1997: Pete Bronson discusses Tax-and-Spend Republicans

Dear fellow tax hikers, you are going to love the latest little gem that we fantastic researchers have unearthed.  In 1997, former Enquirer columnist Pete Bronson wrote an article about the Tax-and-Spend Republicans of Hamilton County.  These were some of our finest days, fresh off of passing the legendary Stadium Sales Tax hike and the three Republican Commissioners Bob Bedinghaus, John Dowlin (RIP), and Little Tommy Neyer raising every other tax that they could. 

Bronson wrote:  

If Democrats have "tax and spend" disease, Republicans must get elephantiasis of the budget. They talk about cutting big government - but when they get behind the wheel of the Governaut they gas it up on high-octane taxes, round up their friends and take a road trip to Fat City.

That's right.   It is Republicans who passed the Stadium Sales Tax hike.  It is Republicans who supported two different jail taxes a few years ago.  It is Republicans, led by the great George Voinovich and Jo Ann Davidson, who tried to pass a statewide Sales Tax increase in 1998.  It is Republicans who voted for Bob Taft's Sales Tax increase, Gas Tax increase, and hotel tax increase.  And let's not forget about great local Republicans like Simon Leis, Leslie Ghiz, Virgil Lovitt, and Randy Smith, who have worked extremely hard to raise taxes locally. 

We are the party of higher taxes.  Greg Hartmann has realized this, and that's why he joined David Pepper to raise property taxes so more money can flow to the Bengals and Reds Industrial Complex.  The bad Republicans like Steve Chabot and Chris Monzel better watch themselves.  Now that Republicans are in control, we are going to get back to raising taxes and growing government and they better not get in our way.