Grover President and founder of ATR, is famous for the polarizing 'tax reform' pledge (the 'Norquist Pledge') he badgers politicians into signing - under penalty of designating them anti-tax reform. The current version of this pledge states that signers will:
- ONE, oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rates for individuals and/or businesses; and
- TWO, oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates.
Mr. Norquist even emphasizes that the pledge has no exceptions for war, natural disaster, or other misfortunes. For example, a signer of the Norquist Pledge isn't permitted to vote to increase tax rates on America's 1% - even if such changes would be revenue neutral, and/or are desperately needed for a national emergency. Our current marginal tax rates reflect random political compromises, so why they should be set in stone for the coming decades is not clear to me.
At last count, 238 Members of the House of Representatives and 41 Senators committed to the Norquist Pledge. Republican Presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich have also signed the pledge - which is binding for a politician's entire term in office.
Please sign the American Citizen's Anti-Norquist Pledge:
- As an American citizen, I hereby irrevocably commit that I will not support, contribute to or vote for any politicians who have signed the Norquist Pledge, unless they publicly renounce that Pledge.
- As a shareholder of any American corporation, I pledge to oppose any corporate contributions to ATR and to vote against any corporate management using corporate funds to support ATR.
- As a consumer I will not knowingly purchase goods and services from corporations that support the Norquist Pledge.
You can find more informant regarding this issue at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steven-strauss