The Right Idea

In this episode of The Right Idea, host Derek Cohen sits down with Jose Melendez, campaign director for TPPF’s Government Reform & Oversight Coalition (GROC) and Taxpayer Protection Project.
They dig into why Texas property tax bills keep rising despite state-level relief, how local governments spend taxpayer dollars, the push for real spending limits, transparency reforms, and why banning taxpayer-funded lobbying is the key that unlocks almost every other conservative priority in the 2027 session.
Jose also breaks down Grok’s top priorities, the role of the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office (TRIO), housing affordability, and what everyday Texans can do to hold lawmakers accountable.

Timestamps:
  • 0:00 – Intro & welcome to Jose Melendez
  • 0:58 – TPP vs. GROC: Money vs. structure
  • 2:27 – What local leaders are saying ahead of 2027
  • 5:16 – Why tax relief isn’t enough without reform
  • 7:31 – How GROC was born & its portfolio
  • 10:21 – Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office (TREO/DOGE)
  • 14:42 – Bringing efficiency audits to local government
  • 17:13 – Local spending caps (population growth + inflation)
  • 19:25 – Why transparency still fails taxpayers
  • 22:49 – Senator Middleton on open records & the “roaches”
  • 24:46 – What taxpayer-funded lobbying really is
  • 26:21 – $111 million spent on lobbyists last session
  • 29:59 – Chairman Vasut on banning taxpayer-funded lobbying
  • 31:13 – Why 2027 looks different
  • 33:46 – GROC’s top 3 priorities for next session
  • 35:37 – How listeners can get involved

Listen on all major podcast platforms and visit TexasPolicy.com for more research and model legislation.

Creators and Guests

Host
Brian Phillips
Brian Phillips is the Chief Communications Officer at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. For over a decade, Brian has helped policymakers and political candidates develop effective messages and communication strategies. Phillips is a veteran of presidential, congressional, and gubernatorial campaigns, and has extensive experience working in the United States Congress and public policy think tanks.
Host
Derek M. Cohen
Derek M. Cohen, Ph.D, is the Texas Public Policy Foundation's Chief Policy & Research Officer and Right on Crime Senior Fellow. Previously the Vice President of Policy and director of Right on Crime, the Foundation’s criminal justice reform initiative, Cohen was instrumental in the passage of the First Step Act, federal legislation that borrowed from successful changes to prisons and sentencing that he had helped pass in conservative states. In addition to leading the Foundation’s work on criminal justice, he is also the lead researcher of firearms policy.

What is The Right Idea?

The Right Idea: The Texas Public Policy Foundation's weekly look at the people, policy, and politics that drive Texas.