Posted on 12/26/2007 11:04:10 PM PST by FocusNexus
The God-O-Rama that the Republican presidential campaign has become has eclipsed the GOP's signature issue: taxes. Assuming life still matters here on Earth, not just in the hereafter, it might help to evaluate the top GOP candidates and their executive tax records.
"Thanks to a final term grade of F, Huckabee earns an overall grade of D for his entire (Arkansas) governorship," states the Cato Institute's 2006 Report Card on America's Governors.
Romney also sought revenue by closing $283 million in "tax loopholes." Put another way, he slipped nooses around previously untaxed activities. This included retroactive new taxes on incomes, sales revenue, severance pay and nonqualified pensions for individuals who work or trade in Massachusetts but live elsewhere, such as New Hampshire. In their first year alone, these new taxes cost out-of-state residents some $36 million.
"You are the most successful tax cutter in modern New York history and, on balance, the most successful tax cutter in the Republican field today," Americans for Tax Reform's Grover Norquist wrote former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani Dec. 3.
As voters learn that Huckabee -- for all his poise and piety -- rarely met a tax he didn't like, and Romney rarely met a fee he didn't hike, Republicans eager for the GOP to revitalize its limited-government, low-tax roots may elevate Giuliani to supply-sider in chief.
(Excerpt) Read more at nashuatelegraph.com ...
Will there be a Huckabee scream when he loses Iowa?
Ironically, Giuliani might be the most reliable candidate when it comes to many conservative issues (such as tax cuts) because he has the most to prove to conservative Republicans. He promises to appoint Scalia/Thomas/Alito-type judges.
I honestly think I could hold my nose and vote for Giuliani easier than I could for Mitt or the Huckster.
Two points:
One, leveling the tax playing field is not necessarily always bad.
Second. $36 million in new 'fees' is not that outlandish. No taxes are welcome, but that is a drop in the bucket, relatively speaking.
Especially when compared to the tax policies of many well-respected conservative heroes I'm sure most Freepers would admire.
How do you like the "retroactive" part?
Also -- you say "leveling the tax playing field is not necessarily always bad". Where did you read anything about "leveling" the tax playing field? It's most likely he just taxed "the rich" more.
"leveling the playing field" would be if they repealed the AMT.
Read more carefully: the $36 million was just what out of staters paid in his first year. I heard that Mitt raised fees $250 million during his 4 years.
Giuliani has told Larry King (and others) that his idea of a “strict constructionist” might support Roe v. Wade.
I've seen polling all over the place. It's truly hard to reconcile the results between all of them. We used to have several FReepers who would combine all of the results for tracking purposes, but they've probably been driven off by flame wars.
It also doesn't help that the democrats have successfully infiltrated the party and pollsters enough to degrade the results in favor of leftist candidates posing as Republicans, which has been part of their strategy to drive off the base from day one.
I will never vote for Giuliani in any election for any reason.
Foremost, he will lose.
Switch to Thompson.
How Huckabee, Romney, Giuliani rate on taxes...
the article on tax experience shows Giuliani has the most experience on taxes!!!!
Mitt raised fees to the tune of $300 Mil
Deroy Murdock is hardly an unbiased source. He has been shamelessly shilling for Giulianni from day 1.
"You are the most successful tax cutter in modern New York history and, on balance, the most successful tax cutter in the Republican field today," Americans for Tax Reform's Grover Norquist wrote former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani Dec. 3.by, Deroy Murdock
As soon as I saw Deroy's name I knew there'd be some journalistic fellatio for Rooty Tooty going on.
Rooty is to Tax Cuts what a Crucifix is to a Vampire.
Now as to that Commuter Tax.
When that hit the national news a few months back Rooty's fellow traveler Mayor Daley (DEM) of Chicago said that was the DUMBEST thing he ever heard of. He said he WANTED suburbanites to work in and visit Chicago, not drive them away or penalize them with a dumb tax.That's Rooty and 'taxes'.So you know it and the person fighting for it is a MORON when a Democrat is a against a tax.
I prefer Hunter but he is pretty long in the shot. I will vote for any other Republican in the Election. I will even vote for Huckabee, though I do not like him at all. He, at least will not end the pro-life influence on American ploitics as Giuliani's nomination would. Huckabee with a Democrat Congress will govern as a nominally pro-life Democrat. Giuliani with a Democrat Congress will govern as a Democrat. Whether or not he is a hawk does not matter. The next president will be able to do nothing with a Democrat Congress vis-a-vis the war. The war will take care of itself when there is a major attack on the soil of the US. And there will be. Just pray it is not on your town.
We agree.
Any current candidate is better than Giuliani. I have serious doubts about Romney, though. He is so wishy-washy, so impossible to nail down, that one must look at his record instead of listening to his words.
He came out the other day for approving the gay agenda at the state level. I can’t support him at all.
Giuliani is also not to be trusted on the subject of judges. His idea of strict construction obviously includes a right to murder inconvenient children, and gay eminence. And his appointments will be refused by the Democrat Senate, anyway, and he will have to go to 2nd and 3rd choices which will please the Democrats.
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