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Everyone that has had any interest in the Wisconsin 8th Senate race should know one thing above all else. Sheldon Wasserman lies. He doesn’t just omit facts, he doesn’t distort the truth. He lies. Repeatedly. Most of his lies have been about his American’s for Tax Reform pledge, but he’s lied in direct mail pieces about Darling’s stance and polices.

Most recently, at a debate between Wasserman and Darling at the Jewish Community Center in Whitefish Bay, Wasserman claimed that he had never broken the American’s for Tax Reform Pledge to never raise taxes. He said that no one can produce a piece of paper that said he’s done anything wrong. Therefore he’s never violated the pledge. To worsen matters for Wasserman, he has been falsely asserting to voters that he kept his word and touts himself as a “fiscal conservative”.

Well yesterday evening, American’s For Tax Reform sent out a press release stating that he’s broken his pledge repeatedly. Press releases are on pieces of paper aren’t they?

Here’s what ATR president Grover Norquist had to say about Sheld:

“Despite his Pledge to taxpayers, Rep. Wasserman has repeatedly sought to increase taxes on Wisconsin consumers and families Not only that, but he has violated the very spirit of the Pledge by dismissing it in support of tax hikes.”
According to Americans for Tax Reform, Rep. Wasserman signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge in 2002, but has failed to honor the Pledge by sponsoring, supporting, or voting for at least three tax increases during his tenure in the State Assembly:
• In 2005, Rep. Wasserman sponsored a bill to increase the state’s cigarette and tobacco taxes by well over $300 million per year. The bill would have pushed the cigarette tax rate from $0.77 to $1.77 and increased the tax rate on chewing tobacco to 57%. (2005 AB 451, SB 211)
• In 2007, Rep. Wasserman voted in favor of advancing a $48 million tax increase on garbage collection. The bill would have increased the current tax by 233%. (2007 AB 76)
• Last October, Rep. Wasserman expressed willingness to break his Taxpayer Protection Pledge by supporting a tax hike included in the 2008-2009 Budget. (2007, WI Act 20)

This is not the first time ATR has scolded Wasserman for breaking his no-tax pledge. In 2005 Wasserman went so far as to author a bill (05 AB 451, SB211) to raise taxes. Wasserman has established a pattern over the years of voting for tax increases or supporting tax increases in general.

Additionally, while Wasserman signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge as a state representative, he failed to retake the Pledge for the 8th Senate District where he is currently challenging State Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills), who is a Pledge signer. This despite repeated claims that he did sign the no-new-taxes pledge. The Taxpayer Protection Pledge guidelines state that a legislator’s Pledge is only in effect for the ‘duration of their tenure in the office to which they were elected’ and signers who run for another office must re-sign the Pledge for the new office they are seeking.
‘Why should taxpayers trust Wasserman when he broke his Pledge in the Assembly and now promises not to raise taxes while failing to re-sign the Pledge?’ added Norquist. ‘I welcome Wasserman to re-sign the Pledge in his race for the 8th District, but that in no way purges his record of supporting tax hikes on Wisconsin residents.’

Yeah, basically he’s running on his No New Taxes Pledge history, which he just didn’t break, he shattered, while refusing to sign it in the future. Even the far left blogs are calling on Sheld to ditch is no new tax pledge, and start admitting to raising taxes like he did in the past, and how he wants to in the future.

-Related note: Sykes brought this up while I was making this post. Feel free to listen-

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