The calls won't stop. Here's why:

The effort to paint the tax bill as "bad for the average Texan" is due to the tobacco tax. The biggest battle being fought in silence, away from the mainstream media, is the tobacco tax issue. The opposition to HB 3 leans on the message that "it's a bad bill for the average Texan" and "only the rich get a break" ... but that is fueled by the fact that more lower-income Texans smoke so more lower-income Texans will pay more on a cigarette tax.

Irony is this: the Democrat base (usually fueled by trial lawyers who made millions in court vs tobacco) is now in partnership with the tobacco lobby, who wish to kill HB 3 in order to kill the tobacco tax.

Funny how nobody in the mainstream Texas press picks this up. The tobacco tax issue is complicated and forces strange bedfellows that the Burka/Molly/Hightower gang won't discuss.

You and I are going to keep going around about this, old hickory. According to my analyses of the LBB reports, and that of the Chronicle, and that of a trusted budget analyst friend of mine -- who I had second check my analysis because I wanted to make sure I wasn't full of sh** -- lower income Texans would pay more taxes under the bill EVEN IF the cigarette tax didn't exist.

I'm not going to argue the cig tax is bad. I smoke, and I'll pay it. I drink, and I'll pay extra taxes on booze. Gladly. I luckily make enough it's not going to be much of an issue. But it pisses me off that it won't really go to help the schools.

If you want to argue that a cigarette tax is good on its own and we shouldn't fight it because it cuts down on addiction, please do.

But your argument that is the ONLY reason this bill is said to affect average Texans is simply not accurate. Those making less than $100,000 will pay more taxes because of the increase in sales tax. Those making more who own property will get a tax break. (And lower taxes will not result in lower rents, which has been your argument before.)

I'm glad to see an analysis...I can't get the to the Capitol myself. I'm for increasing cigarette and alcohol taxes anytime there is a revenue need and am not concerned with the regressivity aspect. Thanks.

Doesn't matter much... Those knuckleheads don't know what or who they're calling. Just starting asking them some real questions, and they'll back off in shame. It works!

The only way to get more money to the schools and provide a big property tax cut is to cast a wider net on the business community.

Our so-called “tax” on the privilege of doing in business in Texas, the franchise tax, is voluntary at best.

When a business can elect to pay a tax or pay its shareholders, it will pick to pay its shareholders every time and cannot be blamed for this choice. This choice is not unique. Does anyone think that Texans would pay sales tax if they could avoid it? No.

For proof of this, ask yourself how many Texans remit sales tax to the Comptroller when they purchase goods via a catalog or the internet.

This session is very much about protecting the franchise tax loopholes that allow virtually every in-state (and out-of-state) business to avoid this tax. A good deal of the money spent to keep the loopholes open is coming from out-of-state corporations that do significant business in Texas.

Note that these business are not lobbying for the Delaware sub loophole in their home states, they are perfectly happy to have Texas business pay corporate income and franchise tax when they do business elsewhere.

However, they and their lackeys (read the Legislature) are happy with the status quo. They should be. We are paying their tax.

Now, that's a man we should listen to.

Edmonton dominated the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night and the 4-0 margin in Game 6 makes it hard to imagine the Oilers not hoisting hockey's Holy Grail above their heads in less than 48 hours. And it would not come as any shock to see defenseman Chris Pronger, who had another 31-minute night, take the honors for the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP.