Seasoned NJ Assemblyman pledges to "oppose any and all efforts to increase taxes."
WASHINGTON – State Assemblyman Guy Gregg, a Republican representing District 24, has signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge sponsored by Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), the nation\’s leading taxpayer advocacy group. The Taxpayer Protection Pledge is a pledge from a candidate or representative in any level of government to "oppose and vote against any and all efforts to increase taxes."
Assemblyman Gregg became the 7th member of the state Assembly to sign the Pledge. Currently, President George W. Bush, 216 U.S. House members, 42 senators, eight governors and over 1,171 state and local officials have signed the Pledge. Copies of the Pledge and up-to-date lists of signers can be found on ATR\’s website at www.atr.org.
"Assemblyman Gregg\’s bold stroke of the pen today confirms that he will fight for the taxpayers of New Jersey," said taxpayer advocate Grover Norquist, who heads ATR. "With Governor McGreevey consistently raising taxes on working families across the state, Gregg\’s leadership today is a welcome sign to the state\’s taxpayers that McGreevey\’s proposed tax increases will not be tolerated."
According to a recent ATR analysis, McGreevey has proposed $700 million in new taxes for fiscal year 2004 in addition to the $1.96 billion tax increase enacted in fiscal year 2003. As such, if the proposed tax increases become law, taxpayers will be paying $2.65 billion in higher taxes in FY\’ 04 than before McGreevey came to office, which is approximately 1 percent of the state\’s economy. Furthermore, the two years combined will lead to taxpayers being forced to pay a total of $4.6 billion in new taxes since McGreevey was elected governor.
"Governor McGreevey believes he can tax-and-spend the state back to prosperity, yet he has stifled new capital investment, job creation, and consumer spending by imposing such large tax increases," continued Norquist. "With the governor assaulting the taxpayers of the state, never has it been more important for the taxpayers to have on their side advocates in the state Legislature. Without question, the State of New Jersey needs more representatives like Guy Gregg to protect taxpayers and get the state\’s economy moving again."