FreedomWorks

The Honorable Linda Lingle
Governor, State of Hawaii
Executive Chambers
State Capitol
Honolulu, Hawaii  96813

Dear Governor Lingle,

Writing on behalf of over 1,000 FreedomWorks Hawaii members, I urge you to stand firm and veto any and all tax increases.

This op-ed originally appeared in the Wall Street Journal on Feb. 4th.

The liberal pundits who embraced the candidacy of Barack Obama are also eager to issue a death certificate for free market capitalism. They're wrong, and they remind me of what the great Willie Nelson once said: "I'm ragged but I'm right."

Watch out, Utah!  If a group of anti-smoking advocates has their way, Utah will soon have the sixth largest cigarette tax in the nation.  The coalition wants to increase the current 69.5 cent per pack tax by $1.30 to a whopping $2.00 per pack. This would be the largest single cigarette tax increase in the nation and brings a pack of cigarettes to over $5.00.  Regardless of whether you smoke or not, this is highway robbery. 

Take Action.

This week, Congress will vote on the largest federal bailout in history—$700 billion in spending authority to purchase the troubled assets of Wall Street’s major investment houses.  As a free market economist I unequivocally oppose this legislation because it violates the basic working tenets of free market capitalism and individual responsibility.  Equally important to me, it likely violates our Constitution and stands in direct contradiction to the founding principles of our great nation.  

Americans who work hard, pay taxes and play by the rules can't seem to get fair representation in Washington, D.C., these days. In the current debate over a government bailout of speculators, irresponsible banks, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the responsible majority has once again been pushed aside in a legislative rush to "do something."

This should have been a perfect opportunity for Republicans, struggling to regain some standing with the American people, to rise united and demand real accountability and reform.