Our Opinion: Restrictive pledges limit deliberation

Thursday, November 29, 2012

We respect elected officials who keep their campaign promises.

But promises that guide — for example, adherence to the principle of limited government — are preferable to those that restrict, such as the anti-tax pledge now in the news.

As congressmen work to avoid what has been dubbed the “fiscal cliff,” some Republican lawmakers are distancing themselves from a promise not to raise taxes.

The Taxpayer Protection Pledge, or simply “The Pledge,” has been offered to candidates since 1986 by Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform.

According to a recent report by The Associated Press, 279 lawmakers had signed the pledge heading into the recent elections, but some signers are having second thoughts. The AP said no more than 212 will consider themselves bound by the pledge when the new House is seated next year.

The anti-tax pledge is perhaps the most publicized single-issue promise sought from candidates, but it has hatched numerous imitators.

Candidates receive countless forms and surveys from interest and advocacy groups seeking to secure a promise on a specific issue.

The problem with making a specific pledge is it presupposes the climate surrounding the issue will remain unchanged.

If we have learned anything about governing and issues, however, it is that the only constant is change.

We appreciate candidates for public office who outline their philosophy of governing and how they will employ those principles to study issues and make decisions.

Decisions is the operative word.

We elect government representatives to make choices based on the most comprehensive and current information available.

We should not elect automatons who already have narrowed and restricted their ability to choose based on pre-election pledges.

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JCLifer 5 months, 2 weeks ago

Good point, Graceful. How much is enough? Will a government ever be satisfied?

RobHunterJohnson 5 months, 2 weeks ago

Just think if they would have done this two years ago, We would be already on our way to solving our problems, but making it up on the backs of people who have paid into programs their entire carreers is not acceptable! The Norquist problem has been here since 1985, 3 years with Reagan, all through Bush 1, and right up to present. Having 13 years where they had their Presidents being Republican, and on their side, only shows that the Norquist pledge, and Trickel Down do not work, Not Then, Not Now, or EVER! People we have to pay for wars, and all the other stuff that was placed on a CREDIT CARD, and KICKED DOWN THE ROAD EVERY SESSION! Bush 1 knew that the nation need a health care plan, but chose to fight a war instead! It would have been alot easier to fix way back when, but here we are at present, and President Obama has managed to make Health Care happen. People go Bankrupt over health care, they had insurance and not just some catastrophic plan with a $4500. DEDUCTABLES? They are denied by providers, who are the deciding powers in treatment; not Doctors? If you want to fix this once again, QUIT BUYING ALL THAT CHINESE JUNK, 500 men lost their lives to stop BMW during world war 2, who knows how many out of England bombing Mercedes Benz? I wont even mention Japan! If you want this Debt fixed, Buy American, make American Jobs by investing in America, not some factory that the big boys stepped away from like a hot potatoe over the weekend in Bangladesh! Jobs pay taxes, in so many ways! Make these employers bring these jobs home? I just want to pay my FAIR SHARE, and go on with my life! Rob

JCLifer 5 months, 2 weeks ago

Good luch buying an American-made TV, cell phone, or about anything electronic. I quit buying American-made cars when I discovered I could get a much nicer, more reliable car from one of the Oriental manufacturers, and these cars hold their values much better than the Big 3 junk. That is a nice idea, but in this Global Economy it is also very unrealistic. BTW: I was looking at some major home appliances the other day, and those LG refrgerators, dishwashers, washing machines, and clothes driers are 1/3 cheaper than any of the old US brands, and they are built solid, run very quiet, have lots of features, and 10-year warranties. Sorry, but if US workers could build something competitive, I would buy it, but not now.

The easiest, quickest way to fix health insurance would be to open it up to competition between the states. Too much regulation and interference by the government has closed competition to only certain companies can operate in certain states. Open up the market and like manufactured goods, watch the quality rise and the prices drop.

You say that "Obama has mananged to make Health Care happen". What does that mean? Obama hasn't done anything except cause prices to go higher and businesses to go belly up. ObamaCare is going to cause many employers to cut hours to less than 30 so they don't have to provide insurance, or else they will pay the little fine and drop the coverage on their employees. What is all the dancing about? Things are horrible and getting worse every day. I know so many people getting RIF'ed the past month, and many more are scared to death that they will be next. How has Obama helped anything other than Government Motors was given to the UAW, and all the Wall Street Bankers have gotten bailed out over the past 4 years? Do you want to also talk about all the deaths of soldiers and innocent people in Afghanistan for a war no one knows why we are fighting, and Obama said he was going to end, but instead he sent 30,000 more troops there to die?

RobHunterJohnson 5 months, 2 weeks ago

The Immorality of this nation is all the Mortgage brokers, wall street executives, hedge fund managers ect. They are the ones who need to bail out this economic sitiuation. They created this mess, with all their GREED. The Iraq war was over oil, never a thought about Osama Bin Laden, you know who was at the helm BUSH 2? The real fight was in Afganistan which was ignored by Bush, 4220 Died in Iraq under Bush! 575 in Afganistan? Obama lost 265 in Iraq, and 1500 in Afganistan. Bring them home tonight those cesspools don't deserve the blood it is to precious; JC Lifer! If you spend your money on foriegn purchases, that is your business, but you are paying into other countries TAX BASE. If we want out of this Debt do not allow the Greedy people at the top to, send out our jobs which pay taxes in America, to the Likes of China, Japan, Germany, Pakistan, Banglidesh, ect. If you do not want to drive an American car so be it! Dont set around an complain about this economy and continue to feed the monitary enemies of this country! Rob

connor 5 months, 2 weeks ago

Ya a Liberal Union (Ex Union) thug will tell you to buy American (Which I agree with) and chastise you if you don't saying you are helping foreign "monetary enemies". Yet it is just fine to sell those "monetary enemies" our Liberal entitlement program debt and hand them interest.

Ya that makes perfect sense. Hypocritical much?

PatsyDecline 5 months, 2 weeks ago

Why any elected official feels the need to pledge their loyalty to any individual or group other than the vox populi they are serving is beyond me.

If Grover Norquist is so concerned about federal deficits why is he not running for public office to address the issue?

Guys like Norquist, and the rest of the K Street lobbying crew are at the root of disease in our government. Regardless of their professed good intentions it's all about getting their hands on as much money and influence as possible....without a shred of accountability.

I'm of the opinion that this nation would be far better off if all the K Street types were burned to the ground and the earth salted afterwords.....

A girl can dream....

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