By Anna Skinner
The Americans for Tax Reform created the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, a certificate that Libertarian candidate and Westfield resident Donald Rainwater recently signed.
“It is basically designed to be specific to different levels of government,” Rainwater said of the pledge. “What they ask folks to do is download the pledge document, sign it and have folks witness it. I pledge as an individual running for office or an elected official to oppose and vote ‘no’ on any and all tax increases. The idea obviously being that the government has already taxed folks enough, and the government needs to do a better job with the money they are already collecting.”
Rainwater is running as the Libertarian candidate for State Senate District 20, a spot currently held by Republican Luke Kenley.
“I feel like the State of Indiana and the General Assembly are very proud of the fact they have a $2 billion surplus and a rainy day fund, yet they continue, as a Republican-controlled general assembly, to propose new taxes and tax increases,” Rainwater said. “We’ve got all this money in surplus, why aren’t figuring out how to better spend the money we have instead of continuing to tax hardworking people just to put it in a state savings account? I just don’t think that makes sense.”
Rainwater signed the pledge in May. The Westfield resident said he decided to sign the pledge after he listened to commercials regarding the state passing a cigarette tax to aid in road funding.
“I’m not a believer in the government using taxation to change people’s personal behavior,” he said. “I don’t think that is consistent with liberty and justice for all.”
Noblesville Democrat Paula Gillia and Rainwater will run against Kenley in the Nov. 8 election. State Senate District 20 includes Fishers, Carmel, Noblesville and Westfield.
