When is a tax increase not a tax increase?
Submitted by James Protzman on Sat, 03/24/2007 - 10:26am
When it's a royal decree by The Asphalt King? Some things are just too funny - like this exchange between Bill Graham and Fred Smith noted in the Charlotte Observer.
Salisbury lawyer Bill Graham's campaign has fired the first shot in the race for the Republican nomination for governor in 2008, but it was a bit off target. Graham staffer Andy Lancaster sent out a copy of a no-new-taxes pledge drafted by the conservative group Americans for Prosperity last year and signed by, among others, Sen. Fred Smith, of Johnston County near Raleigh.
The Graham camp also highlighted that Smith voted for four bills this month that they say violate the pledge. The bills authorize individual counties to levy a hotel/motel tax. The only trouble is that, while Americans for Prosperity sees the bills as tax increases, it doesn't consider Smith to have broken his pledge, according to the group's state director, Francis Deluca.
Pretty damn hilarious, no? Americans for Prosperity is one of the many interlocking circles of the Art Pope Puppetshow. Designed to stomp out taxes, public education and government planning, AFP lurks behind the scenes, making whatever version of reality they can get away with.
The only trouble is that, while Americans for Prosperity sees the bills as tax increases, it doesn't consider Smith to have broken his pledge, according to the group's state director, Francis Deluca.
Only a full-fledged member of the Puppetshow could convolute reason to such an extreme with a straight face. Looks like The Asphalt King has friends in low places. It's no wonder he calls himself "we."
Trackback URL for this post:
http://bluenc.com/trackback/5838
- James Protzman's blog
- Login or register to post comments
When is an Increase Not an Increase?
When it's not coming out of your pocket, of course.
That's the Republican way.
Fiscal conservatives, my Aunt Fanny.
By calling himself "We"
there's no ONE person held accountable. SOP of the POG!
No matter that patriotism is too often the refuge of scoundrels. Dissent, rebellion, and all-around hell-raising remain the true duty of patriots.
Progressive Discussions
I know a sop
both kinds.
What's a pog? Wasn't that a kid's game with those little cardboard chips? Back in the 80's?
I use POG
for Party of Greed . . . instead of GOP (Grand (ha) Old Party).
They might have been -
grand back in the old days - around the time of Lincoln.
I've never seen it in my lifetime.
A....you add a very important element to this story
The Charlotte Observer fails to include that AFP is an Art Pope side show. That helps explain why a tax increase voted on by a Republican is not a tax increase. A tax increase is obviously only a tax increase when it is a Democrat voting for it.
Robin Hayes lied. Nobody died, but thousands of folks lost their jobs.
Rethugs Love to Misuse Language
That's why they hate an educated populace.
Technically, some of their maneuverings aren't 'increases'; they're merely 'shifts' from one pocket to another OR a vicious 'pay it forward' type of borrowing.
By putting the resulting pain from their shifty business into the future - they distance what they've done to people by making it happen far away from the time the shift occurred.
Most people can't follow economics - heck, I have to pay close attention to keep my checkbook in order - and I have far fewer zeros and decimal points to keep track of -