Main Street Message, Tax Day 2010: A Sobering Reminder of the Need for Washington to Focus on Growing our Economy not Our Tax Burden

Contact: Chris Barron
(202) 286-4533

(Washington, D.C.) – On tax day 2010, the Republican Main Street Partnership, the largest organization for elected centrists, emphasized the need for Washington to focus on jump-starting our economy. “Today is a sobering reminder that we need our elected officials in Washington focused on growing our economy – not growing our tax burden,” said former U.S. Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA), current President of Main Street.

Main Street has unveiled a “Blue Print for Economic Revitalization.” Main Street’s Blue Print is intended to lower the tax burden, spur economic growth, create jobs and return fiscal sanity to Capitol Hill.

“Unlike the approach by President Obama and Congressional Democrats, this ‘Blue Print’ would actually create jobs without bankrupting the federal government,”continued Davis.

“Raising taxes, particularly in the teeth of a recession, is an economic recipe for disaster. American families and small businesses deserve tax relief in these tough times,” concluded Davis.

The Republican Main Street Partnership’s Blue Print for Economic Revitalization

It is time that Washington started focusing on the issue Americans care most about – economic revitalization. Instead of playing partisan political games, we need our elected leaders in Washington to commit to working across party lines to find pragmatic solutions to the difficult economic challenges facing American families and American businesses.

Below is our Blue Print for Economic Revitalization. These 10 legislative initiatives will spur economic growth, create new high-paying 21st century jobs, and put our fiscal house in order to protect the American dream for future generations.

1. Cut the corporate tax rate

Cutting the corporate tax rate will help spur economic growth, encourage job creation, and keep American businesses competitive in the global marketplace.

2. Cut the capital gains tax rate

Cutting the capital gains tax rate will encourage growth in the stock market, increase liquidity, and stabilize retirement plans impacted by the soft stock market of the last few years.

3. Pass a permanent R&D Tax Credit

Passing a permanent R&D tax credit will spur investment in cutting edge technologies and help create high-paying 21st century jobs.

4. Pass meaningful tort reform

Passing meaningful tort reform will lower costs to businesses and consumers across all sectors of our economy and create a system that works for victims of malfeasance – not for unscrupulous trial lawyers.

5. Permanently repeal the death tax

Permanently repealing the death tax will protect small businesses and family farmers.

6. Make existing tax relief, set to expire, permanent

The tax cuts of 2001 and 2003 should be made permanent. The last thing we should do is raise taxes in the teeth of a recession.

7. Tackle long-term solvency issues for Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security through the establishment of a bipartisan commission

We cannot hope to balance the budget and reign in the national debt without tackling the long-term solvency issues for programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.

8. Eliminate inefficient and duplicative federal spending and federal programs

All across the country, individuals, families and businesses are being asked to do more with less. In these challenging economic times we need a stream-lined federal government that makes the most of limited resources.

9. Pass Bipartisan Healthcare Reform

We can make quality affordable healthcare available to every American and we can do it without expanding government-run healthcare or burdening future generations with mountains of debt.

10. Pass Bipartisan Energy and Environment Reform

We can and should pass bipartisan energy and environmental reform legislation that lowers energy costs, reduces our reliance on foreign oil and protects our environment.

The Republican Main Street Partnership (RMSP) is dedicated to promoting and building a pragmatic, thoughtful, fiscally conservative, and inclusive “Governing Majority,” where political debate is encouraged to promote solutions to improve the lives of all Americans. Embracing the full spectrum of center-right ideologies and values in order to build coalitions, RMSP is the largest organization of elected leaders who are in the mold of Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and Ronald Reagan. For more information on RMSP, visit our website at www.republicanmainstreet.org.