AFAICT, the citizenry that votes loves law enforcement and &quot;tough&quot; regulations; the people most comfortable with guns are also in love with this government. Further, voter turnout in the last major election was ~28% (or 34%, depending on whom you ask) so the ability to work the democracy angle is quite limited.<p>The government keeps the populace happy by making noises related to &quot;lowered taxes&quot;, which is accompanied by the reality shown by this extortion gambit, skyrocketing fines in general, and generally regressive taxation policies. It is a sad state of affairs, no pun intended.<p><a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.dallasobserver.com&#x2F;news&#x2F;texas-had-the-worst-voter-turnout-in-the-country-and-the-rain-in-dallas-didnt-help-7117659" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.dallasobserver.com&#x2F;news&#x2F;texas-had-the-worst-voter...</a>