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8/21/02

Taxpayers' Hero Vs. Taxpayers' Enemy
GEORGIA VOTERS MUST DECIDE THIS NOVEMBER WHICH OF THE TWO THEY WANT REPRESENTING THEM IN WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON - In the world of politics, there is only one way to know for sure if a candidate has given you his word, or if a candidate has given you a line -- and that is their voting record. In order to clear up those all-too-common misunderstandings, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), since 1994, has been rating members of Congress yearly according to their voting records on tax-related issues. The numbers do not lie and they are all posted on ATR's website at www.atr.org.

In the Georgia Senate Race, incumbent Sen. Max Cleland (D) will face Rep. Saxby Chambliss (R) this November. In order to dispel any misconceptions, Cleland in 2001 voted in favor of the taxpayer 15 percent of the time, whereas, in the same year, Chambliss voted in favor of the taxpayer 100 percent of the time.

While Chambliss, "Hero of the Taxpayer," voted for death tax relief for all Americans, Cleland, "Enemy of the Taxpayer," voted to limit the permanent repeal of the death tax, ignoring many Americans.

As a part of the 2001 House of Representatives, Chambliss aided in the passage of the Medical Savings Accounts bill, which allows Americans to use money-saving alternatives to traditional health insurance. Cleland voted against the money-saving Medical Savings Accounts bill.

"When politics are put aside, Chambliss proves himself to be a constant advocate for the taxpayer," said ATR President Grover Norquist. ""Taxes are the single most important domestic policy issue in America today," Norquist continued, "Cleland's record on this subject are abysmal."

Unlike Cleland, Chambliss, as a candidate for the Senate, signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, sponsored by ATR. Chambliss is one of 249 federal officeholders, including President George W. Bush, who have pledged to American taxpayers to "oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rates for individuals and/or businesses and oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing taxes."