Ron Amundson’s Political Blog

Its been a few years since I left the Republican party… but the same BS continues. The political words continue on forever, say no to tax increases, say no to bigger goverment, say no to encroaching on liberty… and then do just the opposite via gamesmanship.

Case in point… Republican Gov Candidates Dual over Tax Votes

“I voted to fill the hole. I didn’t do any new spending. Nothing,” Emmer said. “Our city stayed right where it was. Whether you want to say they were paying it into the state and then hoping to get it back, or they were paying it into the city to pay for those services. I made the vote to keep our budget right where it was, because it was very lean at the time.”

and

“Is Marty suggesting that somehow his signing a tax pledge, breaking a tax pledge, vowing he’ll never sign a tax pledge and then signing a tax pledge again, and my saying, ‘Look, I give you my word that we don’t have to raise taxes on a state level,’ which is what I said consistently,” Emmer said.

Instead… they might want to think of the following… my arms length summary of what I think the tea party folks would like to see.

Look, we wont raise taxes on a state level, nor will we play accounting games to shift tax increases to the local level, nor will we shift them into the future, nor will we shift them around via delaying payments here or there. We will not increase our debt ceiling. If we dont have the revenue, and we are at our debt ceiling… we WILL shrink government as needed. If federal funds are used, and they require state increased state spending, we WILL shrink government as needed, or we WILL decline said federal funds. The only exception to the above is voter referendum, and potentially an index to inflation, both positive and negative.

In effect, such a stance would be an integration of paygo, and TABOR… it would truly result in smaller less intrusive government, greater liberty, and static, or perhaps even future tax reductions depending upon economic growth. On the other hand, such a stance would be political suicide, and might not even be feasible, since so much of state government spending is far beyond the control of current state government to do much of anything about…. But it most certainly would put at least some action behind BS rhetoric, trivial arguments, and weasel words.