Burnam Tries A Sixth Time

The legislator pictured above is Texas State Representative Lon Burnam (D-Fort Worth).   He is one of the very few progressives in the Texas legislature -- even among the Democrats (where there are far too many Blue Dogs).   While Tarrant County seems to grow redder with each ensuing election, their one saving grace is that they keep returning Burnam to the state legislature.

Let me be honest here.   Rep. Burnam is by far my favorite legislator in Texas.   He's not ashamed of being a progressive.   He's also not afraid to stand alone against the powers that be in Austin, and he usually has to since his fellow Democrats offer him little support.  

Rep. Burnam has introduced a bill for the next session of the Texas legislature (to start in January of 2011).   Texas is looking at a budget shortfall of around $25 billion for the next biennium, and Burnam's bill would provide about $8 billion in new revenue for the biennium.   But don't hold your breath for the bill to pass.   This is the sixth time Burnam has introduced a version of it, and it has yet to get out of committee.

The bill would create an income tax for the state of Texas.   But it would not affect most Texans, because it would create a 3% to 6% tax only on income of those making over $150,000 a year (a figure that most people in this extremely low-paying state can only drem about).

But with the Republicans holding about two-thirds of the seats in the Texas House, it is once again doubtful that Burnam's bill can get out of committee.   The words "income tax" scares the hell out of Texas Republicans -- especially because it would affect the rich, and no Republican wants to tax the rich.  

Here in Texas, our bread-and-butter are regressive taxes which put a much heavier burden on the poor and working people instead of the rich -- like state sales tax.   There will be more taxes coming out of the legislature's next session, but it will be a broadening of the sales tax base and not a tax that would affect the rich (like an income tax).

Sometimes it seems like Burnam is tilting at windmills in a hopeless cause.   But as Clarence Darrow said,   "Lost causes are the only kind worth fighting for."   Every advancement made by mankind started with one person willing to stand alone against the powerful.   In the Texas legislature, that man is Lon Burnam.   Maybe someday the people of Texas will send him some help.