Burnt Orange Report

June 02, 2005

Changes in my life, BOR

By Byron LaMasters

Dear Readers and Friends,

As you all may have noticed, my posting over the past weeks has decreased as I have undergone the process of transition from student to life after college. I recently received my undergraduate degree at UT-Austin with a B.A. in government and history, and I have spent much time over the past months considering what to do next. While there is a good chance that I will eventually continue my education, I have decided that after spending the vast majority of my life as a student, I would like to take some time to focus on my career.

Those of you who know me, and those of you who read BOR on a regular basis know that my passion is politics. I live and breathe politics. And I have desired a career in politics where I will have the ability to work with candidates, consultants and most importantly, help elect Democrats to all levels of office. Fortunately, I was offered a job in this regard with the Tyson Organization, and I have accepted their offer. Tyson is a Democratic political consulting firm in Fort Worth with a national client list, and I will begin working for them next Wednesday, June 8. I am very excited about this opportunity, and have committed to work for Tyson through December 2006.

Due to nature of blogging and political consulting, it will be impossible to continue blogging in the same manner as I have in the past. I have consistently sought to maintain the highest standard of ethics at the Burnt Orange Report in regards to disclosing any potential conflicts of interest, and I do not want there to be any doubt regarding my intentions. Since it will be impossible to include full disclaimers of the many Tyson clients on BOR, I have decided to limit my blogging on BOR. Effective Wednesday, I will no longer blog on any topic that would present a possible conflict of interest with the Tyson Organization, or place myself in such situation. In this regard, I will no long post on Democratic primary elections, municipal elections or elections involving Tyson clients. I still plan to post occasionally on issues that I care about, and on the silly things that Republicans often do from time to time, but my blogging will be greatly reduced.

Furthermore, I will be selling the Burnt Orange Report to Karl-Thomas Musselman in the coming weeks (I have consulted Jim and Andrew on this as well). Karl-Thomas and I have agreed to a basic framework of a sale, and we hope to finalize everything in the next week or two. I have decided that this is the best decision for me, my future employer and the blog. I want Karl-Thomas, Andrew, Jim (and all other current and future writers) to be able to write their conscience about Democratic primary races and municipal races without regard to my employer. The best way to do this, in my opinion, is to remove ownership, editorial discretion and future advertising and revenue rights from my control.

Having said all of this, the Burnt Orange Report has been an important part of my life for the past two years, and more than anything, I desire its continued success. In the next couple of days we will lay out a process to add new contributors to BOR. All founding members and frequent contributors will take a leading role in ensuring that BOR continues to be professional, progressive, Democratic and student-led. We will lay out an application process for new writers to BOR. We would like to add at least 2-4 new regular contributors, and perhaps some less frequent guest posters as well. If you are interested in writing for BOR – especially if you are a Democratic UT student, or frequent commenter, I hope that you will consider applying to join our team.

Finally, thank you all for your support, your loyal readership and your informed feedback. I am very excited to be entering a new stage in my life, and I know that the future of BOR is bright with Karl-Thomas at the helm.

Thank you,
Byron LaMasters
Byron AT BurntOrangeReport DOT com

Posted by Byron LaMasters at June 2, 2005 10:41 AM | TrackBack

Comments

byron - congrats! i am so happy that you finished up your degree and were able to find a job in your field. you have a really bright future ahead of you and i know you are going to do a fantastic job. i remember the first time i heard you speak in public, when you told that awesome story about the $2000 hot dogs at the dallas dean rally. you had such a great attitude, and i hope that won't fade as you become enmeshed in the political world.

i will miss reading your posts (and disagreeing with you at times), but BOR is in good hands.

now, are you going to be relocating to fort worth? if so, we *must* get together for some drinks or lunch at joe t's. you know how to get ahold of me - if you need anything when you get up here let me know and i'll do what i can to help you out.

Posted by: anna at June 2, 2005 11:13 AM

Congratulations and good luck at your job.

Posted by: David at June 2, 2005 11:33 AM

Byron,

Sorry to see you go.

Congrats though on landing a job with Tyson. They're extremely good at what they do.

Posted by: Cincinnatus at June 2, 2005 01:41 PM

Congratulations, Byron. Tyson is getting a great employee, and I hope this will be an exciting opportunity for you. I'll miss your posting here, but I know BOR will be in good hands. Enjoy the summer, and best of luck!

Posted by: Charles Kuffner at June 2, 2005 02:04 PM

Congrats Byron on your new position. I'd like to welcome you to the ranks of the employed. Uncle Sam thanks you too. He will be your new 40% silent partner in business.

Posted by: Allan Bartlett at June 2, 2005 06:45 PM

Wow!!! Byron is going to be in the 40% tax bracket?!? I never knew a first year out of school consulting job could be so lucrative? Whatever his cut, I suppose that Uncle Sam as "silent partner" will continue to keep up his end of the deal, like providing for social security, partially funding the roads we travel to work, defending us from enemies foreign & domestic, etc etc etc

Posted by: WhoMe? at June 2, 2005 08:33 PM

Gross loss, net gain . . .

Loss to BOR and its readers, gain for all of us as your talent takes another step toward making the world a better place. Best of luck.

Posted by: tony g at June 2, 2005 09:51 PM

Byron - WOW! - Many best wishes on your future career and many thanks for the contributions you have brought to all of us and the entire political scene with the introduction of Burnt Orange Report.

I hope all your endeavors end up as BOR has - one of great blood, sweat and tears that ends in success.
You have already made a contribution and once again have validated my belief that you young men of this next generation are the types who we are lucky to turn things over to. The North Texas area is lucky to have you and I look forward to a clone of you in the Gulf Coast area.

Posted by: Carl Whitmarsh at June 2, 2005 09:59 PM

Congratulations Byron and best of luck as you begin your new career. You will be sorely missed at BOR but at least you will still be involved in politics and will still be in Texas! Hook 'em.

Posted by: Chris Bell at June 2, 2005 10:59 PM

Byron,
Congrats. Welcome to the wonderful, world of consulting. You will be missed but you've laid a great foundation upon which others may build.

Remember: "To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe." ~ Anatole France

Posted by: GT at June 3, 2005 03:34 AM

You'll be missed.

Posted by: Pink Lady at June 3, 2005 08:09 AM

Congratulations!

Tell Mike Moncrief I said hello. ;)

Posted by: hope at June 3, 2005 08:21 AM

Congrats Byron!!!

You have another opportunity to put your stamp on Texas politics just as you did with the excellent BOR. I wish you the best of luck and I DON'T doubt when you make your next BIG splash it will be as Governor LaMasters or President LaMasters!!!

Posted by: Edward in da Rio Grande Valley at June 3, 2005 09:53 AM

Congratulations, Burnt Orange has been one of the best political blogs under your leadership. It is by far the best blog nationwide that was produced by college students.

Gary Denton

Posted by: Easter Lemming Liberal News at June 3, 2005 12:07 PM

Damn. I'm sorry to hear you're leaving, Byron -- your site's been pretty much the first place I look (well, along with Kuffner's) to find out what the hell's going on with the politics in our fair state. We'll definitely miss ya. Congrats on the job, though!

Posted by: Jeremy at June 3, 2005 01:33 PM

Congrats Byron and best of luck. I have always enjoyed reading your posts and hope to hear more from you as you enter the real world. Well done,

Cheers

Jordan

Posted by: Jordan Kramer at June 3, 2005 09:33 PM

Congratulations, Byron. Since I've been missing from Texas since 1998, BOR has been a godsend in terms of keeping me apprised of political developments in my homeland. I'm just sorry that if I move to Austin as planned after I finish law school, you won't be around. Then again, I'm sure you'll be dropping in frequently.

Posted by: Ramey Ko at June 4, 2005 12:51 AM

By the way, isn't the top bracket 35%?

Posted by: Ramey Ko at June 4, 2005 12:54 AM

coincidentally, i will also be starting my first "real job" (and entering the "real world") next week, as well. on that note, the job will also be in consulting. only in my case it's engineering consulting, more specifically environmental consulting.

as i have said before, having been an officer in UD's under you I know that you are hardworking and ambitious and i'm sure you will be very successful in your field.
i'm counting on you and you alone to get the democrats out of the rut we're now in ;-)

anyways, good luck and hope to see you around

Posted by: Sal D at June 4, 2005 01:39 AM

congrats salil.... and no, I will not be in the 40% tax bracket, or anything close to that. Didn't Bush move the top 39% bracket down to 33%? I won't be in either... give me a few years....

thanks everyone for their comments =)

Posted by: Byron L at June 4, 2005 01:55 AM

Byron, good luck with whatever you choose to do.
Stay true to yourself and you'll never go wrong.

Posted by: Tim Z. at June 4, 2005 03:30 PM

You left Karl T in charge?

God help us all...

Posted by: matt at June 4, 2005 05:00 PM

Mucho congrats in the new post. You have your work cut out for you but I am sure you are up to the challenge. Ft. Worth (my original home town) is still a relatively friendly place despite it's increasingly conservative political tone.

In addition to the aforementioned Joe T's, be sure to check out Kincaid's on Camp Bowie for the best hamburgers and Angelo's for BBQ--say hi for me to Zach and Jason and the rest of the folks there. I should be ripping through for the Willie Nelson's 4th of July Picnic with Bob Dylan and the rest (hopefully this year minus too much heat and "Larry the Cable Guy"). Be see'n ya.

Posted by: Tom Coleman at June 6, 2005 12:13 PM

News, Politics, and Fun From Deep in the Heart of Texas

June 02, 2005

Changes in my life, BOR

By Byron LaMasters