A True To Form Taxing Pledge
If a candidate for elective office agrees to a pledge not to raise taxes, it seems all he has done is make a promise. It is not the same as when he takes office and then pledges to uphold the constitution or the state laws or some such. Nonetheless, Grover Norquist has made a name for himself reminding people of this pledge not to raise taxes.
Currently the press is reporting this very well, probably since President Obama is trying so hard to get the Republican House to go along with raising tax rates. It should be noted, of course, that taxing restraint has not stopped excessive spending; that instead of raising taxes the representatives have just borrowed the money. So despite Grover’s efforts, government has grown too much and will have to be paid for somehow.
Yet reports and opinions abound informing the reader of how much ‘power’ Grover has. Some people have made the statement that the promise to ‘not raise taxes’ is nothing compared to the promise to uphold the Constitution. Perhaps, but perhaps not.
Congress has not been noted for following the Constitution. If one reads the enumerated powers, one finds we are outside those more often than not. To that the response has to do with the ‘general welfare clause’; but if the general welfare clause outweighs the enumerated powers, then there is no Constitution of limitations on government, just a description of how government works.
Then there is a more humorous side. Notice it is only those who tend to be fiscally conservative who will sign such a pledge as Grover offers. What of those on the other side? What pledge do they or would they sign?
Perhaps this: I, Nancy Pelosi, promise to always try to raise taxes, to never cut spending (except the military), to constantly enlarge government, to promulgate more regulations and bureaucracies, and to have government become more and more of your life at every chance I get.
That would be truth in campaigning. Why don’t the leftists sign one of those? It seems to be what they stand for.
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