Grover Norquist Leads the Fight Against Taxes

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What kind of joke is this 'Leadership for the next decade' - this must be a recycled 1990's article. Norquist is hopelessly damaged goods without any credibility.
If this is best 'Leading conservative activist' you could come up with, then the conservative movement will be admitting to its own collapse of ideas and leadership.

Hank of TN 9:22PM March 16, 2010

A federal tax revolt is just the catalyst to shake down both Democrats and Republicans. Everybody pay your federal income taxes to your state, county or city government, anywhere but the IRS. It's the money. Reroute the money and the healing will begin. Remember the Reagan 80's, when unemployment shot up, the minimum wage froze at $3.35/hr. and family-owned farms were disappearing at the rate of 1,000 a week? Remember runaway federal spending on defense? Why settle for false optimism when the solution to all our economic problems is in our wallets?
Don't wait for change, BE the change. If you're not willing to take a stand, then...more Koolaid, anyone!

Heather Czerniak of WI 3:37PM March 16, 2010

For someone who mocks the need for taxes, this hustler seems to love wasting tax dollars on useless subsidies. With crooked buddies like Abramoff a strong case can be made that tax dollars are necessary to pay for regulation and strong enforcement to keep crooked hands off our tax dollars.
We all know taxes are a reality or things would be nothing but anarchy. Most of us would agree that taxes are wasted when the money ends up in the pockets of sleazy lobbyists and not being used for common interests of the people. So why anyone would believe this lobbyist is lost on people aware of to his gimmicks.

James of VA 11:37PM March 15, 2010

The battle for your paychecks is on and only a fool thinks the government spends money wisely. About 40% is wasted through sheer incompetence. If you're happy with that you're also an idiot.

Bob of MD 6:14AM March 14, 2010

national sales taxes is te answer,you buy,you pay,tha's it.
income taxes should be abolished,corp taxes should be cut in 1/2,lets put an end to this nonsense.

carlos of MO 12:56AM March 14, 2010

Ron W. Smith from U.T. says it right... we can no doubt reduce the number of military bases around the world, over 700(!) without harming our national defense. We should take heed of the word of Eisenhower, who warned of the military/industrial complex, which is just what we have today. The thing is, insofar as this expenditure doesn't produce anything of useful value,beyond blowing things up and killing people, can't we find more productive uses for these funds? Roads, bridges, other infrastructure, nuclear and other power plants, alternative energy sources, schools, hospitals, and universities, etc., etc. ring a bell? Let's stop the empire and nation building and take care of ourselves for a while. And what the hell do we need a $100 billion, or whatever, world's largest embassy in Iraq for? Let's just take half the money, set it on fire, and use the rest for something useful!

william of GA 9:02PM March 11, 2010

Only if you're not getting your money's worth.
"I like paying taxes. With them I buy civilization." Oliver Wendell Holmes
Ron W Smith of UT (previous poster) has expressed my views better than I could myself.
Any time I hear someone ranting about cutting taxes, I always ask them, "So, what programs do you propose to cut? Defense? Social Security? Medicare? Highways?" I never seem to get an answer. Everyone's all in favor of cutting taxes and balancing the budget, until it's their sacred cow that's about to be made into hamburger. Norquist is no different.

Sam of MO 7:38PM March 11, 2010

I too pay state plus federal income taxes, plus county property and school district taxes. No one likes to part with his money, but having witnessed the disintegration of California since Prop. 13, the property tax "reform" measure backed by arch-conservatives, I wish a different reform had been effected--one without yawning loopholes. That is why I wish federal health "reform" measures would be done piece-meal within acogent framework so unintended consequences do not become writ in stone.
Also, while some states may have scandalous overpayments to retired public employees, California has an independent and exceptionally well-run system that is working to eliminate loopholes as they are discovered. The great majority of retirees have more than earned their modest stipends, which average under $25,000--hardly a boondoggle.

Jill of CA 5:39PM March 11, 2010

I don't know anyone who "likes" taxes. Since my wife and I are among those nailed annually by federal AND state income taxes, we should be among those who, Like Grover Norquist, fight against them. We don't, though, for far too many reasons to cover here.
What I would much prefer people like Norquist and his taxpayers group to do is focus on things for which too much tax money is spent and, thereby, hope to change them.
Here's one: Because the United States spends so much on national defense, homeland security, nation building, and foreign aid designed to gain the cooperation of other countries in fighting our enemies, why not work to correct this failed, extravagant policy? After all, the collection of those four costs American taxpayers more than is spent by the rest of the world COMBINED on them while guaranteeing only the results that we remain a target of terrorism, that we year after year maintain military installations in more than 700 places around the world, and that we end up engaging repeatedly in military operations without end in sight. Our foreign policy is clearly in need of reinspection, I would say, with the saving of taxpayer dollars just one objective (along with the saving of American lives and ridding ourselves of the reputation of international elephant in the room).
Other ways of saving taxpayers' money could also be talked about--eliminating earmarks (pork), making each state financially responsible for ALL expenses involving their own elected representatives and senators (health care, salaries, retirement, office space, staff, etc.), constructing the IRS code and designing tax forms with the object of reducing IRS overhead expenses, and so on.
Norquist and others think starving the beast the way to accomplish lower taxes--reducing incoming money, in other words. I say that severely cutting the NEED for taxes--case by case--the better way. His way affects good programs, needed social ones for instance. Mine shouldn't affect them.

Ron W. Smith of UT 3:28PM March 11, 2010

Afell, while I am not a conservative- I totally agree with your comments. Not all taxes are bad, esp I agree with your comments regarding the "sin" taxes. What also really drives me crazy is the way the tax laws seem to have so many tax loopholes and most often only big corporations or wealthy citizens can take advantage of these loopholes and so the regular average citizen ends up paying the bulk of the tax revenue....or so it seems.

Dakota of NJ 2:26PM March 11, 2010