From Shawn Zeller at Congress.org, Grover Norquist continues to warn against bipartisan deficit reduction plans.   “But Norquist is not convinced and says he sees no reason for bipartisan dealmaking. ‘The one constant in the world,’ he says, ‘is that Democrats want your money.’ As evidence, Norquist points to deficit reduction deals that two Republican presidents — Ronald Reagan in 1982 and George Bush in 1990 — reached with Democrats, deals he says raised taxes but failed to spur spending cuts. ‘With the best of intentions and the smartest, toughest guys in the room,’ he says, ‘this has ended poorly twice… Don’t let them bake the cake,’ he says, ‘when they really want to stick shards of glass in the batter.’”

 “Government Labor Unions vs. the Taxpayer” by Matthew Falconer at Sunshine State News. “The drama unfolding in Wisconsin is a collision between the generous salary and pension benefits of government employees and the ability of the average taxpayer to afford them ….Taxing corporations instead of people may sound appealing, but a consumer pays the tax in the cost of items purchased. The Americans for Tax Reform calculated the amount of tax in the items you purchase:

Taxes account for 43 percent of the average hotel room rate.

Taxes account for $63.60 of a $159 airline ticket.

A $153 utility bill includes $40 in taxes.

The corporations are merely collecting the tax; you, the consumer, are paying it.”

From The Washington Post, Bipartisan budget deals could violate the Taxpayer Protection Pledge. “Anti-tax purist Grover Norquist warned the Republican senators about being ‘implicated as parties to a bipartisan budget deal containing a net tax increase,’ in apparent violation of their no-new-taxes pledge.”

Byron Williams at MercuryNews.com claims “Dysfunctional system doesn't even let voters decide.” California Gov. Brown’s proposed budget “is the result of the past bipartisan fiscal plan of kicking the can down the road for nearly 30 years, resulting in the current $25.4 billion deficit. But the pain could be worse, as Brown warned. If voters fail to approve an assortment of tax extensions slated for a special election, he will be forced to cut deeper…In this case, it requires a two-thirds majority to simply have a tax increase placed on the ballot so that voters can decide.It is also the result of the effective advocacy conducted by Americans for Tax Reform and their president, Grover Norquist. Norquist, through his no-tax pledge, has managed to create a climate where a majority of Republicans on Capitol Hill and in state legislatures have taken a blood oath to disavow any revenue increases.”

“Tax or spend? The final chapter” by Debra Saunders at the San Francisco Chronicle. “A few brave Repubs will defy the zealots. Someone has to stand up to the intimidation…Likewise the bullying of the Washington, D.C.-based tax-pledge tyrant Grover Norquist. The truly conservative move is to negotiate concessions - preferably pension reform or a spending cap - because it's time to settle the tax-versus-cuts argument once and for all….Brown's proposed tax increase is actually $14 billion, while his cuts are closer to $8 billion, after accounting for funds shifted among money pots.”

This compilation of news briefs and headlines is intended only to call attention to issues pertinent to Americans for Tax Reform. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the staff or affiliates of ATR.