WASHINGTON, D.C. – At a Capitol Hill press conference today attended by key fiscal conservatives in the Senate, the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) declared its support for a broad, across-the-board tax cut.  CCAGW believes that without a tax cut, legislators will be tempted to overspend the tax dollars comprising the “budget surplus.”  CCAGW is America’s largest taxpayer advocacy group, with 600,000 members.  Following are the remarks made by CCAGW President Thomas A. Schatz at the press conference:

“We are three short weeks from that day universally dreaded by Americans and universally celebrated by accountants.  I am, of course, talking about April 15^th – Tax Day.

“How can three little letters – I R S – so consistently strike fear into the hearts of law-abiding Americans?  Nobody wants to part with their hard-earned money, but most Americans are willing to pay their fair share.

“The problem with the tax code is two-fold.  First, taxes are simply too high.  The government is taking far more than its fair share.  House Ways and Means Chairman Bill Archer revealed Monday that the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service has calculated that the average household will overpay $5,307 in taxes over the next 10 years if projections for budget surpluses for that period are accurate.  When you overpay your electric bill, your water bill, or your gas bill, you get a rebate.  Americans are being overcharged on their government bill, and they deserve a rebate.  It’s time for a tax cut.

“The second problem with the tax code is that it’s too complex. Too many Americans can’t do their taxes without paying for professional help.  President Clinton’s so-called targeted tax cuts have only compounded the problem. More targeted tax cuts will just make the situation worse, and it won’t lower the tax burden for many Americans.  Anything less than an across-the-board tax cut is not real tax relief; it’s just death by a thousand tax cuts.

“The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste, America’s largest taxpayer advocacy group with 600,000 members, supports a tax cut that is both broad and deep.  Leaving hundreds of billions of dollars in Washington will only lead to more government waste and abuse.  We salute Senator Coverdell and others in both houses and both political parties who are working for lower, fairer taxes.  Happy Tax Day to all the accountants out there, and fond wishes that it will be their last.”