© 2010 – Commentary
Last week I wrote a story detailing the many politicians from Maryland who signed the “Taxpayer Protection Pledge” drafted by Americans for Tax Reform. The signers pledged not to raise taxes or reduce deductions.
Many who signed it were politicians and some were candidates for office. Most were Republicans and several were Democrats. But one big name absent from list of signers was Republican gubernatorial candidate Robert Ehrlich.
(See slideshows of Ehrlich here and here.)
Ehrlich’s been campaigning against Governor O’Malley’s disastrous tax policies so it would make sense that he would sign it.
So why didn’t he sign the pledge?
I asked this question to Ehrlich’s press secretary Andy Barth and got this response:
Regarding your question about Governor Ehrlich and signing pledges, he has a long history dating back to his congressional days of not signing pledges. Nonetheless, he kept his commitments in Congress. Likewise, he pledged not to raise sales or income taxes as governor in 2002 and he kept that commitment and will keep his commitments if elected governor again.
Now it’s a fair response but what harm would it have done for Ehrlich to sign the pledge?
If Ehrlich is going to speak out against the O’Malley Administration, he should back up his words with actions. One action should be signing the “Taxpayer Protection Pledge.”
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Comments
Bob Ehrlich refuses to pledge not to raise taxes for the same reason that New Jersey's new GOP Gov. Christie refused the same pledge when he was running....so he can raise taxes after he gets elected:
Google "NJ GOP Governor Breaks Bob Ehrlich’s Hypocrisy Velocity Record"
In 2002, Bob Ehrlich campaigned against taxes, period. No one read the fine print where he slowly and quietly limited his pledge to sales taxes and personal income taxes. Less than two months after he was sworn in, he unilaterally raised property taxes 57 percent and increased corporate taxes. Then, in 2004, he raised taxes over $2 billion,according to the otherwise GOP-friendly Maryland Taxpayers Association. He finished off his term by proposing the largest spending increase in Maryland history.
Plainly spoken, if you are a tea partier or an Americans for Prosperity follower and you support Bob Ehrlich, you are a hypocrite.
- Steve Lebowitz, Annapolis
Andy Barth's lame excuse contradicts his boss's record. Bob Ehrlich signed the "Contract with America," which said,
"[W]e hereby pledge our names to this Contract with America."
I can understand Mr. Ehrlich's reluctance to sign pledges, since that one didn't work out so well. Despite all the hot air and grand promises, after Newt Gingrich and the GOP gained control of the House of Representatives, they gave little more than token consideration to most of the provisions of that pledge, and they never brought term limits up for debate or a vote, as promised.
- Steve Lebowitz, Annapolis
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