Tax pledge cowards | The Salt Lake Tribune

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Re "Utah's Republicans in Congress stick to no-tax pledge" (Tribune, Nov. 30):

Sens. Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee and Reps. Rob Bishop and Jason Chaffetz all signed this "Taxpayer Protection Pledge": "I, ___, pledge to the taxpayers of the ___ district of the state of ___, and to the American people that I will: ONE, oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rates for individuals and/or businesses; and TWO, oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates."

Thus, four of Utah's six members of Congress signed an oath to conservative activist Grover Norquist. The punishment should they violate their promise? Norquist and his Americans For Tax Reform lobby will fund a challenger to defeat the transgressor at the next election.

These four congressmen have waived their constitutional authority "To lay and collect Taxes … to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States." All under the threat of Norquist's blackmail. What cowards.

Jim Sargent

Salt Lake City