Well, the historical response to being robbed by armed thugs is to get bigger weapons and your own thugs. And in Texas, it's easier to get guns that it is to get water (as far as I can tell, observing from Canada). The only thing I don't understand is why an open shooting war between the police and the citizens hasn't broken out already.
AFAICT, the citizenry that votes loves law enforcement and "tough" 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.
The government keeps the populace happy by making noises related to "lowered taxes", 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.
