OK, let’s say you’re a Nevada state senator who signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge promising the voters of your district and the citizens of Nevada that you would “oppose and vote against any and all efforts to increase taxes.”
And let’s say while you were a state senator – say, in 2003 – the following bill was introduced:
“AN ACT relating to public financial administration; imposing a tax on the admission charge to a place where entertainment is provided; imposing a tax for the privilege of providing certain services in this state; revising the taxes on liquor, cigarettes and the privilege of conducting business in this state; increasing various fees collected by the Secretary of State; imposing a state tax on the rental of transient lodging; revising the formula for calculating the limit upon total proposed expenditures from the State General Fund for purposes other than construction; revising the fees charged for certain gaming licenses; providing penalties; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.”
Questions:
1.) Would you say such a bill was an effort to increase taxes?
Of course it was.
2.) Would co-sponsoring such a bill be a violation of the legislator’s pledge to oppose any and all efforts to increase taxes?
Of course it would be.
3.) And if you later decided to run for Congress while simultaneously refusing to re-sign the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, could that be a major issue in a competitive Republican primary campaign?
You betcha.
Let’s hope no Republican candidate finds themselves in THAT pickle, huh?
