Grover Doubles Down on Comedy Central

Yes, that’s right all you cheese-doddle eating, bean bag chair sitting fans of the pseudo-news shows The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, conservative anti-tax activist and president of Americans for Tax Reform appeared on both shows within 33 days.

Grover was on talking about his new book “Leave Us Alone: Getting the Governments Hands Off Our Money, Our Guns and Our Lives.”

According to a recent article in The Examiner, Norquist explained why “The Colbert Report” is a more challenging interview than “The Daily Show.” “Stewart will challenge you from a moderately liberal position, but I face that everyday talking to the New York Times,” said Norquist. “When Colbert asks me an oddball question, he starts by saying ‘You and I agree on something,’ than he says something odd. … He’s amazingly quick and you have to be prepared for the unexpected.”

So watch out fake-news-comedy-pretending to be conservative television show hosts…you never know when Grover might be coming for you.

Click here to view Grover on The Daily Show.

Click here to view Grover on The Colbert Report.

Income Tax Repeal Measure Presses Forward in Massachusetts

Efforts in Massachusetts to put an income tax repeal measure on the November ballot have been ongoing since the middle of 2007. Now the coalition behind this initiative, the Committee for Small Government, is in the final phase of MA’s 3 stage initiative qualification process.

First 66,593 signatures had to be submitted last fall. 100,000 signatures were submitted. Next the proposal went to the legislature where lawmakers had the opportunity to go ahead and pass the law, bypassing the initiative process all together – this did not happen…shocker. In what is the final hurtle to getting this question on the ballot; proponents must gather another 11,099 signatures, which they are currently in the process of doing.

Even if this initiative passes, the legislature still has the ability to repeal the income tax elimination. One would think that lawmakers would be loath to take such action but Bay State legislators have a history of thwarting the will of the people.

In 2000, voters approved a rollback of what was originally intended to be a “temporary” income tax increase dating back to 1989. The rollback’s passage mandated a gradual rate reduction to 5 percent. MA politicians froze this voter approved rollback at 5.3 percent in 2002.

Elimination of the state income tax would rollback MA’s budget to 1995 levels. Gov. Deval Patrick and fellow tax and spenders on Beacon Hill are terrified that the taxpayer teat they have so recklessly been suckling may dry up a bit and have employed scare tactics, warning voters of crumbling roads, collapsing bridges, and decrepit schools if the income tax is eliminated. I’m sorry but I don’t recall hearing of such problems back in 1995…I think the world will go on. Florida, Texas, and New Hampshire are having no such problems with zero income tax.

MA voters should consider facts when deciding upon this measure rather than the folklore being espoused by Gov. Patrick and company. Here is one fact that may be helpful – state government spending in Massachusetts has increased by more than 100 percent in the past 17 years while population has increased by just 8.3 percent.

One more fact to leave you with - Bay State taxpayers worked well over half of the year last year, 199 days, just to pay for the cost of their government. MA families didn't start making money for themselves until July 19.

Salazar Thinks $750,000 Farmers Need Welfare, But Familes Earning $100,000 Are Rich And Need to "Pay Their Fair Share"

Under the category, "Wow, that's some gall," Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO) says that farmers earning a profit of $750,000 per year deserve welfare from the federal government.

But families and small businesses earning a living need to see their taxes hiked. Salazar supports hiking tax rates on families and small businesses, increasing the tax rate on capital gains and dividends, and other tax increases.

Pledge Breaker List From "Blue Dog Tax Hike"

The House today voted to approve the "Blue Dog Tax Hike" (see the roll call here). Unfortunately, 27 Taxpayer Protection Pledge signers broke their promise to their constituents that they would never raise income taxes. Seven Pledge breakers (Phil English, Vito Fossella, Steve LaTourette, Tim Murphy, Jon Porter, Rick Renzi, and Fred Upton) are first-time offenders.

All Pledge breakers are ineligible to receive the 2008 "Hero of the Taxpayer" Congressional scorecard award, no matter how else they vote for the rest of the year. This vote will count twice in the scorecard.

Here is the complete list:

Don Young
Rick Renzi
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
Mark Kirk
Tim Johnson
Ray LaHood
Ed Whitfield
Ben Chandler (D-KY)--the fifth Pledge violation this Congress
Wayne Gilchrest
Fred Upton
Joe Knollenberg
Candice Miller
Jim Ramstad
Jo Ann Emerson
Gene Taylor (D-MS)--the fourth Pledge violation this Congress
Walter Jones
Robin Hayes
Jeff Fortenberry
Robert Andrews (D-NJ)--the fifth Pledge violation this Congress
Chris Smith
Jon Porter
Vito Fossella
Steve LaTourette
Phil English
Tim Murphy
Tom Petri
Shelly Moore Capito

Louisiana Congressman Likely to Squeeze Middle Class with Taxes

Although Don Cazayoux ran as a “conservative, John Breaux Democrat” for the recently-vacated Louisiana Sixth Congressional District seat, Cazayoux’s legislative past should serve as a warning as to what he’ll really do when Pelosi comes ‘a knockin’.

Folks from Louisiana refer to Congressman Richard Baker’s successor as Don “Tax You,” a response to his perpetual support of incessant taxation. Upon the announcement of his candidacy for Louisiana House of Representatives in 1999, Cazayoux declared: “I’m not in favor of any new taxes.”

So much for that. Cazayoux voted for more than $1 billion in new taxes during his eight-year tenure in the Louisiana Legislature. The wrath of “Tax You” included fees and penalties for groceries, utility bills, hospital bills, car rentals, boat trailers, driver’s licenses, donations to charities or churches, childcare, agriculture, medical care, cigars, recreational vehicles, business utility bills, horses and even fertilizers.

Cazayoux has only six months to prove himself to Louisiana voters, as he will run again in the general election in November 2008. Hopefully, he doesn’t hurt the already-ailing state in the process.

More Heartache for Gibbons

Nevada's governor is facing the heat from both sides of the aisle.

Following his proposal to cut state agency budgets by 14 percent in order to patch up the state's projected $1 billion deficit, Democrats and teachers' unions have been putting the pressure on Gibbons to 'lighten up on necessary services' and raise taxes as an alternative.

Here's the rub: While Gibbons may be tempted to reneg in order to save face with the unions, he has committed to the taxpayers of Nevada to oppose and veto any and all effort to raise taxes. If the unions have their way, Gibbons will be faced with a ballot proposal (or just a closed-door agreement with casino heads) to raise the gaming tax. In either scenario, taxpayers will hold him to his commitment to oppose this tax hike.

Check out what fiscal conservatives in the state have been saying about Gibbons's rapidly falling star.

Unions Starting To Get Desperate?

It certainly seems like that might be the case. According to a story in the Wall Street Journal (posted by The Union Label), Andy Stern, the Services Employee International Union president, has been hard at work, stealthily making some secret deals, some with other unions, and some with, of all people, employers. And these deals just happen to be secret to not just the public but the union's members too. There's just nothing quite like having unions on your side, eh?

He claims that he's just trying to increase membership because “The old ways aren’t working." Hmm, wonder why? Maybe, and keep in mind, this is a maybe, it isn't the methods that are the problem. Maybe the problem is that more and more workers are figuring out that unions don't look out for workers, they just appropriate money from them and funnel it towards political causes they themselves don't agree with. Or they've realized just how much unions cost America in terms of jobs and economic growth.

It would certainly explain the horrendous attempts to create government-sanctioned union thuggery through card check - and surpise, surprise, when we look at what details of Stern's secret bargains are available what do we find?

"The agreements enable the unions to organize workers through a simple card-signing process in which the companies agree to remain neutral, rather than a secret-ballot election. The companies agree to provide the unions with lists of employees and access to workers. The unions give up the ability to strike and agree that they will present issues before a labor-management committee before engaging in leafleting or rallies"

So, since it seems card check stands a good chance at failing by legislative mandate Andy Stern decided to hedge his bets and get it through secret bargains. Here's to worker freedom.

For the latest updates on union-related issues check out the Alliance for Worker Freedom.