Video: Mystery whisper at the debate!

Mitt is a Tax Raiser:

Club For Growth: “his record on taxes, spending, and entitlement reform is flawed. Romney’s strident opposition to the flat tax; his refusal to endorse the Bush tax cuts in 2003; his support for various minor tax hikes; and his once-radically bad views on campaign finance reform all cast some doubts on the extent and durability of his commitment to limited-government, pro-growth policies. Governor Romney’s history on tax policy is scattered with inconsistencies. As a candidate for governor, Romney refused to sign an anti-tax pledge distributed by the local Citizens for Limited Taxation. He opposed Ballot Question 1 to eliminate the state income tax and proposed an auto excise tax on SUVs and a greenfields tax on the development of ocean space. In 2003, the Governor refused to endorse the Bush tax cuts, earning the praise of Massachusetts liberal congressman Barney Frank, and was even open to a federal gas tax hike. His strident opposition to the flat tax is most curious and difficult to explain since Romney wasn’t a political candidate at the time. In 1996, he ran a series of newspaper ads in Boston, New Hampshire, and Iowa denouncing the 17% flat tax proposed by then presidential candidate Steve Forbes as a “tax cut for fat cats”. Even today, Romney continues to oppose the flat tax with harsh language, calling the tax “unfair.”

and

From New Hampshire’s Largest newspaper, The Union Leader: “SOON AFTER becoming Massachusetts governor, Willard Mitt Romney retroactively imposed new taxes on non-residents, including Granite State citizens who work, conduct business, and/or invest in the Bay State. Romney’s higher taxes reached into New Hampshire and helped vacuum at least $95 million in marginal income back across the border.

“According to Massachusetts Department of Revenue figures, the total amount that New Hampshire taxpayers surrendered to Massachusetts grew from $213.6 million in 2002 to $248.9 million in 2006, a 16.5 percent increase. (Data for 2006 are preliminary.) “Romney created these taxes new,” says Robert Roughsedge, a Hampton attorney who works in Boston. “He taxed more people and companies than before. This is what a dying state must do to keep the tax base. This is not a pro-growth, Reagan-type answer to the problem. . . . Romney chose to tax the people who left, increase the people outside of the state subject to taxation, and probably remove the incentive to leave by increasing the cost.”

and showing he is just an opportunist:

From the Washington Post: “His efforts to challenge the Democrats and promote Republican candidates for the legislature failed. His partner in the statehouse, Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey, lost a bid to succeed him. And Romney is leaving office with the state GOP weaker than when he arrived. In fact, Romney has commented that if he had known he was going to seek the presidency, he probably would have chosen to plant his flag not in Massachusetts but in Michigan, where his father, George Romney, served as governor and where the political culture is more compatible with his conservatism.”

and from the AP:

Associated Press: “Mitt Romney’s Harvard MBA and gold-plated resume convinced many business leaders he would follow in the tradition of corporate-friendly Republicans when he was elected governor of Massachusetts in 2002.

Within three years, some had a vastly different opinion, after Romney’s efforts raised the tax bill on businesses by $300 million as part of a multifaceted plan to eliminate a state budget deficit estimated from $2.5 billion to $3 billion.

Romney, who is now running for president declaring he never raised taxes as governor, says he merely closed “loopholes” in the tax code. Business leaders see things differently.

“These certainly were tax increases and a new source of revenue for the commonwealth,” said Brian Gilmore, executive vice president of Associated Industries of Massachusetts, the state’s largest business lobbying group.

“His indicating that he balanced a budget without raising taxes is misleading at best,” Gilmore added. “We respectfully disagree.”

Not only is he weak on the social issues, he is weak on the fiscal issues too. Folks, the GOP will come to regret a Romney nomination!

Dhornertx on January 25, 2008 at 12:06 PM

csdeven writes: You have taken every issue out of context or quoted sources that have an ax to grind.”

use that as an excuse if you will, but sad how the facts get in the way of a good spon, there csdeven. Fact is Club for Growth has real problems with Mitt.

Hollowpoint writes “Oh, right- if YOU say so, it MUST be true. No need to actually explain your position.”

Good point! again, don’t let the facts get in the way of a good spin. At least he didn’t dress up in drag or drive off a bridge drunk and kill someone.

Dhornertx on January 25, 2008 at 4:59 PM