Grover Norquist endorses Chip Rogers

Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, today posted a glowing endorsement of Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers, reinforcing the role that the transportation sales tax will play in other races on July 31.

And complicating Georgia politics to no end. From the ATR website:

Rogers has defended against tax increases and worked to streamline state government, often in the face of intense pressure from appropriators and their special interest allies. Most recently, Senator Rogers has stood up against a multi-billion dollar tax increase for expanded public transportation, an unpopular but extremely principled position.

From Norquist himself:

“The so-called ‘transportation tax’ is a more than a 7 billion dollar tax hike. Senator Rogers knows that the problem isn’t that Georgia politicians are not raising enough in taxes. They have been spending on areas other than transportation for years. Punishing today’s taxpayers for the bad spending decisions of yesterday’s legislators has it backwards.”

Among those complicating factors:

– The sales tax vote was placed on the July 31 ballot with a great deal of help from the Senate majority leader. Rogers bases his opposition on the content of the project list subsequently drawn up by local leaders.

– Norquist has condemned Gov. Nathan Deal’s support for the sales tax as a betrayal of the ATR’s no-tax pledge once signed by Deal. Yet the governor, too, is backing Rogers in his race against Republican challenger Brandon Beach, who supports the sales tax for more roads and rail.

But if you wonder why you don’t see Georgia Republicans tearing each other up over this issue, remember that on Aug. 1, a campaign aimed at restoring the state’s power to create charter schools begins. And many of those on opposite sides of the sales tax votes will need to become quick friends again.

- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider

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69 comments Add your comment

[...] Norquist endorses Chip [...]

td

June 13th, 2012
8:11 am

DeborahinAthens

June 13th, 2012
6:39 am

You just do not get it. Progressive/liberal/socialist philosophy is more evil and more despised then any one or two or ten so called corrupt politicians.

Buckhead

June 13th, 2012
8:21 am

Reality Check: the hospital bed tax eventually became a net tax decrease- but the first piece of legislation was a stand alone bill that only raised taxes. It came out of the Senate and Chip voted for it, spoke on the floor in support of it.

honested

June 13th, 2012
8:23 am

Yet another reason to oppose mr. chips.
Not that I would vote for beach if there were another non-criminal candidate on the ballot, but rogers seems to be piling up the reasons why his name and public service should never be found in the same paragraph.

honested

June 13th, 2012
8:26 am

Lets hope there is never an uncontrolled fire engulfing our entire state.
Because the cons would be tripping over themselves to see who can ‘cut the most’ available water.
And this passes for ‘governance’.

HRPufnstuf

June 13th, 2012
8:29 am

GaBlue you really should write a book. She/he is the only person I see that uses reason and facts to back up posts.

td

June 13th, 2012
8:33 am

honested

June 13th, 2012
8:26 am

Yes, the GOP wants no government workers. We do not want any firefighters, no police and certainly no teachers.

What a bogus argument. The GOP knows that there is a need for government. We just think the role and scope of government should be small and not evolved in every part of a persons life and certainly not sustaining people for their entire lives.

skydog

June 13th, 2012
8:50 am

td,

You are boring with your dribble.

Bob Loblaw

June 13th, 2012
8:52 am

I wonder if Grover will endorse Chip’s Offshore Casino?

td

June 13th, 2012
9:22 am

skydog

June 13th, 2012
8:50 am

td,

You are boring with your dribble.

I understand there are some of you libs refuse to see the truth and you are just a lost cause. If you do not have the intellectual capability to defend your philosophy then all I can tell you is to not read my post if it makes you feel better about your bankrupt philosophy.

WOW

June 13th, 2012
9:25 am

Centrist:

Your double speak is almost as funny as you calling yourself a Centrist. Romney makes a gaffe and its the media’s fault, Obama says something and its not covered correctly.

Can you actually go one day without talking about how allegedly biased the media is?

Centrist

June 13th, 2012
9:39 am

@ WOW – The quote that Romney said he wanted to layoff teachers, police, and fireman was a lie. Obama most certainly said that the “Private sector is doing fine”. No double speak – just facts which partisans like you don’t like.

WOW

June 13th, 2012
10:11 am

If you read what I wrote, it never said that Romney said that. He said that he wants to get reduce the # of Gov’t workers (which include teachers, fireman, and police officers by the way). He called it the message from Wisconsin, which Scott Walker came out with and quickly disagreed with. Obama did make the statement, my point was that they have BOTH been covered by the media and the way you go on and on everyday about how bias the media is. This is an example of how they went after both of them.

honested

June 13th, 2012
11:09 am

td,

Taking a ‘no tax pledge’ is the ABSOLUTE equivalent of taking a pledge to prevent having available the necessary resources to attend to the societal problems for which GOVERNMENT EXISTS.
Pretending that there will be some reserves available in the event of catastrophe, especially if one has taken measures to effectively deny the availability of those resources is preposterous.
Luck is not a measure of appropriate preparation.

Disgusted Republican

June 13th, 2012
11:26 am

Darn! Sorry to hear Norquist endored Rogers. I live in Cherokee County and had intended to vote for him but just can’t support anyone Norquist backs.

Slip

June 13th, 2012
12:46 pm

Good bet, Grover. Not sure the odds are 80% though.

Carole

June 13th, 2012
12:56 pm

An endorsement from Grover should be a dealth nail to a campaign. As if anyone needed another reason to dislike Chip.

[...] Americans for Tax Reform President, and longtime anti-tax hike advocate, Grover Norquist waded into Georgia GOP primary waters today with an endorsement of Senate Majority L… [...]

BrittanyUnderwood82

June 13th, 2012
6:50 pm

I will be voting yes on the Regional Transportation Referendum and will be encouraging my colleagues to do so as well. Referendums that will bring about a positive change to our transportation infrastructure is definitely something that has been a long time coming for the city of Atlanta. I am happy to see something of this magnitude finally coming to Atlanta.