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I love talking about taxes.

Being lectured by the president on fiscal responsibility is a little bit like Tony Soprano talking to me about law and order in this country.

Let's stop talking about new taxes and start talking about creating new taxpayers, which basically means jobs.

People say, 'If you don't vote, then you don't have a right to say anything. But nine times outta 10, I pay more taxes than they do - so even if I don't vote, I still have the right to speak out.

As governor, part of my job is to tell people things they don't like to hear.

People are not really interested in what politicians talk about, but what they are really interested in is how their hard-earned tax money is spent.

The legislator learns that when you talk a lot, you get in trouble. You have to listen a lot to make deals.

I guess it feels to me that the political argument that has been lost in my lifetime is taxation. How do you engage in that debate when people don't trust politicians at all? It is almost impossible to start a conversation about taxation.

I have said consistently both in my papers and in my speeches - which you heard in the primary campaign - that I will continue to phase out the Capital Stock and Franchise tax.

It is my absolute intent to hold the line on taxes.