WASHINGTON – Lobbyists for a day, a band of millionaires stormed Capitol Hill on Wednesday to urge Congress to tax them more.

They had a little trouble getting in. It turns out there are procedures, even for the really rich.

But once inside, their message was embraced by liberals and tolerated by some conservatives — including the ideological leader of anti-tax lawmakers, who had some advice for them, too.

“If you think the federal government can spend your money better than you can, then by all means” pay more in taxes than you owe, said Grover Norquist, the head of a group that has gotten almost all congressional Republicans to pledge to vote against tax hikes.

The IRS should have a little line on the form where people can donate money to the government, he suggested, “just like the tip line on a restaurant receipt.”

One of the millionaires suggested that if Norquist wanted low taxes and less government, “Renounce your American citizenship and move to Somalia where they don’t collect any tax.”

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In the silence left by the private efforts of the “supercommittee” to find $1.2 trillion or more in deficit cuts by Thanksgiving, free advice flowed in public.

The millionaires want the panel to raise taxes on people who earn more than $1 million, even though most Republicans are committed against the idea.

They tried to meet with anyone who would meet with them. The progressive caucus did, eagerly and on-camera. The rest wasn’t so easy.

At a basement entrance to the Capitol, a police officer pointed to the name badges that identified each wearer as “Patriotic Millionaire.”

“That is not a visitor’s badge,” the officer said. “Go to the visitors desk and get a visitor’s badge.”

Off they trudged, a group mostly of men in business-casual clothing toting laptops and umbrellas. Badges secured, they headed in.

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Lawrence Benenson, vice president of Benenson Capitol Co., ran into freshman Rep. Kristi Noem, R-Idaho, in an elevator.

“I’m with the Patriotic Millionaires and we want to pay more in taxes,” he told her.

Noem grinned.

“How much more?” she asked.

Then it was off to meet, not with senators but their staffs in offices across the street.

Progress was not made, by all accounts.

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A meeting with an aide to Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., opened with his aide announcing that the senator believes the wealthy pay more taxes than their fair share, according to one of the millionaires, Matthew Palevsky, a consultant and founder of the Council on Crime Prevention.

“We defined it as not paying our fair share,” Palevsky said of the 20-minute chat. “It was clear we were coming from different points of view.”

Then it was off, on a bus not a limo, across town to see Norquist.

As he prepared for the group’s arrival, Norquist said “nobody’s holding them back” from donating money to the federal government. “They’re saying, ‘Gee, I’d sure like to write a big check to the federal government, if someone would just stop stopping me.’

 


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