The Texas Tax Reform Commission...

...I think they should have called it the You-Scratch-My-Back-I'll-Scratch-Yours Tax Reform Commission. I've always thought they should put at least one person on these types of commissions that has to actually scrape by to make ends meet. This is a reaction to what was in this article that was in the Houston Chronicle over the weekend, Donors fill tax reform commission - be sure and check out the list of donor's down the right side. The article starts by calling it a bipartisan commission, which I think is highly debatable. Is there anyone on this commission that would admit to being liberal or progressive? I'm supposed to believe it's a bipartisan commission because some on the commission gave to John Sharp and Tony Sanchez in 2002. In case anyone has forgotten Tony Sanchez was the multi-millionaire businessman Bush supporter the Democrats ran for governor last time around. I'm sure the Republicans are will be laughing about that one for quite some time to come. And John Sharp, well he plays well with Republicans, so the bipartisan moniker I don't quite agree with. If bipartisan means a choice between conservative or moderate, than well I guess this commission is bipartisan. As for diversity on the commission Mr. Sharp says the commission has it, at least in one respect:

Sharp said previous tax-study commissions have included political donors. He said this panel represents a diverse collection of businesses, some with competing interests in tax policy. Different taxes affect different kinds of businesses differently.

Senator Shapleigh what do you think about all of this:

State Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso, said the governor's removal of a personal income tax from consideration means that the panel ultimately will recommend a trade-off for property-tax cuts that will increase net taxes for all but the wealthiest Texans.

He predicted a business income tax, which would hit small and family businesses the hardest, a higher sales tax and additional consumption taxes.

If you think this commission is going to setup a fair and equitable tax structure in this state well, that would probably take a commission with some regular 'ol taxpayers on it orb a diverse panel of Texans.