When a candidate for elective office signs the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, they are making a concrete promise to their constituents and the American people that they will oppose higher taxes. Contrary to a claim made in the Fargo Forum, that is exactly what Rick Berg did when he signed the Pledge earlier this year. He made a commitment to taxpayers of North Dakota to stand with them against tax hikes and special spending interests in Washington.

Pledge signers are not pledging anything to Americans for Tax Reform or Grover Norquist. While ATR promotes the Pledge, the Pledge is made to a candidate’s constituents, who are entitled to know where a candidate stands on the issues before they vote them into office.

The text of the Pledge is as follows:

I,__________________pledge to the taxpayers of the state of ________________, and to the American people that I will:

• ONE, oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rates for individuals and/or businesses; and

• TWO, oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates.

___________________________        ___________________________________

Signature                                                             Date

The 238 members of the House of Representatives and the 41 U.S. Senators who have signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge understand that the Pledge is a steadfast commitment to their constituents to oppose tax increases, making tax reform all the more likely. The power of the Pledge rests with voters nationwide who have chosen to value this written promise to oppose higher taxes. That power has grown as voters have become more and more interested in genuine tax reform that focuses on reining in Washington’s out of control spending problem.

Rick Berg’s opponent, Heidi Heitkamp has refused to make this commitment to the taxpayers, leaving the door open for tax hikes. This comes as no surprise since she supported Obamacare, which contains 20 new or higher taxes on American families and small businesses.

Posted by Paul Blair on Monday, June 25, 2012 4:43 PM EDT

To follow Paul Blair's RSS feed click here. To follow them on Twitter, their handle is @gopaulblair