme? One of the popular themes in the Austin local media last week was the high early vote turnout in Travis County, the academic, uberliberal county of Texas. Thunders Saturday's Austin American Statesman: "Almost half of Travis County's 609,224 registered voters had cast their ballots by the time early voting ended Friday, easily shattering previous records. " So how are the early... read more »

Texans Show The Way on Financial Rescue

By Travis Fell | 10/01/08

The most important word in the phrase 'free markets' is not the word 'markets'   President George W. Bush from Texas seems content to simply throw money at the financial crisis. Thankfully, other Texans are illuminating a different path. Texas Public Policy Foundation board member Jeff Sandefer recently penned a short missive on the Fed bailout and how we should proceed from here. Money quotes: Many people have played into the hands of... read more »

BREAKING: RNC Bomb Plot Connected to Texas Gov Mansion Fire?

By Travis Fell | 09/09/08

Local Anarchist Group Has Affinity for Violence 590 am KLBJ reports this afternoon that the Molotov cocktail plot involving two Austin men at last week's Republican National Convention may be connected to the recent fire at the Texas Governor's Mansion. Two members of an Austin based anarchist group called "The Austin Affinity Group" are locked up accused in a plot to use Molotov cocktails to disrupt the Republican Convention. Now... read more »

Austinites Attempt to Redefine "Cocktail Hour" at RNC

By Travis Fell | 09/09/08

Some Protests Generate More Heat than Light, But This is Ridiculous This morning's Austin American Statesman reports that two fine, young citizens of the Capital City had planned to bring a little more...uh, "excitement" to last week's Republican National Convention in St. Paul, MN than the convention organizers had planned on: Austinites David McKay, 22, and Bradley Crowder, 23, were arrested last week on charges that they constructed Molotov... read more »

Palin: The New Thatcher

By Travis Fell | 09/08/08

"It is the cock the crows, but the hen that lays the eggs." Friday's Wall Street Journal carried a intriguing story highlighting the parallels between the new Republican Vice Presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, and erstwhile British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. In the Iron Lady, it seems there is ample precedent for conservative women to face down the unique opposition they face from both the Left and the Right. Money quotes, on... read more »

I Knew It Was Too Good To Be True

By Travis Fell | 09/04/08

Despite Decline in Actual Market Values, Austin Suburb Appraisals Increase and Eat Up Property Tax Rate Cut In a recent post, I lauded the Austin suburb of Leander for reducing their property tax rates. Yet, we learn today from the Hill Country News that local tax bills are actually going up because the appraisals on property are increasing. In a thriving community where homes, businesses and schools are sprouting like Texas bluebonnets in the... read more »

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch....

By Travis Fell | 09/02/08

While Prez Election Cranks Up, Texas State Bureaucracies Grind On Obiden! McCain! Palin! Bristol! The airwaves and blogosphere is fairly crackling with talk on the upcoming presidential election. With the conventions just half over and a little over 60 days left, the moment is certainly ripe to start schooling up on the who will be the US Chief Executive over the next four years. Yet, there are other concerns, more close to home, that should... read more »

Michael Williams Shines in Obiden Attack

By Travis Fell | 08/28/08

Texas Railroad Commissioner Leads the Charge on the Energy Front; A Stealth Energy Secretary Audition? The indomitable Michael Williams, Chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission, appeared today in the RNC's daily press conference along side national Republican luminaries cranking up the latest attack on the Democratic presidential ticket. Viewable at Not Ready 08 (it should be posted in the next day or two), the streaming video press... read more »

The Texas Education Market Speaks. Is The Legislature Listening?

By Travis Fell | 08/28/08

Nearly 17,000 Texas School Children Denied Education Opportunity A recent study by the Texas Public Policy Foundation found that the the 215 Texas charter schools, state-funded public schools with fewer regulatory restrictions than normal public schools, can only serve 87% of the demand for charter schools. There are currently 113,760 students enrolled in charter schools and at least 16,810 on wait lists. Furthermore, Texas charter schools... read more »