Hof (l) and Norquist (r) at BJ’s Brewhouse in Reno before inking Tax Pledge
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 13, 2016
Contact: Richard Hunter
(817) 300-2555
(Amargosa Valley, Nevada) – Dennis Hof, candidate for Nevada State Assembly District 36 (Nye/Lincoln/Clark) has officially signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge promising the people of Nevada that he will “oppose and vote against any and all efforts to increase taxes.”
Hof signed the Pledge in Reno with Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform and founder of the Pledge, serving as an official witness before heading off to Burning Man.
Hof’s opponent – “Republican” Assemblyman James Oscarson voted for the largest tax hike in Nevada history in the 2015 legislative session, which included a new business income tax similar to one rejected by 80 percent of Nevada voters at the ballot box in 2014.
“Mr. Oscarson’s verbal promise to oppose tax hikes wasn’t worth spit once the Carson City lobbyists started filling his head with visions of higher office and his warchest with five-figure PAC checks,” Hof said. “Unlike The Big Selloutski, I’m not afraid to put my promise to the people of District 36 in writing.”
The Tax Pledge was established over 30 years ago Mr. Norquist and has been signed by all but a handful of Republicans in Congress and almost 1,400 state legislators around the country.
“Politicians often run for office saying they won’t raise taxes, but then quickly turn their backs on the taxpayer,” Norquist observed. “The idea of the Pledge is simple enough: Make them put their no-new-taxes rhetoric in writing.
“Politicians who refuse to sign the Pledge plan to raise taxes rather than reform government,” Norquist continued. “Raising taxes is what weak and lazy politicians do rather than the hard work of making tough decisions and prioritizing spending.”
“Indeed,” Hof concluded, “during the 2015 session Assemblyman Oscarson was so weak and so lazy he voted for 29 out of 32 tax and fee hikes that came before him. The man became a serial tax hiker. He needs to be fired and get some taxaholic counseling.”