I’d almost forgotten this. A couple weeks ago, a Silver State Confidential subscriber and Chris Edwards supporter wrote me the following:
“Chris is going to co-sponsor HR 25 the Fair Tax Act and he fears that you are going to bust him for signing no new taxes when the fair tax act will indeed introduce a new tax system that eliminates the 16th amendment.”
Here’s the thing: Edwards, in this regard, is another Mark Sherwood – totally ignorant of the subject matter at hand. He’s talked to everybody on the planet about the Tax Pledge EXCEPT for the two guys who know the most about it…me and the Father of the Pledge, Grover Norquist.
Because if he HAD talked to either Grover or me, he’d know that sponsoring the Fair Tax Act would NOT be a violation of the Tax Pledge because the bill is REVENUE NEUTRAL. There is nothing in the Tax Pledge to prevent true tax reform that doesn’t increase the net tax burden on Americans.
Now get this: Unlike Mr. Edwards, I did my homework. And here’s what I found…
There are currently 70 co-sponsors of HR 25.
68 of them have signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge.
And one of the other two is the only Democrat listed as a Fair Tax co-sponsor, David Boren of Oklahoma.
So much for trying to hide behind HR 25.
Chris, if you don’t want to sign the Tax Pledge, fine. You have no chance of being elected anyway. But the least you owe your supporters is a credible reason and legitimate explanation for your decision. Thus far, you haven’t given one. Why? Because there isn’t one.
