Tax pledge taints Dold vote

I read the letter from Rep. Dold in the Aug. 14 Fence Post in which it appears he is trying very hard to cover his backside from some very shortsighted decisions he has made recently. As an independent voter, my major disappointment is because he took the pledge from lobbyist Grover Norquist to not vote for any tax increases.

By signing that pledge, he repudiates the right of fair representation of many thousands of his constituents who are Democrats, Republicans and independents. People he is supposed to be representing, who believe that removing tax incentives from the oil companies; closing the loopholes that allow huge corporations to escape paying any taxes on their income; and allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire on those making $250,000 per year and more is fair and the right thing to do.

These changes could have easily been integrated into reducing taxes on corporations bringing manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. A win-win for everyone. But, Mr. Dold’s pledge made that impossible.

Mr. Dold is apparently OK with hanging most of his constituents (those of us making less than $250,000/year) out to dry as long as we don’t touch his sacred cows and his promise to a man who is nothing more than a special interest lobbyist. He goes on to characterize the recent deficit reduction “deal” as some grand achievement he championed. He apparently thinks we’re a bunch of functional illiterates who don’t know when we are being conned with political mumbo jumbo.

Mr. Dold isn’t stupid. He knows that in order to compromise, everything must be on the table and given consideration. He also knows that there is no chance of balancing the budget without the previously mentioned tax changes. Why he has pledged his allegiance to a lobbyist over his constituents is a question we need to explore during the next election.

Len Brauer

Palatine