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Death Tax Newsletter
SPECIAL BULLETIN
August 25, 2000
To: Pacific
Northwest Family Owned Daily Newspapers
Evonne
Agnello
Pacific
Northwest Newspaper
Association |
A.
L. (Butch) Alford, Jr.
Lewiston
Morning Tribune
Lewiston, ID
|
Alton
F. Baker III
The
Register-Guard
Eugene, OR
|
|
Chris
Bennett
The
Medium
Seattle, WA
|
Debbie
Berto
Issaquah
Press
Issaquah,
WA
|
Rob
Bickler
Yakima
Herald-Republic
Yakima, WA
|
Jerry
Brady
Post
Register
Idaho Falls, ID |
Scott
Campbell
The
Columbian
Vancouver, WA |
Betsy
Cowles
Cowles Publishing Co.
Spokane, WA |
Wm.
Stacey Cowles
The
Spokesman-Review
Spokane, WA |
Randy
Frisch
The Salt Lake Tribune
Salt Lake City, UT |
Stephen
Hartgen
The
Times-News
Twin Falls, ID
|
Peter
Hovitz
Eastside
Journal
Bellevue, WA
|
Bill
Howard
Howard Publications
Seattle, WA |
Diana
Kramer
Washington Newspaper Publishers Association
|
Don
Kramer
Kramer Publications
Casa Grande, AZ
|
David
Lord
Pioneer
Newspapers
Seattle, WA
|
Brown
Maloney
The Sequim Gazette
Sequim, WA |
Elizabeth
McCool
The
Bulletin
Bend, OR
|
Thad
Poulson
Daily
Sitka Sentinel
Sitka, AK
|
Mike
Sexton
Anchorage
Daily News
Anchorage, AK |
Michael
Shepared
Walla
Walla Union-Bulletin
Walla Walla, WA |
Ronald
Stewart
The
News-Review
Roseburg, OR |
Stewar
Rowland Thompson
Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington |
John
Walker
Herald
and News
Klamath Falls, OR |
Dennis
Waller
The
Chronicle
Centralia, WA |
Lew
Williams, III
Ketchikan
Daily News
Ketchikan, AK |
Sam
Wolgemuth
Freedom
Communications, Inc.
Irvine, CA |
L.
Stedem Wood
Skagit
Valley Herald
Mt. Vernon, WA |
Rufus
Woods
The
Wenatchee World
Wenatchee, WA |
cc:
|
Alejandro
Aguirre
Diario Las Americas
Miami,
FL
|
Chris
Anderson
Orange County Register
Santa Ana, CA |
Andy
Barnes
St. Petersburg Times
St. Petersburg, FL |
Bill
Block, Jr.
Blade Communications
Toledo, OH |
Paul
Boyle
Newspaper Association
of America |
Chuck
Cochrane
Yakima
Herald-Republic
Yakima, WA |
Edwin
Heminger
The Courier
Findlay, OH |
Dorthy
Leavell
Chicago Crusader
Chicago, IL |
Virginia
Moorehouse
The
Bakersfield Californian
Bakersfield, CA |
William
S. Morris, III
Morris Communications
Augusta, GA |
Max
Paxton
The News-Gazette
Lexington, VA |
Gary
B. Pruitt
The Sacramento Bee
Sacramento, CA |
Russ
& Myrta Pulliam
Indianapolis Newspapers, Inc. Indianapolis, IN |
Alexis
Scott
Atlanta
Daily World
Atlanta, GA |
John
Sturm
Newspaper
Association of America |
Louis
(Chip) Weil
Central Newspapers, Inc.
Phoenix, AZ |
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ACTION NEEDED NOW
DEATH TAX ELIMINATION ACT IS ON THE PRESIDENTŐS DESK!
If you have not already expressed your support for H.R. 8, the
Death Tax Elimination Act, to the President, now is the
time to do so! The bill was sent to him late this week.
Please contact him today by calling (202) 456-1414 or by
e-mailing president@whitehouse.gov.
Although President Clinton has announced his intention to veto
this measure, communicating with the White House is critical for
two reasons: 1) as a political matter it is certainly possible
that the President could reverse his position if he were convinced
it would help Democrats in the fall elections, and 2) in the event
the President vetoes the bill, an outpouring of public support
for repeal could lead to a trade with Republicans, giving them
H.R. 8 in exchange for legislation that Democrats would like to
take home before the election.
NEED TO SHORE UP SUPPORT IN THE HOUSE FOR OVERRIDE VOTE!
House leadership has expressed its intention to schedule an override
vote on September 7 if the President vetoes H.R. 8. When the House
originally passed the bill, it did so on a 279-136 vote with 65
Democrats voting in support. In order to assure a successful override
vote it is critical to focus on three groups:
• The 65 Democrats who voted in support of the legislation
• The 6 Members who are cosponsors of H.R. 8, but who voted
against it, including: Eliot Engel (D-NY), Eddie Bernice Johnson
(D-TX), Frank Mascara (D-PA), Greg Meeks (D-NY), Ed Pastor (D-AZ),
and Edolphus Towns (D-NY)
• The 11 Democratic Members of Congress who did not vote.
(There were also 9 Republicans who did not vote that day, but
the presumption is that they will all support the override vote.)
Included in the 11 are Washington Congressman Adam Smith (a bill
cosponsor) and Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer.
Please see attached vote tally for information on key Members
to contact. Democrats who supported the bill still need to hear
from you, as they will be pressured by the Administration to change
their vote and oppose the override. Be sure to thank them for
their support and ask them to support the override vote.
In the event an override vote is scheduled, the degree to which
it is successful will further encourage the President to consider
a trade-off with Republican leadership before Congress adjourns.
Now is the time to act!
KEY POINTS TO REMEMBER
• H.R. 8 IS a compromise piece of legislation. It includes
the elimination of the stepped up basis in capital gains proposed
by Senate Democrats. As a result, appreciated capital gains that
are not currently taxed will be taxed under this legislation if
or when the heirs sell the assets. BUT death will no longer be
a taxable event.
• Family business "carve-outs" and increases in the unified
credit do not solve the problem. We are too close to success
to settle for a short term, ineffective fix that sounds good but
does not allow the successful transfer of a family business.
DEATH TAX ADS AVAILABLE ON DEATHTAX.COM
Ads encouraging the President to sign H.R. 8 are available on
www.deathtax.com and can
be downloaded in full, half or quarter page format. Please consider
running them this week. For additional information, please contact
Jill Mackie at 206/464-2028.
Also attached is an op-ed piece co-authored by Jennifer Dunn
(R-WA) and Jon Kyl (R-AZ), the chief House and Senate proponents
of The Death Tax Elimination Act.
Death Tax Newsletter This bi-monthly newsletter is produced by
The Seattle Times for family-owned newspapers. Please share it with
other family businesses in other industries. Any suggestions for
distribution or content will be greatly appreciated. Contact Jill
Mackie, Director of External Affairs, at 206/464-2028. |
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