Conservative Republican businessman and former Assemblyman Russ Bogh today announced signing the 2008 Taxpayer Protection Pledge sponsored by Americans for Tax Reform.

This pledge marks the seventh time Bogh has signed such a pledge and makes Bogh the first State Senate candidate to sign the Taxpayer Protection Pledge in 2008.  Bogh joined hundreds of other state legislators nationwide when he signed similar pledges in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006.  Also, in 2005, Bogh signed a letter to the President and Congress asking them to repeal the Death Tax.

Bogh was proud to lead the field of 2008 Senate candidates as the first Taxpayer Protection Pledge signatory when he noted that, "during my time in the Assembly, I fought hard against tax increases in our state's budget, and I will continue to lead that fight in the Senate."

The Taxpayer Protection Pledges provide a visible contrast between Bogh and his opponent, John Benoit, in their Republican State Senate primary race.  Bogh has signed the pledges every year since 2001 while Benoit has refused to sign the pledges since he took office in 2002.
In fact, Benoit stated in a 2002 interview with The Desert Sun that he wouldn't rule out new taxes.

The very next year, Benoit voted for a budget that tripled the car tax and increased taxes on manufacturers in the state while Bogh opposed that budget because it included all such tax increases.  Only last year - in anticipation of a run for the State Senate - did Benoit finally sign the pledge in an attempt to shore up his poor fiscal record.