Posted on 03/21/2011 1:51:07 PM PDT by Beave Meister
Two decades after President George H.W. Bush abandoned his "read my lips" promise, some Republicans are chafing at their party's stand against new taxes.
A few prominent GOP lawmakers believe they will have to raise some tax revenue if they are to bring Democrats along on a bipartisan compromise to address the U.S.'s long-term fiscal problems. Many Democrats want higher taxes to cover at least part of future budget gaps. That has led to clashes between Republican lawmakers and a Washington advocacy group, Americans for Tax Reform, the self-appointed keeper of the party's anti-tax flame.
Grover Norquist, the group's president, said he has "sent up a flare" against placing trust in Democrats, given how bipartisan agreements, including the one struck by then-President Bush in 1990, eventually unraveled. Those tax increases took effect as scheduled, but Democrats didn't always deliver on promised spending cuts, Mr. Norquist said.
Tom Coburn (R., Okla.), one lawmaker targeted by Mr. Norquist's group, is having none of it. "These fights ... help raise money for interest groups, but they don't do anything for solving problems," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Unfortunately I am sensing a Neville Chamberlin moment in the not too distant future.
If the Dems make real significant changes to entitlements that will have a real effect on the future, then I am willing to go along with tax increases. Something has to be done. It’s not the best thing but the alternative is worse.
Cut spending! REALLY cut spending!
Only if the entitlement changes come first and are made permanent. The GOP has been swindled too many times by the RATS in which they agree to a budget deal, only to see the tax increases become immediate and the spending cuts never materialize.
None of that crap ever again.
F THE DEMOCRATS. The people have spoken. CUT SPENDING We have no more money to give you. You raise taxes and your will be out of office.
A pox on all their houses.
If there’s one thing that republicans have to be unified on, it’s NOT raising taxes. The democrats ALWAYS do. It needs to be written in stone.
Fire this Reporter, he is still with Pelosi and Reid that taxes and profligate spending will pull us out of our troubles - Delusional.
Join a Tea Party Today. And tell the Tax and Vote Buyers where they can go.
The rats will not admit that LOWERING tax RATES increases Total Tax Revenue, and that generally, raising rates lowers total revenue.
Is this because they're STUPID, or DISHONEST?
It is a 100% spending problem. Taxes are already way too high and should be cut.
Cut whatever isn’t explicitly constitutional.
That will get rid of far more than half the budget right there.
That will be a good start.
Only the socialists in the republican party wants to raise taxes.
Anyone who even entertains the idea that taxes have to be raised is an absolute traitor to Liberty and founding principles. Tax increases should NEVER ever be allowed to be discussed (this applies at all levels of government)
The evil parasite class that is government are literally destroying this Republic. We should only be talking about massive cut backs in government spending and the firing of large numbers of parasites (i.e. govt workers) that sucking the life blood from our Republic.
We have a spending problem period. No compromise whereby taxes are increased will accomplish anything, but push us further towards a Socialist hell.
It astounds me that any GOP leader, facing this insane growth of spending over the past two years that the Marxist has been in power, would even think that raising taxes will solve anything.
I had such hope when the Republicans took over the house last Nov. Oh what a fool I was. They think their mandate is to raise the taxes for the Libs to spend. I don’t think this is going to end well.
You've stolen everything we had, and everything our kids would have ever had.
There's no more. It's gone. You spent it all on vote crack and now there is nothing left.
Taxing/Spending more is not one of your options. Just FYI.
If the Dems are willing to cut out all the unconstitutional agencies and efforts in the Federal government, I would go for it. Department of Energy, Education, Environment, arts, Health, HUD, Federal parks and land, Transporation...
All that should be in the States because the Federal government has screwed it up and can’t afford it.
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