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PRESS RELEASE FROM AMERICANS FOR TAX REFORM
Contact: John Kartch ( jkartch@atr.org or 202-785-0266)

7/5/01

Cost of Government Day is July 6^th:
The Taxpayer's Independence Day   

WASHINGTON - Americans for Tax Reform will hold a press conference on July 6^th to mark Cost of Government Day (COGD) - the date in the calendar year when the average American worker has earned enough to pay off his or her share of the burdens of government at the local, state and federal levels.  

Americans currently work 187 days to pay off the costs of government, including 87 days to pay for their federal tax burden and 41 days to pay all state and local taxes. Additionally, Americans work 58 days to pay the costs of federal, state and local regulations that make production more expensive for entrepreneurs and prices higher for consumers. The official COGD Report is available on ATR's Website (www.atr.org).  

ATR's press conference will be held at the House Triangle of the U.S. Capitol on July 6^th at 11 a.m. (Rain location is in Room H-C5 in the Capitol.) 

Confirmed conference speakers include Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, the Honorable Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md), David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union, Wayne Crews of the Cato Institute Scholar and author of Ten Thousand Commandments, Daniel Mitchell of The Heritage Foundation and Jim Martin of Sixty Plus. 

Grover Norquist, president of ATR, had this to say about Cost of Government Day: "When politicians control the purse-strings of American workers, they fatten government coffers at the expense of individual liberty. Our liberty is something precious and remarkable. This week, we celebrated the spirit of liberty and independence - but only two days before we began to work for ourselves. Where is the sense in that?" 

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Americans for Tax Reform is a non-partisan coalition of taxpayers and taxpayer groups who oppose any and all federal and state tax increases.  For more information, or to arrange an interview with Mr. Norquist please contact John Kartch at (202)785-0266 or by email at jkartch@atr.org.