Tom Cole Quotes

The tax issue is the most powerful issue in American politics going back to the Tea Party. People say, 'Oh, Grover Norquist has power.' No. Grover Norquist and Americans for Tax Reform focus on the tax issue. The tax issue is a powerful issue.

My biggest objection to raising taxes is that it feeds the government addiction to spending money.

The American people want more from government than they are willing to pay for in taxes.

I just simply can't support having my constituents pay more taxes and not receive more benefits for their tax payments.

'Tax' is a bad word for politicians.

Either you're going to have to vote for taxes or not vote for taxes. So, if you've already voted for taxes, you've already done it.

I guess it feels to me that the political argument that has been lost in my lifetime is taxation. How do you engage in that debate when people don't trust politicians at all? It is almost impossible to start a conversation about taxation.

What I want to do is create more taxpayers, not more taxes.

Taxation: how the sheep are shorn.

When you tell the American people, 'Read my lips. No new taxes,' that should mean no new taxes.

The American taxpayers are a powerful force. They don't want their taxes raised. Obama and the Democrats have a fight with the American people, not with me.

To sell a new tax to the voters you have to be very specific about what it is being used for.

Maybe I should get back to the music-writing phase and write one on tax reform.

So, for instance, let me make this clear: You know I signed a statement. I will not raise taxes on anybody. I don't want to raise taxes on the American people.

Washington Democrats see the IRS' overextended resources and automatically think the answer is to take and spend more of your tax dollars. I disagree.

As governor, I want to make sure that Arizona's hardworking taxpayers get to keep more of what they earn.

For years, I have repeatedly said that Maryland taxpayers were being overtaxed and overcharged.

And that does concern me, because we're not getting enough back for our taxes that we're paying. I think we really have to look at the whole sort of area.

No animal on the face of the earth could conceive of taxation. You and I work roughly six months a year to pay our local, state and federal taxes. If nothing else, this should convince you that animals are smarter than people.

What we need is more money back in the hands of Americans of any economic standing and so raising taxes right now doesn't make sense.

The Clinton tax increase - which was an increase in taxes primarily on upper-income people - not only made the tax code more nearly progressive, it preceded one of the most productive economic periods in American life.

Having won re-election convincingly and against the economic odds, President Obama quickly made good on his promise of maintaining taxes as they are for the middle class while raising them on the wealthiest Americans.

Read my lips: no new taxes.

Not continuing a tax cut is not technically a tax increase.

What we've been hearing over and over again is that the reason Republicans are opposed to the surtax is because of the concern of its impact on job creation. Well, if you carve out employers, you take away that argument.