Research Library

While rapid economic and population expansion in Texas cities’ can bring financial prosperity, such growth also can strain local governments’ ability to provide public services and balance budgets. In a new outlook, John W. Diamond and Joyce Beebe detail the financial positions of Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Fort Worth, and Dallas, highlighting each city’s budgetary achievements and gaps.

Houston’s tax increment reinvestment zones (TIRZs) were legislated to help finance the economic and infrastructural development for the city‘s most underfunded areas; however, TIRZs can have had the opposite effect. A new issue brief by experts from the Center for Public Finance examines the regressive impact of TIRZs through geographic and census data, finding that TIRZs primarily benefit wealthier neighborhoods and higher-income Houstonians.

Texas lags behind other states in generating business-funded research and development (R&D) expenditures, which are crucial for supporting long-term economic growth and competitiveness. John W. Diamond’s new working paper outlines how Texas can boost R&D tax incentives without causing fiscal challenges and how these tax credits could benefit the state’s economy, locally and statewide.

U.S. fiscal policy should focus on stabilizing the long-term budget outlook by supporting robust economic growth, broadening the tax base, and reducing federal spending. This new policy brief from John W. Diamond, director of the Baker Institute Center for Public Finance outlines the issue and recommends policy actions.

Now is the time to enact corporate income tax reform that moves the U.S. toward a more neutral business tax system. Here’s why expensing and changes in interest deductions plus strengthening provisions designed to reduce income shifting should be part of any reform package.

A recent Congressional Budget Office report predicts a significant increase in immigration that could boost federal revenue by nearly $1 trillion over the next decade. A new brief by Bill King, John W. Diamond, and Joyce Beebe examines the federal budget benefits and potential state and local financial strains, while urging policymakers to focus on long-term economic growth and meaningful measures for standards of living beyond short-term GDP gains.

A slowing inflation rate, low unemployment, and record stock market highs all point to a strong economy. But are consumers really better off than they were four years ago? Center for Public Finance director John W. Diamond takes stock on the Baker Briefing podcast.

John W. Diamond, director of the Baker Institute Center for Public Finance, explains what’s driving the growing government debt, why it’s unsustainable, and why there’s no end in sight without comprehensive fiscal reform.

Despite a cap on Houston’s property tax collections, these taxes have outpaced population growth and inflation, writes fellow John W. Diamond. This issue brief examines the rise in property tax revenues and proposes strategies for maintaining a sustainable city budget.

The House recently passed the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act (TRAFWA) of 2024, which aims to provide tax relief to businesses and families with children in a fiscally responsible manner. But, as fellow John W. Diamond’s new commentary explains, if the bill succeeds, it would instead deliver more reckless tax giveaways while further delaying a real effort to deal with the consequences of poor fiscal policy.