The Record: What We’re Exposing — and What We’re Fixing

Texans don’t lack opinions about government. What we lack is straight answers backed by real numbers.

This campaign is built around one simple principle: public money, public power, and public offices, belong to the People. That means voters deserve transparency, measurable results, and policies that actually improve life for families in House District 5 — not slogans or branding.

Over the last several weeks, we’ve begun publishing data that explains why so many Texans feel squeezed, frustrated, and ignored — and what we intend to do about it.

1. Education Spending vs. Student Outcomes

More money. More bureaucracy. No better results.

Texas education spending has increased dramatically over the last two decades. Enrollment has grown modestly. Administrative staffing and overhead, however, have exploded — while student outcomes have largely stagnated.

We are documenting:

• Spending growth compared to enrollment growth

• Teacher compensation versus administrative costs

• Student outcomes, including graduation counts, SAT/ACT participation, and NAEP performance

The takeaway is simple: funding increases are not reaching classrooms in proportion to the dollars collected, and students are not seeing corresponding gains. Families are paying more in property taxes while outcomes remain flat.

This is not a teacher problem. It is a system design problem.

2. Property Taxes and the Homestead Shell Game

Tax relief on paper, higher bills in reality.

Texas has created multiple mechanisms that claim to protect homeowners — including homestead exemptions and state “backfill” programs. In practice, these programs shift costs, mask growth, and protect institutional spending, not families.

We are exposing:

• How homestead exemptions are offset through state aid programs

• How taxpayers ultimately fund both sides of the transaction

• Why property tax relief has not translated into lower total tax burdens

Our priority is clear: owner-occupied homesteads should not be the state’s cash register. Real relief requires structural reform, not accounting tricks.

3. “Local Control” Without Visibility

Power without transparency is not local control.

School districts and other political subdivisions increasingly opt out of state law through administrative mechanisms, while taxpayers remain fully on the hook for funding decisions they never approved.

We are compiling statewide data showing:

• Which districts have opted out of statutory requirements

• What those exemptions allow districts to ignore

• How often voters are never informed

Local control only exists when the People can see, understand, and influence decisions. Anything else is deregulation without consent.

4. Budget Growth Without Accountability

Record budgets. Familiar problems.

Texas is operating under one of the largest budgets in state history — yet families are still struggling with:

• Rising property taxes

• Infrastructure strain

• Utility instability

• Education systems that cost more and deliver less

We are breaking down where the money goes, who benefits, and why recurring problems never seem to get solved — despite constant spending increases.

Spending more is easy. Spending responsibly is leadership.

Our Campaign Priorities

This campaign is not about talking points. It’s about results.

We are committed to:

• Eliminating homestead property taxes through constitutional reform

• Redirecting education dollars to classrooms, not bureaucracy

• Restoring transparency and consent to local governance

• Constraining government to its constitutional role

• Measuring success by outcomes, not press releases

Why “The Record” Matters

We are publishing our findings because voters deserve facts — not fear, spin, or selective statistics.

This blog exists to document:

• What the data actually shows

• How current policies affect real families

• What constitutional, fiscally responsible reform looks like

If an idea can’t survive daylight, it doesn’t belong in government.

More data, deeper analysis, and specific reform proposals are coming. Stay engaged. Stay informed. Hold us accountable.

— Dewey