4/7/00

TAXPAYERS TO PRO-INTERNET TAX COALITION:  STOP WHINING!!!
Pro-tax coalition lost, now acting like sore losers

WASHINGTON- Today taxpayers blasted a coalition comprised of pro-tax politicians at the federal, state, and local level and their taxpayer funded Washington lobbyies for holding a press conference encouraging Congress to reject a taxpayer friendly report submitted by the Advisory Commission on Electronic Commerce (ACEC).

Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) and a member of the ACEC, issued the following statement on behalf of taxpayers today:

"The pro-tax team's press conference is led by the National Governors Association, a taxpayer subsidized group that uses taxpayer dollars to lobby for bigger government. 

"The NGA, like many of the members of the pro-Internet tax coalition, receives the vast majority of its income from taxpayers.  For a government-funded organization such as the NGA to continue expending taxpayer resources to lobby for expanded power to tax consumers and businesses constitutes a vicious circle that victimizes every American taxpayer.

"That is the ultimate slap in the face to taxpayers:  taxpayer subsidized groups using taxpayers' money to lobby for more taxes. 

"The final report of the ACEC was a clear, strong statement to the pro-tax increase forces that their tax increasing plans will be opposed.  The NGA and other members of the pro-tax coalition are attempting to undermine the hard work of the commission by lobbying Congress to reject the final plan adopted by the ACEC using taxpayer money. 

"It is time for the pro-tax increase team to accept that they lost yet another battle to raise taxes in a manner that was fair and square.  Both sides on the ACEC made their case to the ACEC members who were undecided and to the citizens of the country.  The tide broke in favor of the anti-tax forces and it is time for the tax and spenders to accept it."