Civil Rights Coalition Joins Unparalleled Campaign To Defeat Irresponsible and Inequitable Tax Package

Washington, DC ? Wade Henderson, Executive Director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, issued the following statement today at the launch of the Fair Taxes For All campaign, an unprecedented coalition organized to defeat President Bush’s fiscally irresponsible and unmistakably inequitable tax scheme.

“President Bush’s tax cut scheme is bad for America,” said Henderson. “It will not help the economy; it will not boost productivity, it will not lead to prosperity, but it will hurt ordinary Americans. The Bush tax plan rewards the already rich and punishes the working poor. And by sharply increasing the deficit, it puts future generations of Americans on the hook for trillions of dollars. Make no mistake, President Bush’s scheme is not a tax cut ? it is a tax transfer from the working poor to the wealthy, from this generation to the next.”

Henderson continued, “The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the nation’s oldest and largest civil and human rights coalition is proud to join with our other many partners in launching this unparalleled campaign to defeat the President’s tax scheme and push for a fiscally responsible and equitable economic package ? one that provides temporary, short-term stimulus, one that includes aid to states to help respond to their fiscal crises, and focuses on people who will spend the money now, particularly those hardest hit by the economic downturn.”

“In the coming weeks and months, the coalition will be organizing events all across the nation to mobilize opposition to the President’s tax cut scheme. Members of an array of diverse organizations representing hundreds of thousands of Americans ? organizations including ACORN, USAction, labor unions, the United Church of Christ, People for the American Way ? are convening coalitions in more than 25 states to work together to urge members of Congress to oppose the tax cuts,” Henderson stated.

Said Henderson, “Events already have taken place earlier this week in the Midwest and future events are being planned for other states including New Jersey, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. Members of these organizations are requesting meetings to urge their senators to oppose the tax cut package while they are home for the President’s Day recess. A website, www.FairTaxesForAll.org, has been developed to provide a state-by-state listing of all events and activities around the country, and to help support these efforts.”

“The United States is now on the verge of a very costly war with Iraq, the costs of which are not even projected in the President’s budget. If average Americans are being asked to sacrifice, why isn’t the President asking for comparable sacrifice by America’s wealthiest citizens. This is no time for a tax cut for the rich. It is a time for fair taxes for all,” Henderson concluded.

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