Americans for Prosperity Applauds U.S. Representative Trent Franks

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, April 8, 2009:
Contact: Tom Jenney (602) 478-0146 or Phil Kerpen (202) 349-5880

Americans for Prosperity Applauds U.S. Representative Trent Franks

-Signs No Climate Tax Pledge-

PHOENIX-The Arizona Federation of Taxpayers, a state chapter of the grassroots free-market group Americans for Prosperity, today applauded U.S. Representative Trent Franks (AZ-2) for signing the group’s “No Climate Tax Pledge.” By doing so, Rep. Franks pledges to “oppose legislation relating to climate change that includes a net increase in federal revenue.”

“The one thing elected officials should be able to agree on is that global warming shouldn’t be used as an excuse to hike taxes on citizens and businesses,” said AFP-AZ State Director Tom Jenney. “We encourage all of Arizona’s elected officials to sign the pledge.”

Rep. Franks joins fellow U.S. Representatives John Shadegg (AZ-3) and Jeff Flake (AZ-6) as signers of the “No Climate Tax Pledge.” Other Arizona signatories include: State Senators Sylvia Allen (5th) and Russell Pearce (18th) and State Representative Nancy Barto (7th). The pledge has attracted the signatures of more than 100 elected officials on the federal, state and local levels.

Proposed cap-and-trade legislation on the federal level has been included in President Obama’s budget, which White House advisors admit would raise energy taxes between $1.3 and $1.9 trillion in the next ten years. These costs would undoubtedly be passed along to consumers in the form of higher prices.

“Using the guise of climate change to transfer dollars from hard-working citizens to bureaucratic big government is unacceptable,” concluded Jenney. “Regardless of their stance on global warming, this should be common ground for all of our elected officials at all levels of government.”

The pledge is available online at www.NoClimateTax.com. AFP does not endorse candidates or elected officials, who are all encouraged to sign the pledge and go on the record in opposition to using the climate change issue to increase taxes and grow the size of government.

Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is the nation’s premier grassroots organization committed to advancing every individual’s right to economic freedom and opportunity. AFP believes reducing the size and scope of government is the best safeguard to ensuring individual productivity and prosperity for all Americans. AFP educates and engages citizens in support of restraining state and federal government growth and returning government to its constitutional limits. For more information, visit www.americansforprosperity.org

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