FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 17, 2006


Burghard Stands With Missouri Families on Tax Day

COLUMBIA, Mo. - As Americans face the 2006 deadline for filing their Federal Income Tax Returns, an Ipsos Poll released last week found that 58 percent of Americans say the system is unjust. The same percentage think that middle income families pay too much income tax, and 60 percent say high income families and big businesses are paying too little in taxes.

Duane Burghard, the Democrat running for the U.S. House against Kenny Hulshof, agrees, but he also notes that Mr. Hulshof's voting record, does not.

"Despite voter dissatisfaction with our tax code, Congressman Hulshof supported and continues to support the current Administration's tax cut for the wealthy," said Burghard. "He consistently sides with big business and the wealthiest of Americans, leaving small business owners, middle class and working Americans paying more and more each year."

Specifically, Burghard wants to end the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), which will adversely affect over 4 million middle income taxpayers this year, and some estimates say as many as 33 million by 2011. Burghard asks, "why does Congressman Hulshof continue to support excessive tax cuts for the wealthy when the AMT is now creating an unfair burden on familes with incomes as low as $75,000?"

Far worse is the financial reality that the Bush Administration's tax policy has been at the heart of our ever rising national debt. Despite that fact, Congressman Hulshof continues to support and vote for ever escalating spending with potentially devastating results for future generations. Burghard, a small business owner, is very familiar with fiscal responsibility, accountability, transparency, balancing his company's books and creating jobs. "Returning our country to sane, fiscally responsible tax policy is possible, but clearly not with this Congress or this Congressman," said Burghard, "it seems obvious that we need fewer career politicians and more small business owners in Congress."

Burghard pointed to plans like the Fair Flat Tax Act (sponsored in the Senate by Democrat Ron Wyden and in the House by Democrat Rahm Emmanuel) as potential solutions to our current fiscal nightmare which still maintain protections for seniors, veterans, the disabled, and the most commonly used deductions like child credits and home mortgage deductions.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Chris Hayday, 573-529-0712