These categories are interrelated.

One very prominent citizens’ watchdog group, National Tax Payers Union, rates each member of Congress on how taxpayer friendly they are.  It has labeled Rick Boucher a “BIG SPENDER” on tax votes – a tax and spend liberal – and for 2007 assigned him an approval rating of … “F” … for the LAST ELEVEN YEARS IN A ROW.  Only in 1996, did he receive a higher grade …. a  “D”.  On a percentage rating, in 2007 Boucher received an approval rating of  … 5%!  By comparison, other Virginia Representatives - ”A” (Cantor – 7th Dist.), “B+” (Drake – 2nd Dist. and Goodlatte – 6th Dist.), “B” (Forbes – 4th Dist.), and  ”C-” (Wolf ” – 10th Dist. ).

The American Conservative Union gave Mr. Boucher a rating of  “8″ (out of 100).  Taxpayers for Common Sense, and Citizens Against Government Waste rank him similarly.  The latter group, known for its annual “PIG BOOK”, gave Rick Boucher a rating of ……   “2″!  That is the lowest rating of any Representative in Virginia.

Typical of Mr. Boucher, he never uses the term “earmark” (PORK).  He characterizes it as “Congressionally Directed Spending”!

Americans for TAX REFORM gave Mr. Boucher an approval rating of … “0″  (out of 100).  National Tax Limitation Committee …. “9″ (out of 100).  American Shareholders Association …. “20″ (out 100).  You are invited to confirm any of these organizations’ ratings via the internet.

Also, “FreedomWorkers” is an organization whose mission is … “fights for lower taxes, less government and more economic freedom for Americans with hundreds of thousands of volunteer activists all over the nation”.  It gives Rick Boucher an approval rating of …. “10″ (out of 100). 

How could all of these independent groups come to the same basic conclusion?   

After running on his “conservative values” every two years, Mr. Boucher goes right back and sticks his snout in the federal trough.  One citizen near Bristol has estimated Rick Boucher’s “earmarks” (PORK) at nearly one Billion dollars.

Mr. Boucher has voted AGAINST “Flat Tax”, FOR tax increases, and AGAINST virtually all issues of “tax reform”.

For example, on 5/27/93 Boucher voted to raise tax rates, establish fuel and energy excise taxes on all petroleum products, natural gas, coal and electricity, raise gas tax and diesel tax.  (Along with those tax increases came a limit on discretionary spending for DEFENSE DEPARTMENT for “next five years”.  It should be added that he again voted for massive domestic federal spending with in his words  … “funds to be derived from INTELLIGENCE and DEFENSE Budgets”).   Remember 9/11?

In 1995, Boucher voted AGAINST the Welfare Reform Bill (which passed) – an extremely successful Bill lauded by both Republicans and Democrats.  It was an act to enhance support and work opportunities for families with children, reduce Welfare dependence, and control Welfare spending.

In 1995, the Contract With America Tax Relief Act was passed.  It was a Bill that cut personal and business taxes over 5 years, decreased “marriage penalty” in Federal Tax Code, and increased the threshold for “Death Tax”.  Boucher voted ….  “NO”.

The list goes on.  The Financial Freedon Act of 1999 was passed.  Boucher voted  “NO”.  In 2003 the Taxpayer Protection and IRS Accountability Act amended the IRS Code to protect taxpayers and ensure accountability of IRS (to make IRS less threatening in their methods).  Boucher voted .. NO.

Mr. Boucher voted FOR the Wall Street bail-out and the automobile bail-out.

This is just the tip of the iceberg.  Any wonder why some of the citizens’ groups and associations listed above tagged Rick Boucher a “tax and spend liberal” and “Big Spender”?

Check them out.  Southwest Virginia values?  You be the judge.