From: AdmrlLocke@aol.com Sent: Friday, January 07, 2000 10:54 PM To: undisclosed-recipients: ; Subject: GrammNet: Bush the Tax-Hiker GrammNet Issue 1/7/00.3 Dear Friend of Liberty, George W. Bush likes to claim that he got "the biggest tax cut in Texas history." In fact, it's his major claim to being a "conservative." As the following press release from the Texas-based Taxpayers for Accountablity demonstrates, it's a false claim. As even Bush's own Republican Lt. Governor admits, the tax cuts were mostly "illusory." To make matters worse, Bush tried to RAISE taxes and was stopped only by Republicans in the Texas legislature. In trying to raise taxes, Bush broke the no-new-taxes pledge he'd signed with Taxpayers for Accountability. Then he claimed that he never signed the pledge. Then he claimed he never broke the pledge he claimed he'd never signed. When the Taxpayers for Accountability showed the press his signature on the pledge, he blamed a campaign employee for using his signature machine without authorization, claiming that he never signs pledges. Then the Taxpayers for Accountability produced two more pledges Bush had signed. Apparently Bush has what we might charitably call a distant relationship with the truth. I wish we could say the same about Bush's relationship with tax hikes, but as demonstrated by the release from Americans for Tax Reform, included as the second item below, Bush seems to have a rather close relationship with tax hikes. So next time someone claims that Bush got "the biggest tax cut in Texas history," tell them the truth: the Taxman cometh, and his name is George W. Bush. Sincerely, David B. Levenstam, CPA, MT, MA Forbes in 2000! GrammNet is an independent newsletter, not affiliated with Senator Gramm. To subscribe to GrammNet, email me at AdmrlLocke@aol.com, with a message to the effect that you'd like to subscribe. GrammNet back issues available at http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/3390/ Steve Forbes web page (Forbes 2000) at http://www.forbes2000.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------- IMMEDIATE RELEASE TAXPAYERS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY June 28, 1999 Contact: Mary Williams 713-681-2103 Fax 713-290-9166 http://users.netropolis.net/canohc STEVE FORBES IS RIGHT GOV. GEORGE BUSH DID BREAK HIS 1994 NO-TAX PLEDGE! In 1994, George Bush signed a pledge with a Houston based, taxpayers watch-dog organization, Taxpayers for Accountability (TFA). Bush pledged "to oppose establishing a state personal income tax or increasing the sales tax". Mary Williams, head of TFA said, "Mr. Forbes is to be commended for telling the public the truth about this matter. If any journalists had contacted me about Mr. Forbes' statements (Houston Chronicle 6/25/99), I would have directed them to my website for documentation on the bizarre story (1994-1998) of Gov. George Bush and his broken no-tax pledge. The information on this website reveals that in 1994, Bush reworded and signed the TFA no-tax pledge. Bush broke his pledge in 1997. After TFA issued a press release, READ MY LIPS PART TWO, Gov. Bush publicly denied that he broke his pledge. In the 1998 election year, TFA sent Bush, along with the other candidates, a new no-tax pledge. Bush responded in a letter to TFA that it was not his policy to sign pledges and denied he ever signed the original 1994 no-tax pledge! Governor Bush claimed his 'unauthorized signature' on the pledge was 'auto-penned' by an unnamed staffer. Upon further questioning by TFA and the Fort Worth Star Telegram, the word traced was also added as another possible explanation for his signature appearing on the pledge; however, no other explanation was offered as to how TFA also had obtained Bush's signature on two other pledges (initiative and referendum and 10th amendment) in 1994. Bush's final twist was that this pledge didn't matter because he really kept his no-tax pledge that he never signed. I encourage the public to read the facts for themselves and not just the Bush spin presented in the media. The truth is Bush's so-called 1997 tax cut plan which mandated increases in sales tax, business tax, as well as other taxes, was wisely rejected by the Texas State Legislature (including most Republicans) as a tax-redistribution plan. It was so bad that the State Republican Party Chairman, Tom Paukins and many others openly blasted Bush's plan. The 1997 tax cut plan that Bush touts as his, was really authored by the state legislature as a substitute for his original discarded plan. Most property owners now agree with Texas Lt. Gov. Rick Perry's (R) comment's that the 1997 cuts were 'rather illusory' (Dallas Morning News, 6/22/99). As for the 1999 $1.85 billion dollar tax cuts, I have consulted with the experts, but no one can show me what long term protection the taxpayers have to prevent these cuts from disappearing, just like in 1997, when most school districts chose to raise their property taxes which offset the benefits of the state's tax cuts. Gov. Bush claims 'he has signed the two largest tax cuts in the state's history, and that he has proposed billions in cuts', but the reality is, during his tenure the state budget has increased by 36%, (Dallas Morning New 5/26/99), and out of the state's over six billion dollar surplus, the taxpayers are to be given a mere pittance of their money back." ---------------------------------- ** The following is a fact sheet on the proposed Bush tax increases, distributed in 1997 by Americans for Tax Reform. Gov. Bush Supports 75 Tax Increases on Business: Say It Ain't So! Gov. George W. Bush's endorsement of the $4 billion tax plan to be voted on in the State House this week is one of the stranger occurrences of 1997. Among business activities subject to tax increases in the pending legislation are: 1. Automotive repair services 2. Car wash services 3. Custom computer programming services 4. Employment agency services 5. Mining use of natural gas and electricity (3.25%) 6. Subscription sales of magazines 7. Management consulting & public relations services 8. Repeal exemption for handbills, circulars, newspaper inserts, etc. 9. Miscellaneous personal services 10. Commercial research & development laboratory services 11. Commercial economic, social or educational research services 12. Testing services provided by non-medical laboratories 13. Miscellaneous transportation services 14. Food items sold through vending machines 15. Horses, mules & work animals 16. Commercial fishing ice 17. Refrigerated warehousing & storage 18. General warehousing & storage 19. Special warehousing & storage 20. Marinas 21. Appraisal services including real estate 22. Mailing and secretarial services 23. Disinfecting services 24. Motion picture & video tape distribution 25. Repeal custom's broker exemption 26. Miscellaneous other services 27. Amusement services 28. Sludge and low-level waste disposal 29. Certain aircraft 30. Reverse Tyler Pipe & Chevron court decisions 31. Noncorporate entities with $100,000 owner deduction 32. Solar energy businesses 33. Sludge recycling firms 34. Remove deduction for food and medicine receipts 35. Solar energy devices 36. Regulated investment company special apportionment method 37. Transportation company special apportionment 38. Telephone company special apportionment 39. Repeal temporary (FAS 96) credit 40. Change franchise tax receipts sourcing rule for interest, dividends and other intangibles 41. Treat receipts from trademarks, licenses and franchises similarly to patents, royalties 42. Business development and promotion 43. Social and recreational 44. Co-operative organizations 45. Unrelated business taxable income 46. Aviation use (4 cents) 47. Noncommercial marine use (4 cents) 48. Railway engine use (4 cents) 49. Industrial & commercial use 50. Construction use (4 cents) 51. Coal and lignite use 52. Company contributions to employee benefits 53. Increase insurance premium tax rates 54. Life and health: Medicare/Medicaid premiums 55. Examination fee and overhead assessment 56. Life and health: valuation fees (domestic life) 57. Cement tax rate increase 58. Gas, electric & water utility tax applied statewide at 2.25% 59. Oil and gas well servicing tax 60. Interior design services 61. Raise parimutuel simulcast fee from 1 to 3.25% 62. Raise parimutuel live race fees to 3.25% 63. Annual coin-operated machine permit fees 64. Interstate motor carriers sales and use tax 65. Manufactured housing sales and use tax 66. Hotel and motel tax rate increase to 6.25% 67. Repeal 30-day exemption 68. Rate increase to 61 cents per pack 69. Rate increase of 50 percent for cigars 70. Rate increase of 50 percent for other tobacco products 71. Airline/passenger train/limousine beverage 72. Increase alcohol excise tax for liquor by 10% 73. Increase alcohol excise tax for beer by 10% 74. Increase alcohol excise tax for wine by 10% 75. Increase alcohol excise tax for ale by 10%