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Texas Democratic State Rep Raymond Raymond, one of Juanita’s personal favorites, is holding some Republican feet to the fire this legislative session.

Richard Raymond: An Honest Man

Republican leaders in the Texas Legislature have already declared 2011 a no-new-taxes legislative session. With that in mind, one Democratic lawmaker wants to make sure his House colleagues are using the right definition of the word “tax.”

State Rep. Richard Peña Raymond, D-Laredo, plans to file a constitutional proposition that would classify fees, surcharges and other revenue-generating measures as taxes. With the state facing an estimated $15 billion to $28 billion budget shortfall, Raymond expects that lawmakers will look to those money-making methods to help close the gap. “Before you go starting to double or triple or quadruple what somebody pays for a driver’s license, for a birth certificate, for a hunting license,” he says, “I think we need to be honest with the people and call them taxes.”

“Republicans are trying to backdoor these taxes,” Juanita said.  “I think the poet Sir Paul McCartney said it best.”

She came in through the bathroom window
Protected by a silver spoon
But now she sucks her thumb and wanders
By the banks of her own lagoon

“Raymond is just making sure that Republicans have to remove their silver spoon and suck their thumbs before raising taxes the secret way,” Juanita smiles.

If you are inclined to agree with Richard Raymond that you can call a tax a fee, but it’s still a tax and Republicans need to get some honesty on, you can call his office at (512) 463-0558 and let them know you approve of his “Honesty in Taxation” constitutional amendment.