The Taker States

[AndyinPA]

https://www.tpr.org/business/2021-10-29 ... ent-taxing

Texas, a state that hates federal involvement so much that in addition to suing federal officials on a near-monthly basis, it built its own (faulty) power grid, is now taking a massive federal bailout for unemployment.

Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced last week they would put $7.2 billion from the Biden administration’s American Recovery Plan Act into paying back billions in loans the state took out from the U.S. Treasury — shifting the tax burden intended to be borne by Texas employers to taxpayers nationwide.

The state unemployment rates skyrocketed last spring because of the pandemic, climbing to nearly 13%. The state’s anemic coffers were quickly drained, and it began taking federal government loans. Then the federal government added additional monies on top through pandemic assistance for the unemployed. State and federal unemployment payments were more than $51 billion in Texas since the pandemic began.

The plan is to erase the state’s $5.9 billion in Title XII (unemployment) loans and add more than a billion to the unemployment trust fund. This nixes additional interest payments and allows the legislature and the Texas Workforce Commission — who oversees unemployment — to continue to avoid tough decisions about taxing appropriately. It allows the state legislature to continue on its business-friendly course, now at the expense of every other state.

“Texas has not had a solvent unemployment compensation trust fund since 1974. That's one of the worst in the nation,” said Jared Walczak, vice president of state projects at the Tax Foundation.

[AndyinPA]

Well, lookie here. Another one of those lawsuits filed by Texas against the Feds. I guess they are getting October's in since they only have two days left.

https://www.texastribune.org/2021/10/29 ... ce=twitter

Attorney General Ken Paxton, on behalf of the state, sued the Biden administration on Friday over its coronavirus vaccine mandate for federal contractors.

The federal requirement, which is set to take effect Dec. 8, calls on all federal workers and contractors to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The Texas lawsuit comes after similar suits filed by Florida and Georgia, along with several other states.

“The Biden Administration has repeatedly expressed its disdain for Americans who choose not to get a vaccine, and it has committed repeated and abusive federal overreach to force upon Americans something they do not want,” Paxton said in a statement. “The federal government does not have the ability to strip individuals of their choice to get a vaccine or not. If the President thinks his patience is wearing thin, he is clearly underestimating the lack of patience from Texans whose rights he is infringing.”

Paxton and fellow Republican Gov. Greg Abbott have been at war with local and federal officials over vaccinate mandates. Earlier this month, Abbott expanded an executive order to block the requirement for any entity in Texas, including health care facilities and private businesses. He previously banned cities, counties, school districts and state agencies from requiring vaccines. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has tweeted that vaccination “should never be forced on anyone by the state or a private employer.”

The lawsuit alleges the Biden administration acted unconstitutionally in drafting the vaccine mandate policy. It also argues that the administration required congressional approval to enforce it.

[bill_g]

I can think of $51B reasons why they should enforce the mandate. Do exactly what Florida threatened to do - cut off their money.