Anti-Tax Crusader Grover Norquist
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2012-12-03/anti-tax-crusader-grover-norquist
Tax policy has never been easy -- for politicians to agree on or for Americans who are not accounting experts to understand. Now we have the so-called fiscal cliff looming over the nation, and the Obama administration and Republican leaders are at a stalemate on how to avert it. Anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist has played an outsized role in the debate. Most Republican members of the current Congress have signed Norquist's anti-tax pledge. But with November elections over and the fiscal cliff just weeks away, some pledge-signers have begun to waver. Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform joins Diane to talk about one of life's two certainties: taxes.
Guests
Grover Norquist
president of Americans for Tax Reform.
Rep. Chris Van Hollen
Democrat of Maryland and ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee.
Rep. Ted Yoho
Republican congressman-elect of Florida.
Video: Inside The Studio
Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, talked about the so-called fiscal cliff and his no-tax pledge. Norquist said President Barack Obama's proposal to avoid the fiscal cliff is "unserious," and he proposed broadcasting the negotiations on C-SPAN. "I think he's trying to take us off the cliff and blame other people," Norquist said about Obama. About the public negotiation, Maryland Rep. Chris Van Hollen replied, "It would be good if Speaker [John] Boehner actually put his plan on paper like the president has so the public can see what it is." Norquist also responded to a listener's question about why he continues to refer to policies enforced under President Ronald Reagan's administration, even though more than 30 years have since passed since Reagan was president.
Comments
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What does 'SMALLER' government look like locally? We just had a tax increase proposal to fund our local ports and harbors. The duty of maintaining our waterways was once the responsibility of the Federal Government and the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers.Today with LOWER TAXES ON THE WEALTHY,the burden has shifted to local property tax payers. NOT FAIR. My Ohio T-Party/Republican governor confiscated tax revenue designated for use by local communities,and used it to cover the $8 billion debt created by tax cuts to the wealthy and their corporations.Now here we`ve had to vote a tax increase on ourselves to cover keeping cops, fire,ems,and teachers on the job. Smells like double taxation. Pay my tax,and pay the rich clown`s ("Job Creators") taxes as well.
The infantile and those perpetrating the fraud of federal government excess and unsustainable spending, use Grover Norquist the man as straw man to cover up their own stupidity or inability to do their job and govern in a responsible way. "The Pledge" is a promise from a politician to his voters to act responsibly and not raise taxes in light of out of control spending. The Pledge is a campaign platform issue that a politician uses to persuade votes away from the opposition candidate, it is not a pledge in any way to Grover Norquist the man. A comparison would be if liberal politician signed a pledge to not allow oil drilling or whatever, and then when elected broke the promise and voted for oil drilling. The Pledge is a very simple concept that any voter should appreciate if they were not busy taking the bait of misguided demonizing, it's one of the very few ways the electorate has to force politicians to keep their campaign promises.
I believe if the "middle class" had any idea of what is coming because of democrat party welfare/entitlement programs, the overall opinion on "The Pledge" would be much different.
The democrat party has completely sold out to the prurient interests of the electorate. Obama has changed democrat party campaigning for a generation with his successful bid for reelection. Division, lies, revenge and hate are going to be the party platform for the foreseeable future. Republicans must take on the role of the obstructionist party if we are going to salvage anything of the founding principles of this country. Financial collapse is eminent, Constitutional principals must be protected at all costs.
47% of working American`s don`t pay Federal Income Tax. Many had been brainwashed into thinking a tax cut could replace a pay raise,and they`ll be fine.It is and was total B. S.. The nation just witnessed a national financial collapse,including citizens personal debt skyrocketing as they used their homes as an ATM,just to survive. The same 47% Mitt Romney addressed,who no longer see success of LOW WAGES AND LOW TAXES.
Decent wages can`t be replaced with the ideology of lower taxes. These policies haven`t even as much bought me a loaf of bread,or paid my light bill,rent or anything else.They`re not even interesting conversation pieces,but just more of the "Stupid is as Stupid Does" policy which signifies today`s T-Party/Republican.
I wish T-Party/Republicans could just once accept responsibility for their actions. 10`s of millions of home owners lost as much as 40% of their homes value.Did anyone get an apology letter from the NeoCon`s saying sorry our "DEREGULATION" scheme failed? I just wish they could understand a tax cut today,which our children and grandchildren are stuck paying,IS NO BARGAIN !!! This "GIFT" T-Party/Republicans offer is no GIFT,but an anchor around our necks.
Grover came up with his ideas on taxation and this pledge when he was a little kid.
So it shouldn't surprise anyone plan and pledge is so appealing to the Republican considering the attraction the Republican has for the wisdom of children. You know, when they see things as black and white and before they have the chance to grow up and see the world as the world actually is, a mess of gray shades with Technicolor thrown in.
Something about the signers of the Norquist pledge, They've signed allegiance to something other than whats best for America.
Whenever this is brought up Grover goes off on his no tax rant (or try to confuse the issue by bringing up "entitlements" but his pledge has nothing to do with entitlements, does it?) but that's not it.
That signing of Norquists Pledge is a pledging of allegiance to other than whats best for the US, it's a hypothetical. A pledge could be: being against the repeal of Roe v Wade, or selling the Ports to the UAE, or not supporting far more stringent EPA regs, or .. or .... or .....
It just happens that Grovers Pledge of Allegiance deals with taxes, and signing that pledge is signing a Pledge of Allegiance to other than the United States of America, no way around it.
Some call the signers of Norquists pledge traitors. While there may or may not be merit to the argument that the signers of said pledge are traitors it can't be argued the signers of the Norquisat Pledge have put something (anything) ahead of whats best for the country, doesn't matter what that something is.
Like I say, try getting Grover to address this, He'll keep going back to taxes (or "entitlements") and then pray others are fool enough to bobble head.
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Since the recession how many Americans earning above $250,000 lost jobs? Since the recession how many Americans earning below $250,000 lost jobs? And people are wondering why there is an increase in the percentage of taxes (not amount collected per person) from those earning above $250,000? If ten million Americans lose jobs (overwhelmingly Americans earning less than $250,000), won't the percentage of the all the taxes collected go higher for those earning above $250,000 and the percentage of all the taxes collected go lower for those earning less than $250,000?
Yes, taxes will go up, but by how much of their earnings above $250,000? And for what purpose? Critical social services and national defense. An economic waste?
The alternative is no tax increase for anyone and we'll predict economic growth for everyone. The enforcer of this "truth" is Mr. Norquist. Was Mr Norquist the same person who advocated the transfer of Social Security funds before the 2008 Crash, regardless of age, into the stock market? Is this the advice of a Nobel Prize winner in economics? Or the winner of the booby prize in economics?And those who took Mr. Norquist's pledge are claiming that he has excellent economic acumen and prognostication skills? Show us the model validating that Mr. Norquist is savant. It's not CBO's model, nor CRS' nor Simpson Bowles.. Norquist's radicalism besmirches the late Milton Freedman. Skip the dogma, focus on the professional models. And the Tea Party faction are current the standard bearers of Mr. Norquist? No one is perfect, but a little reflection before following Mr. Norquist's advice will show some common sense and be for the national good. Perhaps, Republican leaders' realizing that the National Good with Shared Responsibility by all to help right our Ship of State may be more befitting of their Congressional responsibilities.
Spoiled rich kid.
Please ask each guest "How exactly would a tax increase of 3.9% on your AGI alter your current life style?"
Diane,
I listened to the show the last time you had this individual on. And, like many others, you let him off the hook when asked what programs he would cut from lower taxes. I expect better from you!
Ask him what programs he would cut with lower taxes, and make him answer!
Long time listener
Wayne
We are a Christian Nation. It`s harder to get a poor person into heaven,than threading a eye of a needle with a camel?You shall be judged by how you treat the wealthiest amongst you?
T-Party/Republicans and Democrats (or Jesus) don`t read the same bible or Constitution.It`s treason to disavow your oath of office......Benedict Arnold...2012 style...
Clifford wrote: "We are a Christian Nation."
Correction: The USA is NOT a Christian nation but, instead, is a Christian In Name Only (CINO) nation. Big difference.
The bible is about a personal relationship with god and it's teachings are for the development of personal virtue. When democrats compare the teachings of the bible and personal charity with government taxation and wealth redistribution as a biblical equivalent to "what would Jesus do" they have turned the whole idea of Christianity on it's head and therefore are more aligned with Satan than they are with the Christian god.
Please make Mr. Norquist answer your questions.
Do not let him obfuscate as usual. I believe this self appointed non elected tax lobbyist has caused this country great harm by threatening those GOP elected officials who do not sign or keep his ill advised pledge. This country needs revenues on which to run and his simplistic solutions have helped cause this mess we find ourselves in now. Tell him to support the President as any good American should do in this important matter.
I do hope you hold him to account and make him answer audience questions this time; he deserves no special privileges.
thanks
Sharon
THX1138 et al.: Jesus the Christ commanded his followers to give ALL of their wealth to the poor, to turn the other cheek, to not worry, and to await the IMMINENT end of the world as we know it. It's been a long, long wait hasn't it?
There's so much I'd like to say to Mr. Norquist, but I'll just say this: you know how there's some people you fantasize about physically assaulting? Yeah, he's at the top of the list.
What I find troubling about Mr. Norquist's pledge has little to do with political motivation. The problem comes from having committed his signers to a MEANS rather than a shared goal. It makes as much sense as pledging never to wage war in an effort to ensure peace. The approach is simply flawed.
Bliss wrote: "Jesus the Christ commanded his followers to give ALL of their wealth to the poor"
Is this what you're referring too? It certainly does not play into your hands of government theft does it?
So why, then, did Jesus set up what seems to be such a stringent requirement for this particular young man? ( Matthew 19:16-22; Mark 10:17-31; Luke 18:18-30 ).
Jesus knew the young man’s heart. He knew that he was looking for a way to earn his salvation on his own terms. He may have thought that the Master would give him a specific task or good deed to perform that would win eternal life, one that wouldn’t require him to humble himself and unconditionally set his life under the authority of Christ. Instead, Jesus set up a requirement that clearly illustrated the basic issue: the rich young man’s desire to retain control of his life.
I guess I will not be listening to your first hour. The last time he was on he refused to answer any questions. I am surprised that you are having him on again.
From Krugman's blog: In his interview with the Wall Street Journal, Mitch McConnell finally mentioned a few sort-of specifics about what spending cuts the GOP wants: raising the Medicare age, charging higher premiums to affluent Medicare recipients, and changing the price indexing of Social Security. But how much does all this amount to?
I’ve already noted that the CBO has estimated the fiscal savings from raising the Medicare age at $113 billion over the next decade. A study of health care options (pdf) from a few years ago put the savings from expanded premiums at $20 billion (Option 91) – that number would be somewhat higher now, but still small.
I haven’t found a 10-year estimate of the Social Security indexing idea, but we can roll our own. The idea is to replace the CPI with a “chained” measure that typically rises about 0.3 percentage points less per year. Apply this to the CBO projections of Social Security spending under current policy and I get 10-year savings of $186 billion.
So, if we take all of McConnell’s ideas together, we get a bit more than $300 billion. Getting this would, by the way, impose substantial hardship – seniors would be forced into inferior private insurance, and there are good reasons to believe that the true inflation rate facing seniors is actually higher, not lower, than the CPI. Still, what we’re looking at overall is a saving equal to only about one-fifth of what Obama is proposing to raise by higher taxes.
And that’s it; has anyone heard even a peep from the GOP about what else they’d like to cut?
This is pathetic – and these people are definitely not serious.
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Good Morning. My take is that The Bush Era Tax Cuts were irresponsible for at that time the United States was in a Defense posture and in Afghanistan. I understand that the Costs for this War were 'Off the Books'; again, Irresponsible.
I recall Mr. Norquist remarking on your program, "We get the government we vote for."
Thank you for your consideration.
LeFabe wrote: "This is pathetic – and these people are definitely not serious."
None of them are serious. Why? the voters simply cannot handle the truth. If they could Ron Paul would be president.
I know Grover Norquist is a 'hot' name now with all that's going on in Washington, but why is he going to be on the show?
He will not truthfully answer any politically inconvenient questions (ex. How would you cut entitlements to fit a drastically reduced budget? How can we justify not RAISING taxes when we started two wars?)
What are his qualification? He's never served in elected office, etc.
Why should anyone care what he as to say?
I am offended that my Representative from Michigan's District 7 would sign a pledge to do the bidding of Grover Norquist and his organization, Americans for tax reform. n my opinion that action to is in conflict with representing the people of Dist 7. Mr. Norquist does NOT live in District 7 Michigan.
I'm disappointed that Diane would give Grover Norquist a voice on her show again. Her interview with him a year or so ago was terrific, but now he is falling into irrelevancy, even among Republicans. Why give voice to this fool?
Why is this man still given media time? He is and always has been a liar and fear monger. Just let him fade into obscurity where he belongs.
Norquist barely had the seat warm before he told his first lie - Americans did not break away from Britain because of their tax burden, they broke with Britain over representation. The slogan was "Taxation without representation is tyranny!"
Keyword is "without representation."
It seems hypocritical to say that the President won't negotiate when Grover Norquist holds pledges from republican congressmen promising not to negotiate on taxes.
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Mr. Norquist, That is , "Mr. Obama," or "President Obama."
Anyone who took this pledge SHOULD have been asked to take a No War or Peace Pledge as well! How can he say "Obama certainly spent and spent" without acknowledging that we've had 2 unfunded wars? There must be thousands of ways to really cut spending but no one seems to be able to come up with anything specific! Is this grandstanding and a failure of the imagination?
He and the GOP keep trying to say they 'won' the House. Pretty sure they lost seats in both the House and the Senate.
Not exactly a resounding show of support from the electorate. Rose colored glasses?.....
Norquist evaded the question about who authorized him to be the voice of the American people. If he has not been elected by anyone outside of his organization what gives him the authority to speak for the general public?