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4/24/2006

TNT: GOP Leadership Should Heed Strayhorn's Warning; Sharp Proposal IS Unconstitutional
Disaster for Economy Tax Relief Effort to Take Part in 'Texas Tea Party' Demonstration Against Margin Tax at State Capitol Today

HOUSTON, Texas, April 24 /Christian Newswire/ -- TEXANS for NO new TAXE$ (TNT)—formed specifically to oppose the Sharp Tax Proposal, and a project of Conservative Republicans of Texas, PAC—is dismayed with the actions of Gov. Perry, Lt. Gov. Dewhurst, Speaker Craddick and other members of the Republican leadership to force a quick vote on the Sharp Margin Tax scheme without proper floor debate and consideration of the proposal’s feasibility and constitutionality.

“The leadership of the Texas Republican Party is doing a great disservice to the fiscal health of the Texas economy and to the Texans they represent by strong-arming this thinly-veiled state income tax through the legislature and I do not believe that the collective memory of voters is so short that this won’t cause troubles for the party come November,” stated Steven F. Hotze, M.D., co-chair of TNT and founder of several enterprises in Texas. TEXANS for NO new TAXE$ will join other conservative organizations at the state capitol rotunda today at 9:00 a.m. to implore state representatives to act in the best interests of the Lone Star state and vote against the Sharp Tax Proposal.

“In two short years, Gov. Perry has gone from understanding that lower taxes will stimulate the economy to embracing the scorched Earth policy of tax-and-spend politicians who, once they’ve plundered one sector of the economy, give the appearance of relief by simply shifting that burden to another,” said Dr. Hotze. In 2004, Gov. Perry stated in a speech: “There are no phantom taxpayers. Even those who talk about taxing business would be wise to remember an observation once made by President Reagan: ‘businesses don’t pay taxes, people do.’”

“Gov. Perry has broken his word,” said Dr. Hotze. “We are pleading with Gov. Perry, Lt. Gov. Dewhurst, Speaker Craddick and the rest of the Republican Party leadership to embrace President Reagan’s sound fiscal philosophy and abandon the Sharp tax scheme.”

TNT has launched a state-wide petition encouraging Texans and Texas businesses to publicly oppose the Sharp margin tax proposal because of the detrimental effects it will have on the state’s economy. To view the petition as well as Dr. Hotze’s testimony in its entirety, visit www.TEXANSforNOnewTAXES.org .