President Bush fires up the activists before they descend upon Capitol Hill to urge their Senators and Congressmen to vote for the President\\\’s economic program.
WASHINGTON – Hundreds of small businessmen, seniors, and other assorted taxpayers packed the ornate Hall of Flags at the Chamber of Commerce building in downtown Washington this morning to listen to President Bush and Treasury Secretary John Snow sing the praises of the President\\\’s Jobs and Growth economic program. The President\\\’s plan is meant to jump-start the economy and create one million new jobs by the end of 2004.
The economy entered recession in 2000, after the bursting of the stock market bubble in March of that year. The terrorist attacks in 2001 threw new burdens on a struggling economy. Since then, growth has resumed, but at such a low rate that there is not enough momentum to create new jobs or lift the pall of insecurity hanging over many hard-working families.
"The 2000 recession was mild and short by historical standards, but it was anything but mild and short to those who lost their jobs," said taxpayer advocate Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform. "Millions of Americans are either out of work, or fear they may be soon. The President\\\’s plan is focused on putting Americans back to work immediately, and laying the groundwork for growth and prosperity into the future."
The President\\\’s plan has four major components: 1.) immediate repeal of the marriage penalty and immediate implementation of $1000 per child tax credit, to provide relief to struggling families; 2.) immediate implementation of planned income tax rate cuts, to put more money in consumers\\\’ pockets and to cut the cost of capital for small business; 3.) a trebling of the small business depreciation allowance to $75,000, to allow small businesses to expand and hire new workers; and 4.) repeal of the double taxation of dividend income, to cut the cost of capital for large corporations and boost the stock market.
"President Bush is focused like a laser beam on putting America back to work," Norquist continued. "His plan will provide immediate relief to struggling families, will create new jobs, and will boost growth for the next decade. It is vital to the prosperity of American workers that it be passed in its entirety."