WAPI’s Matt Murphy: “Have you ever sponsored a tax increase?” Paul DeMarco: “Which tax increase?” 

Washington, DC - The Club for Growth PAC released audio today of Alabama Congressional candidate Paul DeMarco having a complete meltdown on WAPI Birmingham on the question of whether or not he had ever sponsored tax increases in the Alabama legislature. DeMarco’s support for tax and fee hikes is also the subject of a TV ad by Club for Growth Action currently running in Alabama’s 6^th Congressional District. The Club’s PAC has endorsed Gary Palmer in the race. 

To listen to Paul DeMarco repeatedly refuse to answer “Yes” or “No” to the question of whether he had ever sponsored tax increases in the Alabama legislature, click here or go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1nygTcH-34 (Full Transcript Below) 

“Paul DeMarco can’t answer with a simple yes or no to the question of whether or not he ever sponsored tax increases, so Alabama voters should say no to Paul DeMarco,” said Club for Growth President Chris Chocola. “Slippery politicians like Paul DeMarco who don’t tell the truth about their record of support for tax increases are part of the problem in Washington, which is why Alabama conservatives are supporting taxpayer hero and true conservative Gary Palmer for Congress.”

Transcript: Paul DeMarco Can’t Answer If He’s Ever Sponsored A Tax Increase 

WAPI’S MATT MURPHY: You’ve never favored a tax increase?

PAUL DEMARCO: I don’t sup-

MURPHY:  Have you ever sponsored a tax increase?

DEMARCO: I’m not going to Washington DC to-

MURPHY: Have you ever sponsored a tax increase?

DEMARCO: Which tax increase?

MUPHY: I’m asking you, yes or no, have you ever sponsored a tax increase?

DEMARCO: During the course of the eight years, I was opposed to taxes.

MURPHY: Have you ever sponsored a tax increase?

DEMARCO: During the course of eight years-

MURPHY: Paul, for goodness sake, it’s a yes or no question. If you can’t answer a yes or no question to me, who’s gonna control you in Washington DC? If you can’t answer a simp- have you ever sponsored a tax increase, yes or no?

DEMARCO: I would have to go back, I think, during the course-

MURPHY: I have your, I have it, 2011-

DEMARCO: During the course of it, the issue about occupational taxes, there were folks asking about business licenses, about a vote on the occupational tax, but again at the end of the day we opposed it and we stopped the occupational tax.

MURPHY: But you did vote for the new business license fee?

DEMARCO: We reduced the business license by about 50%.

MURPHY: No, the business license fee was gone. You had to -- That’s why you had to vote on it and re-up it. 

MURPHY: Paul.

DEMARCO: We lowered the business tax! And so that’s the thing, you can ask anyone paying business license. We lowered it by about 50% of where it was before, so I’m proud of the fact that we did that. We had the business tax. It was going to be reinstated higher. We reinstated it at a lower amount.

MURPHY: Business license tax was at zero. And it went up, so…

DEMARCO: Jefferson County businesses are paying lower business license fees

MURPHY: Paul, I known ya a long time. I like ya a long time. I’m horribly disappointed in you during the course of this campaign. Horribly disappointed and I, I don’t know what else to say.

(Source: WAPI, 6/30/14)