Political Quotes

“Secretary Babbitt wants to put a 2 to 3-percent national sales tax on cameras, film, lenses and, look at this, an outdoor sleeping mat. Now there is no tax on a mattress inside the house, no national tax, but if you sleep outside, he wants to have a 5-percent outdoor recreation equipment. We just bought my son a mountain bike. We do not live in the mountains, but we bought him a mountain bike, and he wants to put a 5-percent tax on mountain bikes. Look at the list of things he wants to tax: backpacks, camping stoves. I have Century Tool located in the district that I represent, and I am going to talk to them tomorrow and say: 'Look at Secretary Babbitt, wants to put a 5-percent surcharge because people cook outside, that somehow they're to be penalized for that.' Camping utensils, canoes, canteens; 5-percent tax on canteens, climbing equipment, compasses. Secretary Babbitt needs to perhaps have a compass to find his way out of this tax hysteria, but he wants to have a 5-percent tax put on compasses, cooking bags, floatation vests, hiking boots, kayaks. The whole ski industry would be subjected to now a new 5-percent tax: skis, poles, boots. Sleeping bags. My kids have sleeping bags; they never slept outside. They sleep on the floor of the family room. Snow shoes, Tents. Every tent in America would be subjected to a new 5-percent Babbitt tax, Babbitt-Clinton tax. And canoe paddles, or prepacked camp foods. That is interesting.”