Dear Editor,

How refreshing - A President who speaks his mind and makes the federal budget process understandable to the real world. Seems to me the President is making budget decisions the way my family makes budget decisions. First we pay for our priorities. Then we pay our debts. We put some money in the bank in case an emergency happens. The President wants to do all this and still give reasonable tax relief. How refreshing.

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Dear Editor

President Bush kept his promise to Americans by proposing a common sense plan that provides tax relief for all hardworking taxpayers. The principles of the President's plan are clear: Over-charged taxpayers deserve some of their own money back. The tax system is unfair, especially for those struggling to make it into the middle class. Hardworking parents should be able to keep more of their own money to provide for their families. Small businesses must have a better chance to grow and to hire.

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Dear Editor

The President has proposed a bold and fair tax relief plan that will reduce the inequities of the current tax code and help ensure that America remains prosperous. This tax relief plan promotes the values that make the American economy second to none -- access to the middle class, family, equal opportunity, and the entrepreneurial spirit. This plan will reduce taxes for everyone who pays income taxes, and it will encourage enterprise by lowering marginal tax rates.

Under the President's tax relief plan, the typical American family of four will be able to keep at least $1,600 more of their own money; all while paying down the debt. Now that's common sense government I can support.

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Dear Editor

President Bush says he wants to give America a tax cut. Well it is our money after all. Thanks goodness he is fighting to make our economy stronger and let us keep the money we work so hard for.

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Dear Editor

The President's new budget looks a lot like my personal budget. He funds what's important. He saves money for unseen emergencies. He pays off as much debt as possible. He takes care of seniors. And he gives reasonable tax relief. Looks to me like he is making government decisions the way families make family decisions.

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Dear Editor

Over the past several months, the economy has slowed dramatically. President Bush's tax cut will give the economy a timely second wind by placing more money in the hands of consumers and entrepreneurs. President Bush also understands that, over the long run, wealth is created by hard-working, risk-taking individuals, not government programs. Countries with low taxes, limited regulation, and open trade grow faster, create more jobs, and enjoy higher standards of living than countries with bigger, more centralized governments and higher taxes. The United States has led the way in economic performance over the last century because America is a freer country. If people are given the freedom to create, they do. If people are given a stake in the outcome, they succeed. We should all be supporting the Bush tax plan before things get any worse.

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Dear Editor

The current tax code is full of inequities. Many single moms face higher marginal tax rates than the wealthy. Couples frequently face a higher tax burden after they marry. The majority of Americans cannot deduct their charitable donations. Family farms and businesses are sold to pay the death tax. And the owners of the most successful small businesses share nearly half of their income with the government. President Bush's tax cut will greatly reduce these inequities. It is a fair plan that is designed to provide tax relief to everyone who pays income taxes.

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Dear Editor

High marginal tax rates act as a tollgate, limiting the access of low and moderate-income earners to the middle class. The belief that any worker, with enough effort, can join the middle class is at the heart of the American Dream. But when government attempts to help the poor by simply redistributing income, it often undermines incentives to work harder and earn more. It's time to help everyone in America and cut taxes now. That's why I support the Bush tax plan. The Senate should pass the bill today.

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Dear Editor

Federal income tax revenue rose dramatically in the 1990s. Today, federal taxes from all sources are the highest they have ever been during peacetime, topping 20 percent of GDP. High taxes force families to work harder each year to fuel a growing government. Overall, Americans now work over four months of the year to fund government at all levels. It's time to cut taxes and pass the Bush tax plan.

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Dear Editor

America's high tax burden strips families of resources needed to help solve their most pressing problems. Every family faces different challenges: some need better childcare, some need tutoring for their children, and others need a greater variety of after-school programs. Government cannot tailor its programs to the needs of each family. That is why President Bush believes that the best way to help all families is to let each family keep more of its income - and spend it as it deems appropriate. His plan will lower the tax burden on families by, among other things, reducing tax rates, expanding the child credit, and reducing the marriage penalty. His plan will also raise the threshold for the phase-out of the child tax credit from $110,000 to $200,000 for married couples, and from $75,000 to $200,000 for single parents. Amen.

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Dear Editor

Our Senators should keep one thing in mind when arguing about tax cuts: the current tax code frequently taxes couples more after they get married. This marriage tax contradicts our values and any reasonable sense of fairness. President Bush's tax relief plan will greatly reduce the marriage penalty by restoring the deduction for two-earner families. This will allow the lower-earning spouse to deduct 10 percent - up to $3,000 - of the first $30,000 of income. The marriage penalty will be further mitigated by lowering marginal tax rates, which will reduce the portion of the marriage penalty that is derived from a steep rate structure. So, please pass this plan, now!

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Dear Editor

President Bush believes that a fair tax cut does not pick winners and losers, and it shouldn't. Everyone who pays income taxes should receive a tax cut. He also believes that a tax cut should especially benefit lower and middle-income families. Accordingly, the lowest income families will receive the largest percentage reduction. As a result, more affluent Americans will shoulder a larger portion of the federal income tax burden.

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Dear Editor

In addition to making the tax code more fair, President Bush's agenda will also improve the performance of the economy. His tax cut will help prevent a prolonged economic downturn, and it will encourage innovation. His plan will also allow workers to pay down consumer debt, while leaving growing surpluses to pay down a record amount of public debt. Now that's a plan I can support.

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Dear Editor

Although the federal government is facing an enormous surplus, many Americans are not. Consumer debt has reached an all-time high and now exceeds $1.5 trillion. Credit card debt alone totals over $600 billion, more than $2,000 for every man, woman, and child in the country. This high debt level will eventually restrict consumer spending. And if consumer spending slows, the economy will slow also. Tax relief would give these families the ability to pay down their debt.

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Dear Editor

President Bush believes that the bias of the death tax against the family farm and family business is the antithesis of the American Dream. Accordingly, his tax relief plan will eliminate the death tax. Eliminating the death tax will allow family farms and businesses to be passed from one generation to the next without having to break up or sell the assets to pay a punitive tax to the federal government. As a result, wealth would be taxed only when it is earned, not again when entrepreneurs and senior citizens pass the fruits of their labors to the next generation. That's why I'm supporting the Bush tax plan.

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Dear Editor

The punitively high death tax can fall most heavily on small businesses and family farms that are asset rich but cash poor. According to a 1993 survey, nine of ten successors whose family businesses failed within three years of the owner's death listed the death tax as a contributing factor. That's outrageous. Finally, by encouraging intricate planning techniques to reduce taxes, the death tax has created an entire industry of specialized lawyers and accountants. The added complexity and compliance costs make this one of the least efficient federal taxes. President Bush wants to get rid of this tax, and Congress should support him and pass his tax plan today!

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