Burns Signs Taxpayers Protection Pledge
February-11, 2006
Burns Signs Taxpayers Protection Pledge
(SAVANNAH, GA) - Max Burns, former Congressman and candidate for Georgia's New 12th District, today signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge sponsored by Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) and challenged his opponent, Athens Congressman John Barrow to sign the pledge as well. Burns, who was a leader in the 108th Congress to simplify tax filing for Americans, signed the pledge at the Chatham County Republican Party's Second Saturday breakfast in Savannah. During the 108 th Congress, Burns earned a ninety percent rating with ATR and received the "Hero of Taxpayer Award."
"I'm proud to sign the Taxpayer Protection Pledge because reducing the tax burden on working families is critical to expanding our economy and providing more jobs and opportunities for our communities," says Burns. "My record is clear on taxes - less of them and I'll work to enact a tax code that is simple, fair and honest."
The Pledge states that Burns will oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rates for individuals and/or businesses and any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates.
"I challenge Mr. Barrow to sign the pledge as well because the best way to create jobs and keep the economy growing is to keep the money out of Washington," says Burns. "If he is serious about getting the budget deficits under control he will join me in signing the pledge because raising taxes and giving Congress more money to spend is not the answer to eliminating the deficits. If he won't, then the people of the 12 th District can only assume he will raise their taxes."
During the 108th Congress, the U.S. House of Representatives passed two pieces of legislation introduced by Burns that simplified tax filing for millions of Americans. H.R. 4109, the Simple Tax for Seniors Act, created the first-ever, short-form "1040S" for America's retirees and seniors, and H.R. 4841, the Tax Simplification for Americans Act of 2004, expanded the use of the short 1040EZ form, which would have saved millions of taxpayers' time in their filings, which could otherwise have been spent with their family. While both bills died at the end of the 108th Congress, Republican Congressman Rob Simmons (CT-02) introduced H.R. 1581, the Simplify Tax Filing for Seniors Act of 2005, an identical bill to H.R 4109.
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