Tax Revolt!

A tax revolt is sweeping the nation, but Democratic candidates for president have failed to notice. With first primaries of the 2004 election season just days away, they are still proposing tax hikes. While President Bush has put forth his fourth tax cut in four years, candidate Wesley Clark recently revealed a plan dredged from the Democratic sewer of bad ideas past, reeking of class warfare: he would raise taxes on the rich and cut taxes for the poor and middle class to make the system more “progressive” or rather, discriminatory. And, although the word “tax” only appears on one document on candidate Howard Dean’s web site, he has made his stance on taxes clear: he wants to repeal President Bush’s tax cuts, raising taxes on just about everyone with a job—from the Wall Street tycoon Clark would tax, to the person who shines his shoes.

A savvy staff member on either of these campaigns would notice that Americans do not want to pay higher taxes to fund the excesses of government. Americans want a candidate who will help the taxpayer, not the tax collector. In fact, the National Taxpayers Union web site links to around 400 taxpayer groups from coast to coast fighting for lower taxes.

Citizen-activists in Tennessee, the home state of Dean-endorser Al Gore, set up Tennessee Tax Revolt in response to the push for an income tax in the state, and successfully prevented former Republican Gov. Sundquist from enacting such a tax.

Taxpayers in Ohio have formed Citizens for Tax Repeal in response to the largest tax hike in Ohio’s history—- a 1 percent sales tax increase. They stunned the legislature by submitting an initiated statute with over 150,000 signatures, gathered in less than two months, calling for the repeal of the new tax.

In Idaho, Laird Maxwell heads up Idahoans for Tax Reform. They initially organized to promote a citizen-initiated tax cut, and continue to fight for lower taxes.

One of the more visible acts of the nation wide taxpayer revolt happened in California, where voters have thrown out tax-raising Gray Davis and elected Arnold Schwarzenegger who ran on a promise not to raise taxes.

Even Massachusetts, formerly derided as “Taxachusetts,” recently elected Gov. Mitt Romney, a Republican who promised to deal with budget pressures by improving government efficiency, rather than raising taxes.

A growing number of states, including Tennessee, Wisconsin, Idaho, New Hampshire, Kansas, and Minnesota, and the City of Chicago, are discussing a Taxpayer Bill of Rights, or TABOR, which would require taxpayer approval of tax increases, limit increases in per capita state expenditures to the inflation rate, and mandate immediate refunds of all surplus revenues.

Such a law was enacted in Colorado eleven years ago. Since then, Colorado has reduced taxes more than any other state, issuing annual tax rebates that have totaled more than $3.2 billion, and, according to National Review, between 1995 and 2000, Colorado ranked first among all states in gross state product growth and second in personal income growth.

The most resounding defeat of a tax hike in recent memory came in Alabama in September, 2003. After a strong campaign against the tax hike led by Alabama Citizens for a Sound Economy, 866,623, or 68 percent of voters went to the polls to say no to higher taxes, while just 416,310, or 32 percent said yes.

Two months later, Florida Citizens for a Sound Economy activists in Brevard County worked tirelessly to mobilize voters in opposition to a proposed $1.3 billion tax increase. Voters responded by defeating the increase with a resounding 65 percent voting no, and just 35 asking for higher taxes.

A similarly magnificent triumph for taxpayers may be coming on February 3rd in Oregon where a $1.1 billion tax hike has been brought before the voters, thanks to the hard work of Oregon Citizens for a Sound Economy and the Taxpayer Defense Fund. Leading the charge is Russ Walker, who turned in nearly 150,000 signatures from voters supporting the tax repeal.

The message to all candidates for public office should be clear: citizens want lower taxes, and Citizens for a Sound Economy and other tax cutting citizen groups will be there fighting on the size of the citizens, whether or not the elected politicians like it.

Let you representative know today that your vote is for lower taxes by email or by calling 1-888 JOIN CSE.