BACK • 
Taxpayers-the Time is Now
Having just passed through another excruciating season of sharing far too much money with our Federal and State governments, and still not having arrived at "tax freedom day" (May 3rd), this is certainly the time to call, write or email your Congressman or Senator and let them know that you would like your taxes lowered.
President Bush is trying to intensify public pressure on Congress to accept his full 1.6 trillion-dollar tax cut, before their spring recess-yes, they snuck another week off behind your back-the Senate had approved a version of the physical 2002 budget, setting a 10-year tax-cut ceiling of about 1.2 trillion dollars. He also added $65 billion in tax cuts retroactively, to January 1st of this year, bringing the 11 year total to almost 1.3 trillion dollars. The House version of the tax cut plan calls for 1.62 trillion dollars in cuts over 10 years. A special House/Senate Conference Committee will meet now that the good 'ole boys have sauntered back into Washington to iron out the amount of tax cuts they think you deserve.
In the meantime, while they make a lot of noise about surpluses, Congress is busy spending money at a near-record pace. As the President noted recently, last year Congress, and this year the Senate, has approved back-to-back increases in discretionary spending of 8%. The President noted that Federal spending would double in just 9 years if Congress were left to its own devices and keeps spending at that pace. The President noted that surpluses that would be available for tax cuts would be fully devoured by Congress if they're left alone to do as they like.
As the President said, "What we want is a stronger economy, not a larger government. Excessive spending threatens economic vitality, and the role of government is not to create wealth. The role of government is to create the environment so that entrepreneurs can flourish."
Now, I know that some of you still think that 1.6 trillion dollars is too big of a tax cut compared to the 5 or 6 billion dollars worth of surpluses that are being projected over the next 10 years and I know there is a good deal of justifiable doubt whether or not those surpluses will finally make it. But if they don't, it will be because spending has finally exceeded tax intake. The one thing that is certain is that over the next ten years your Federal government is going to tax you to the tune of about 30 trillion dollars. That's the number everybody ought to be watching. And if they can't get by on 30 trillion dollars, then why do we have to do without the tax cuts? The point is, Congressional spending ought to be restrained; there ought to be thresholds for Congressional spending just as there are proposed thresholds that would eliminate our tax cuts in the years ahead if things get out of whack. The only thing that's going to get things out of whack is Congress spending too much money trying to buy votes every way it can.
Now, believe it or not, I know that there are some of you out there who have bought the malarkey that somehow you don't deserve a tax cut! Well, fine. Far be it from me to try to force my ideas on everyone. Let's leave it this way; anyone who wants to have their taxes reduced should call, write or email your Senator and Congressman right now, and let them know you are in favor of the President's tax cuts. Those of you who think you're not being taxed enough or just don't want a tax cut for whatever reason, well, you don't have to do anything. I guess you're just fine.
(Tom Butenhoff is a First Vice President with J. E. Liss and Company, Inc.
in Milwaukee. The views are his, and not necessarily those of Liss
Financial Services or the Job Connection/Hiring
Network.)