"If it moves, tax it" (1952?)

Wed Mar 8 04:27:14 UTC 2006

7 March 2006, New York Sun, "Solving the Housing Crisis" by Randy Daniels,
pg. 11, col. 2:
To understand the high-cost, low-income enigma that characterizes much of
New York, a good starting point is Ronald Reagan's memorable line, which William
 Weld recently quoted but misattributed. "If it moves," Reagan would say,
"they  want to tax it. If it keeps moving, they want to regulate it. And when it
finally stops moving, they want to subsidize it." That's a very good
description  of big government economic policy. A description, however, is not an
explanation.
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Both Randy Daniels and WIlliam Weld are running for the Republican
nomination to be New York State's next governor.
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Does Fred Shapiro have the Ronald Reagan quote? Tom Golisano (who ran
unsuccessfully for NYS governor on third party lines) did say the quote, but the
saying is older than both Golisano's and Reagan's uses.
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(Google News)
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_Weld Attacks Spitzer on Property Tax Plans_
(http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/08/nyregion/08weld.html)
New York Times, United States -   <NOBR>Fe
... "In describing New  York State," Mr. Weld said, "Tom Golisano once said:
'If it moves,  you tax it. If it still moves, you regulate it. ...
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(PROQUEST)
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_CHAMBER  GIVES NINE POINT TEST FOR CANDIDATES_
(http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=4&did=500773932&SrchMode=1&sid=1&Fmt=10&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&V
Name=HNP&TS=1141790114&clientId=65882)
JOSEPH  HEARST. Chicago Daily Tribune (1872-1963).  Chicago, Ill.: Jul 20,
1952. p. 11 (1 page)
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9. Is the candidate a devotee of the devil theory of economics--that is,
does he think poverty can be abolished if only the government can identify the
poverty devil and slay him? [This type of candidate's program may be reduced to
 simple terms: If it moves, control it; if you cannot control it, tax it; if
you  cannot tax it, subsidize it.
(U.S. Chamber of Commerce test--ed.)
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_REPORT  FROM WASHINGTON; Liberals Cry, Exaggerate CIA Campus Caper _
(http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=5&did=583621842&SrchMode=1&sid=1&Fmt=10&VInst=PR
OD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=HNP&TS=1141790115&clientId=65882)
WALTER TROHAN. Chicago Tribune  (1963-Current file). Chicago, Ill.: Feb 20,
1967. p. 4 (1 page)
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After all, the federal government operates pretty much in line with the
quip: If it moves, tax it; if you can't tax it, control it; if you can't control
it, give it a million dollars. It isn't surprisingthat the money isn't
producing  the desired results.
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_Washington  Scrapbook_
(http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=6&did=595195522&SrchMode=1&sid=1&Fmt=10&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=HNP&TS=1141790251&c
lientId=65882)
WALTER TROHAN. Chicago Tribune (1963-Current file). Chicago, Ill.: Jun 11,
1967. p. 29 (1 page)
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REP. GEORGE HANSEN [R., Idaho], who reports the new directive in Washington
seems to be: "If it moves, control it. If you can't control it, tax it. If you
 can't tax it, give it a billion dollars," received the following poem from a
 constituent:...
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_A  Tax on Everything_
(http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=9&did=604949452&SrchMode=1&sid=1&Fmt=10&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=HNP&TS=1141790626&cl
ientId=65882)
Chicago Tribune (1963-Current  file). Chicago, Ill.: May 8, 1972. p. 18 (1
page)
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One gets the distinct impression that the motto of the Cook County Board
these days is something along the lines of "if it moves, tax it."
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_Mayors  -- Without Misery_
(http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=10&did=130050312&SrchMode=1&sid=1&Fmt=12&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=HNP&TS=1141790
696&clientId=65882)
David S. Broder. The Washington Post (1974-Current file). Washington, D.C.:
Jun  17, 1979. p. B7 (1 page)
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Moon Landrieu of New Orleans had a soliloquy about local tax burdens
("...and if it moves, we tax it again...") that became as famous as Edwin  Booth's
reading of "To be or not to be..."
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_Nickel-and-Diming  the City_
(http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=12&did=135352552&SrchMode=1&sid=1&Fmt=12&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=HNP&TS=11417
90830&clientId=65882)
Sam Smith. The  Washington Post (1974-Current file). Washington, D.C.: Sep
15, 1979. p.  A15 (1 page)
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Lately, I have discovered a closet philosophy that is exercising a major
force on the direction of government, but which attracts little attention.
Reduced to its basic equations, it comes out something like this: If it moves,
regulate it. If it doesn't, tax it. And, if you can get away with it, do  both.
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_Running  in the Past; Can Giuliani Chase the Musty Smell From Cuomo's
Campaign? THE  INCUMBENT Cuomo Is Running With a Sense of Nostalgia So what has
happened? Is it  the Governor's 12 years, or is it him? _
(http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=1&did=116533219&SrchMode=1&sid=2&Fmt=10&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=
309&VName=HNP&TS=1141791382&clientId=65882)
By R.W. APPLE  Jr.. New York Times (1857-Current file). New  York, N.Y.: Oct
27, 1994. p. B1 (2 pages)
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Pg. B6:
This is a benign view of liberalism's plight. A more hostile attitude is
represented by the comment of B. Thomas Golisano, a third-party candidate, who
summarizes the Cuomo credo (and problem) this way: "If it moves, you tax it; if
 it still moves, you regulate it; when it stops moving, you subsidize it."

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