Richard Disney

Upon recently re-reading a quotation uttered by Barry Goldwater, my thought was that his quote is not nearly famous enough. In fact I think it has been purposely expunged from the memory of legislators at the state and federal levels.

The quotation is this:

“I will not attempt to discover whether legislation is “needed” before I have first determined whether it is constitutionally permissible. And if I should later be attacked for neglecting my constituents “interests,” I shall reply that I was informed that their main interest is liberty and that in that cause I am doing the very best I can.”

Barry Goldwater

In recent weeks, I have had several email discussions with some Nevada State Legislators and repeatedly the legislators have attempted to justify their actions to increase taxes and spending as simply being “needed” or that their constituents “wanted” the increased spending. I would think that a legislator’s oath of office to support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the State of Nevada would be sufficient to override the inclination of legislators to curry favor by taking from each according to his abilities and giving to each according to his needs.

For too long, this Marxist justification (it was actually popularized by Karl Marx, check it out) has been used by legislators from both major political parties to curry favors from special interest groups and to buy votes from constituents.

Evidently a legislator’s oath of office is not enough. Perhaps it should be mandated that each legislator upon assuming office must recite the Barry Goldwater quote above just so that it is in the public record that they know the words.

The most disconcerting development is that an increasing number of Republicans have cast off the attempt to even appear as though they stand for limited government, restrained spending and lower taxes. Recently Assemblyman John Marvel seems to have made backsliding on promises not to increase taxes part of his platform. Senator Dennis Nolan smiles and smoothly explains that side-stepping the signature requirement to put a tax-hike on the ballot really IS good for the public. It is sad to say that both of the legislators above won their seats by claiming to be conservatives.

What is more worriesome, candidates that refuse to sign the Tax Payer Protection Pledge or candidates who sign it and then when elected raise taxes anyway? That is for you to decide.

It is very disconcerting that Assemblyman John Marvel has sponsored a bill to raise taxes in Washoe County at the request of local elected officials despite signing the Tax Pledge.

Wasn’t Assemblyman John Marvel the Republican who switched his vote over to support the largest tax increase in Nevada history during the 2003 legislative session?

Why do a growing number of Republicans like Senator Dennis Nolan and Assemblyman John Marvel think that introducing and voting for legislation that raises taxes a winning strategy? Is it because they think that the voters have no other option? It appears that voters are losing the option to choose a candidate that will stand for the principals of limited government.