It should really come as no surprise to even the least-seasoned politico that the Sacramento Bee’s editorial board in a sharply penned column today trashes Americans for Tax Reform and their well-regarded no-new-taxes pledge. After all, the Bee’s large editorial board, doesn’t have even one Republican on it — not even a moderate one. This is the same Sacramento Bee editorial page that frequently calls on state legislators to — you guessed it — raise your taxes!
The accusation made in the Bee’s stinging attack on ATR, the pledge, and its President Grover Norquist, is that somehow that they are trying to dictate policy from across the country — admonishing pledge signing legislators that, "…they need to decide whether their allegiance to a demagogue 3,000 miles away trumps their allegiance to California and its citizens."
Give me a break. It is very clear in reading the editorial that ATR and Norquist are the "straw man" — and that in reality the liberal Sacramento Bee Editorial Board is taking the dozens of California legislators who have voluntary signed the ATR pledge to the woodshed, angry that a large group of public officials would dare to not only disagree on a major policy issue with them, but have the nerve to actually make a written promise to voters (not to some guy 3,000 miles away) to oppose higher taxes.
The pledge is very short, and very straight forward and reads: I, __________, pledge to the taxpayers of the ___ District of the state of _________ and all the people of this state that I will oppose and vote against any and all efforts to increase taxes.
Like I said, it is a pledge to constituents that candidates voluntarily choose to sign. Perhaps the anger of the Bee really should be aimed squarely at voters, who over and over again have made it clear that they do not want to have their taxes raised (just looked at the epic failure of Proposition 1A in May of 2009 or the myriad of proposed tax increases on last November’s ballot that were rejected).
Perhaps the Bee should editorialize against Republican primary voters right there in the Bee’s circulation area — the 1st Senate District. Before their eyes, the Bee’s Editorial Board members watched the candidate they endorsed to replace Dave Cox , Assemblyman Roger Niello, get totally waxed by Assemblyman Ted Gaines — it wasn’t even close. Yet Niello had amazing name identification in the region and deep pockets to finance his campaign. Niello lost because the primary was focused on his vote for the largest tax increase in California history, and his refusal to sign a written pledge no to raise taxes going forward. Gaines, who signed a pledge to oppose tax increases, kept his word and voted against them.
In a column that was featured in the Sacramento Bee last Sunday, retired State Senator Jim Brulte was dead-on when he said, "…the reform most needed today is a change in the mindset of state
policymakers. Until this mindset changes, even the most radical reforms enacted by the voters will not restore the luster to our state."
The mindset to which Brulte was referred is one that is frequently espoused by the Bee’s Editorial Board — when they continue to support more state government regulation, and higher taxes on working Californians.
Most of my friends, like me, are actually proud of our elected officials for their "line in the sand" against tax increases. Besides the Bee, there are many other powerful special interests in Sacramento who are all pushing for more government spending, and higher taxation to support that spending. Legislators who are unabashedly protecting the interests of taxpayers are to be hailed and heroes and patriots, not belittled and torn down.
January 8th, 2011 at 12:00 am
The Sacramento Bee should be required to register as an official Democratic Party organ–in the same fashion that Pravda was for the Soviet Communists. The Bee’s editorial stances are so predictably leftwing that they are irrevelant to most local residents. To wit, the Bee endorsed Ken Cooley–who captured less than 38% of the vote–in our recent local State Senate election. My family stopped subscribing to this left wing rag several years ago and urge all Republicans to do the same.
January 8th, 2011 at 12:00 am
Jon,
” the Bee’s large editorial board, doesn’t have even one Republican on it”
If Republicans like Abel Maldonado or Anthony Adams were on the Bee editorial board,would it be any different? I think you meant to say the Bee editorial board doesn’t have one conservative.
The Bee did have somewhat of a point in that Grover is 3,000 miles away. Thank God for Grover and ATR, but it does strike me as odd that CA has very few keeping our elected officials feet to the fire. Take away you and Jon Coupal, and things get thin. It would be great if we had dozens effective CA groups to give the knuckleheads in Sacramento a backbone.
January 9th, 2011 at 12:00 am
Agreed. We have elected many so called “Conservatives” who have signed the no new tax pledge and then had no problem in voting for tax increases when offered (bribed)with non elected positions on boards, commissions etc.
These people get elected and then when they see the end of the paychecks coming on the horizon, just throw the voters, the pledge and their dignity under the bus.
The new way to skirt around the pledge today is in saying that you are against tax increases unless approved by the voters. Politicians need to know that their vote to put tax increasing initiatives or propositions on the ballot IS a vote to raise taxes.
There is no situation where the the majority of voters are beating down their doors, demanding that their taxes be increased.
This new cop out being used by Brown, is now being used by so called “conservative tax fighting” councilmen and Supervisors to skirt the pledge with no accountability or harm to themselves.
I would like to see the pledge be modified to include voting for tax hiking initiatives and propositions.
I enjoy torturing the ATR pledgors who violate the pledge by protesting them when they show up at speaking events, acting if if their betrayal let go unpunished. We need more flash mobs to show up and protest these people where ever they go.
My journey into politics began when I protested Anthony Adams when he showed up in my community to blow smoke up the garmets of my local Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club.
My sign was 3 x 8 feet that said “Ask Adams Why He Is Being Recalled” in front of his speaking venues.
The highlight of the event was when Adams drove in the entrance and was stuck in traffic right in front of me. I can only describe the disgust shown on his face as one who just fell into the bowels of an outhouse face first.