Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform:
"…These regulatory regimes inevitably become mechanisms to keep out competitors”
“‘Any problem of overspending that could be passed on to cigarettes could be fixed by just spending more wisely,’ Norquist said. ‘The problem with the tax increase isn’t just that it’s a tax increase, … it is that the tax is what you did instead of reforming state government.’”
“Today’s breakfast was done in conjunction with yesterday’s press conference that featured Jonathan Williams, the Institute’s Kristina Rasmussen, and Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform. All three spoke about the tax hikes proposed by Governor Quinn and the negative impact it would have on the state’s economic growth.”
“Norquist, head of Americans for Tax Reform, has never seen spending become a vote-moving issue. ‘When ‘spend too much’ becomes inflation or tax increases, then you’ve got a fight,’ he said.
But he sees signs that this is changing. Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) left the GOP after his vote for the $787 billion stimulus was so unpopular with Republicans that he became convinced he could not win the 2010 GOP primary.
Then the April 15 tax-protest tea parties drew hundreds of thousands across the country. ‘We couldn’t put 600,000 people at 600 rallies four months into Clinton, or four months into Carter,’ Norquist said.
‘The big thing that changed in the last year or so is spending, which in the 20 years that I’ve been involved in politics I could never turn into a vote-moving issue,’ he concluded.”
But he sees signs that this is changing. Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) left the GOP after his vote for the $787 billion stimulus was so unpopular with Republicans that he became convinced he could not win the 2010 GOP primary.
Then the April 15 tax-protest tea parties drew hundreds of thousands across the country. ‘We couldn’t put 600,000 people at 600 rallies four months into Clinton, or four months into Carter,’ Norquist said.
‘The big thing that changed in the last year or so is spending, which in the 20 years that I’ve been involved in politics I could never turn into a vote-moving issue,’ he concluded.”