Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform, has issued a statement strongly endorsing Susan Stimpson for the 28th district in the House of Delegates.[read_more] In his endorsement he said,
“In signing the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, Susan Stimpson has demonstrated that she understands the problems of hardworking taxpayers in Virginia. Her written commitment to Virginia voters helps differentiate her candidacy from that of her opponent, Speaker Bill Howell.”
“Speaker Howell is a serial tax-hiker. Ever since he took the helm as the top ranking Republican in Richmond in 2003, Howell has been a major force behind every major tax hike in Virginia.
Under Democrat Governor Mark Warner in 2004, Bill Howell could have prevented a $615 million tax hike. Instead, he convinced Republicans who opposed the tax to take a hike, allowing the vote to proceed and eventually be signed into law.”
“The Speaker was even more involved in tax hikes in 2007 under Democrat Governor Tim Kaine. Howell sponsored legislation that raised taxes and fees by $500 million and authorized regional tax hikes amounting to more than $600 million annually. The Supreme Court struck down the regional tax hikes as unconstitutional.
Speaker Howell’s involvement in both of these tax hikes allowed Kaine and Warner to run for U.S. Senate campaigning as moderates who could work across the aisle with Republicans. Thanks largely to Bill Howell, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine are now U.S. Senators.
Bill Howell wasn’t done. In 2013, Howell sponsored the largest tax hike in Virginia history. He raised the sales tax, property taxes, hotel taxes, hybrid vehicle taxes, and the gas tax all for special spending projects like light rail in Northern Virginia.”
Grover Norquist concluded,
“Howell embodies the type of politician who raises taxes instead of reforming government. For more than a decade, he has caved to special interests by raising taxes instead of using a Republican majority to benefit Virginia taxpayers and small businesses with a pro-growth and limited government agenda.
That is why I am proud to endorse Susan Stimpson in her bid to defeat Bill Howell in Virginia House District 28.”
Read the full statement here.
10 comments
Are their any Reps. R or D who can come up with more innovative ideas than ” raise taxes “, or sign a no ” tax pledge “? C’mon are you people educated ? Do you think for yourselves ?
So she will ” handicap her leadership ” of Virginians by signing this.
Narrow minds will govern for a limited number people all while wearing blinders.
If this is all you will bring than Herring will be next Governor of Va. , me I prefer MR. Gillespie , at least he understands ” dignity of work ” .
Southwest Va. will go Red due to the lack of cohesive attention being paid to Employee Misclassification by Republicans.
Obama , Obama ,Obama , hey Obama don’t Govern VA , we do !
I really don’t care if it was Grover Norquist or Grover from Sesame Street that announced this. It is the fact that she signed the pledge and she has the history to show that she will honor it. This pledge was endorsed by President Reagan and whether or not you agree with Norquist, it should serve as notice that she is willing to make that written commitment by putting into writing – “NO NEW TAXES”.
She did exactly what the pledge commits when she was on the Board of Supervisors and despite all the hand wringing and doom mongering when the Board killed the B-Pol and reduced the County’s operating costs, Stafford is doing fine.
I am tired of politicians who tell me what I want to hear while sticking their hands in my pockets for more money.
While some may dismiss the pledge as meaningless, to me it signals an ONGOING commitment to watch the backs and the wallets of the constituents of the 28th.
Jeanine, I been thinking. Just who in the Republican Party endorses Grover Norquist?
grover is a liability
Is Speaker Howell a liability or asset?
Is he “Teflon”, because of the power company checkbook?
I cannot agree more.
I live in a district where Republicans allowed 5th District Congressman Hurt to hand out leaflets at
the polls Nov. 2013 VOTE NO on meals Tax.
This prepared meals tax { a ” willful ” consumption tax } was to aid our increasing budget to help fund the shortfall within our fine public school system.
Yes we have Administrators and Faculty that are Graduates of Liberty University.
You see when you have such a ” Fine Institution ” such as LU in your back yard it brings a little
” trickle down ” effect on our public school . We like having ” Champions for Christ ” in our schools and they LOVE working at Brookville. To bad we are referred to as ” other than Republican “.
Thanks Grover and Congressman Hurt and the other pinheads in the CCRP who want to first attack and defund public schools in their conservative school districts.
Robert Hurt spoke at Brookville High in a LPT sponsored debate , only to turn his back on this school and not come back to this District EVER again except for photo opps.
That is ok though we will articulate all of our concerns with CCDP , a least they will not look down their noses at you.
To The RPV all you could get is 100 at the last CCRP Meeting and it was held at a Private Christian School , and the ” clowns ” that steer this minimal numbered party are not even residents of the Community.
Please read this posting on Breitbart today, “Grover Norquist’s Alleged Islamist Ties Threaten Reelection to NRA Board of Directors”: http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/02/19/grover-norquists-alleged-islamist-ties-threaten-reelection-to-nra-board-of-directors/
I like Ms. Stimpson very much and would love to see her take this primary win BUT this is not a guy I believe you want your name associated with given the purported past history of Americans for Tax Reform financial transactions, known associates and contributors and questionable overseas entanglements. He may well be bounced from the NRA board given this long trail of questionable actions all of which he of course vehemently denies. One of course can’t pick and choose who see’s fit to endorse you but I don’t believe this is one to trumpet far and wide.
Not to mention Norquist has managed to handcuff many viable candidates with his completely irrelevant “pledge” that does little more than funnel money into the above mentioned channels. To blindly sign anything that limits your ability to govern, despite not knowing what the future may hold, is irresponsible at best.
“Ability to govern”
Or, ability to throw other people’s money into what amounts to the trash can? Is that what governing is all about? Spending other people’s money? Then when every last dime is gone, hit “them” with the HB 2313 “punch”? A tax increase?
Speaker Howell should think about signing something besides another tax increase bill.
In about 28 years in Virginia politics what does Speaker Howell have to run on? Is his “signature” achievement his HB 2313 tax increase? The largest tax increase in Virgina history?
If not, just what is the Speaker Howell legacy? Sucking up to a “power company”?
One thing we know it is not? Ethics reform legislation!