Listening to CSPAN“, Second Meeting of the Joint Deficit Reduction Committee”. I learned the poverty numbers have risen to 15% and household income dropped by 3%. I also enjoyed the testimony of Alan Simpson who called Grover Norquist for what he is. The ‘Man behind the curtain’ who does not want the responsibility of answering to voters. He just wants our representatives to answer to him, his lobby, Americans for Tax Reform and the Tea Party.
The most disturbing part of all this, is that the people we vote to represent us, may never have worked for us at all. I am not on the same page as Grover Norquist, and he should NOT be telling MY representative what to do! The premise is that the average voter does not know what is good for them. Maybe so, but, stupid as we voters are, these politicians belong to our districts, NOT GROVER and his LOBBY!
Our representatives have betrayed us by signing the pledge to Lobbyist Grover and his Americans For Tax Reform (ATR). Both Norquist: and the Koch brothers: are responsible for turning this country into a divided, deadlocked, gridlocked failing economy that is destroying the middle class.
No tax revenue during a today’s crisis, condemns those of us on fixed incomes and no jobs, to struggle for survival. These guys want the wealthy and the gainfully employed to skate away, Scott Free (“scot-free“, meaning “without consequences or penalties”). They say the wealthy should not be expected to support the government and fellow Americans. The rest of us are economically recycled. A crushed middle class, historically, is grounds for revolution … or secession. The most despicable part is that Grover even makes some Democrats sign the anti-tax pledge, that may have been reasonable for the 1980s, but not today.
We need to elect politicians with the balls to do the right thing, and resist Grover Norquist’s mandate. Why are our politicians pledging anything to a lobbyist, anyway? They belong to us, not the money machine … well, they say pretty things to their voters, but sell their souls as soon as they move to DC. So, I guess we should change the Constitution to read “we have to elect our own lobbyists to counter the ones bought by someone else”.
See WIKI: Who is Grover Norquist?
See UK Guardian: Koch brothers
See WIKI: Alan Kooi Simpson
The Joint Congressional Committee on Deficit Reduction had just three days to reach a deal eliminating at least $1.2 trillion from the nation’s debt using some combination of cutting spending and raising taxes.
The person at the heart of those negotiations – and some would say the person responsible for the deadlock – is neither a member of Congress nor the holder of any public office. He is a lobbyist and a conservative activist named Grover Norquist who, over the years, has gotten virtually every Republican congressman and senator to sign an oath called “The Pledge.” It’s a promise that they will never, under any circumstances, vote to raise taxes on anyone. And so far Grover Norquist has held them to it, controlling 279 votes, including the speaker of the House, the Senate minority leader and all six Republican members of the Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction.
What is the TAXPAYER PROTECTION PLEDGE?
“It has transformed American politics.” — Jonathan Alter, Newsweek
“Signing it has become de riguer for GOP candidates running for federal or statewide offices across the country.” — The Hill
“Americans for Tax Reform’s Taxpayer Protection Pledge has solidified opposition to tax increases in Congress and state legislatures over the years.” — Michael Barone
“The Pledge has become something of a rallying cry in conservative circles.” – National Journal
Politicians often run for office saying they won’t raise taxes, but then quickly turn their backs on the taxpayer. The idea of the Pledge is simple enough: Make them put their no-new-taxes rhetoric in writing.
In the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, candidates and incumbents solemnly bind themselves to oppose any and all tax increases. While ATR has the role of promoting and monitoring the Pledge, the Taxpayer Protection Pledge is actually made to a candidate’s constituents, who are entitled to know where candidates stand before sending them to the capitol. Since the Pledge is a prerequisite for many voters, it is considered binding as long as an individual holds the office for which he or she signed the Pledge.
Since its rollout with the endorsement of President Reagan in 1986, the pledge has become de rigeur for Republicans seeking office, and is a necessity for Democrats running in Republican districts.
Today the Taxpayer Protection Pledge is offered to every candidate for state office and to all incumbents. More than 1,100 state officeholders, from state representative to governor, have signed the Pledge. Statehouse tax-and-spend interests have to contend with Pledge signers in every state.
Read more: http://www.atr.org/taxpayer-protection-pledge-a2882#ixzz1eNlr44Yy
From the CBS 60 Minutes interview:
Steve Kroft: A lot of people think you’re the most powerful man in Washington.
Grover Norquist: The tax issue is the most powerful issue in American politics going back to the Tea Party. People say, ‘Oh, Grover Norquist has power.’ No. Grover Norquist and Americans for Tax Reform focus on the tax issue. The tax issue is a powerful issue.
Grover Norquist is trying to be modest. Since creating Americans for Tax Reform at Ronald Reagan’s behest back in 1985, Norquist has been responsible, more than anyone else, for rewriting the dogma of the Republican Party.
Norquist: The Republicans won’t raise your taxes. We haven’t had a Republican vote for an income tax increase since 1990.
Kroft: And this was your doing?
Norquist: I helped. Yeah.
It began with the simple idea of getting Republicans all over the country to sign an oath called the “Taxpayer Protection Pledge,” promising their constituents that they would never, ever vote for anything that would make their taxes go up.
Alan Simpson calls out Grover Norquist:
Yesterday, at a public hearing, those six Republicans got an earful from one of their former colleagues — retired Sen. Alan Simpson (R-WY).
“Just a quick note about Grover Norquist,” Simpson testified. “If Grover Norquist is now the most powerful man in America, he should run for president. There’s no question about his power. And let me tell you, he has people in thrall. That’s a terrible phrase. Lincoln used it. It means your mind has been captured. You’re in bondage with a soul. “
Simpson went on: “So here he is. I asked him. He said, ‘My hero is Ronald Reagan.’ I said, ‘Well, he raised taxes 11 times in his eight years.’ And he said, ‘I know. I didn’t like that at all.’ I said, ‘Well, he did it. Why do you suppose?’ He said, ‘I don’t know. Very disappointing.’ I said, ‘He probably did it to make the country run, another sick idea.’”
Raw Story and The Mediaite: Alan Simpson Calls For Investigation Into Grover Norquist: ‘Who Is He Slave To?’
Christian Science Monitor: Readers Write: Grover Norquist is an extremist; others say federal spending is the problem (not the answer)
ThinkProgress: GROVER NORQUIST SUGGESTS ALAN SIMPSON IS SENILE AND DRUNK
Alan Simpson Calls Grover Norquist
A Liar, Says He “Will Be … Alan Simpson Takes on Grover Norquist, AARP – Washington Wire …
Alan Simpson Takes on Grover Norquist | SwampBubbles – News …
The president of Americans for Tax Reform encouraged Republican members of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to sign a pledge that binds them to resist raising taxes as they work to find $1.2 trillion dollars in deficit-cutting measures by Wednesday, but on CNN’s “American Morning,” he said the pledge was between the country and its congressmen, and not with him.
Democratic Sen. Patty Murray called Norquist out Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” saying his name came up too often during super committee negotiations.
“As long as we have some Republican lawmakers who feel more enthralled with a pledge they took to a Republican lobbyist than they do to a pledge to the country to solve the problems, this is going to be hard to do,” she said.
Norquist fired back Monday. ”The senator is not telling the truth,” he argued.
We need politicians with the balls to do the right thing, in spite of Grover Norquist’s sick mandate. We need someone who does not tell the 99% Civil Disobedient Movement, “… go get a job, after you take a bath …”. Thank You Newt.
Original article: Grover Norquist Causes The Budget Failure
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