Tax-Raising Republicans Have a Lousy Sense of Humor
From WLWT:
CINCINNATI — The press release from the anti-tax coalition carried its familiar letterhead, and this headline: “Former Governor Bob Taft endorses Issue 27.”
Taft left office this year under an ethics cloud, so when Sheriff Simon Leis said that the former governor joined other establishment Republicans such as himself, the sheriff was not amused.
“What they’re trying to do here is typical of their whole campaign,” Leis said. “They know Gov. Taft is not a very popular figure.”
Leis said he smelled a rat even before scrolling down to the fine print where the word “joke” appeared.
Opponents of Issue 27 said they were delighted their adversaries took the fake press release so sensitively and seriously.
They said the release went out by mistake, but now they’re glad it was sent.
“They can’t take a joke,” said state Rep. Tom Brinkman. “I mean, you know, lighten up a little. If you don’t have fun, don’t do it.”
The Cincinnati Republican said tax supporters should have taken the release as light hearted because it had a disclaimer identifying it as satire at the bottom of the page.
“But I think that shows what pins and needles they’re on,” Brinkman said.
In Ohio, the Republican party would be wise to hold off on ever supporting tax increases. Ohio has the 5th highest state and local tax burden in the nation, so what are voters to think about a party actively supporting sales tax increases? Hasn’t the party done enough to add to Ohioans’ tax burden?
The Hamilton County GOP seems to be too comfortable with their own power. This news is funny, but tax increases are no laughing matter.
CincyJeff said,
Wrote on November 1, 2007 @ 8:58 pm
The Hamilton County GOP is a joke and isn’t even respected by county Republicans. It’s Chairman George Vincent is a political whore who does whatever the downtown business interests tell him to do.
You can’t believe a word he says because he can be bought out at any time. He went to the Anderson Twp Republican Club and talked about the need for lower taxes. Then he endorses every tax increase on the County ballot! Later he speaks a Republican city council candidates fundraiser and says we should elect the Republicans to City Council because they’ll lower our taxes! Good idea George, using that standard we need to vote out Vincent because he wants to raise our taxes!
Fortunately we have a strong conservative presence in the county that doesn’t follow the leadership of these Taft-and-spend Republicans. Our broad coalition of conservatives and liberals have been fighting this tax hike tooth and nail and we’re confident we will defeat it on Election Day. We need to send a message to the Democrats and Republican whores that we are not going to stand for their higher taxes and wasteful spending.
Good luck to the folks in NW Ohio in their Congressional race. Yet another race between a real conservative (Buehrer) and another Taft-and-spend Republican (Latta) who thinks taxes are too low and the government can do more with your money than you can.
CincyJeff said,
Wrote on November 1, 2007 @ 9:03 pm
I forgot to add above - not only is the Hamilton County GOP endorsing the huge Sales Tax hike, they are even printing their endorsement on their Sample ballots! Many of the local Republican clubs are refusing to pass them out on Election Day. Fortunately we still have Republicans out here who don’t believe in promoting higher taxes and reckless spending.
This is the kind of leadership we are getting from George Vincent. He tells you we need lower taxes, rigs the party organization to support higher taxes, then puts it on the sample to make sure he alienates as many conservatives as he can. This is not the way to bring the party together to make sure we carry Ohio in 2008. Our county party badly needs new leadership.