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
Jerry Brady Post Register Idaho Falls, ID	Scott Campbell The Columbian Vancouver, WA	Chuck Cochrane Yakima Herald-Republic Yakima, WA
Wm. Stacey Cowles The Spokesman-Review Spokane, WA	Nancy L. Freeman Kodiak Daily Mirror Kodiak, AK	Deborah Frol Walla Walla UB Walla Walla, WA
Stephen Hartgen The Times-News Twin Falls, ID	Peter Hovitz Eastside Journal Bellevue, WA	David Lord Pioneer Newspapers Seattle, WA
Elizabeth McCool The Bulletin Bend, OR	Ted Natt The Daily News Longview, WA	Thad Poulson Daily Sitka Sentinel Sitka, AK
Ronald Stewart The News-Review Roseburg, OR	Dwight Tracy Herald and News Klamath Falls, OR	Dennis Waller The Chronicle Centralia, WA
Lew Williams, III Ketchikan Daily News Ketchikan, AK	L. Stedem Wood Skagit Valley Herald Mt. Vernon, WA	Rufus Woods The Wenatchee World Wenatchee, WA

cc:

Evonne Agnello Pacific Northwest Newspaper Association	Diana Kramer Washington Newspaper Publishers Association	Virginia Moorehouse The Bakersfield Californian Bakersfield, CA
Rowland Thompson Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington	Alexis Scott Reeves Atlanta Daily World Atlanta, GA	Dorthy Leavell Chicago Crusader Chicago, IL

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.

PARTIAL VICTORY

The impossible has happened. Death tax repeal is now being embraced in Washington, D.C. as a given.

It is one of the three elements in the Republican’s tax cut plan. Just as importantly, it has gained significant Democratic support.

The buzz in D.C. is there will be a significant rate reduction this year and that will set the stage for total repeal over the following 2-3 years. But that was before the latest surplus figures.

If Congress can be kept focused, more of the surplus will be used for death tax relief or repeal.

ACTION NOW

The window for critical action is the next 2-3 weeks. Calls to Congress are essential during this period. Even legislators that have signed on to a repeal bill need to be contacted and thanked --- they need to know this is important while the budget and tax proposals are still being formatted.

PRIORITY CONTACTS

• Democrats
• Republican leadership
• Senate Finance Committee members
• House Ways & Means Committee
• Any Congressman or Senator you know or are willing to call

Ask (or thank) them to sign on to H.R. 8, the Dunn/Tanner repeal bill, or S. 1128, the Jon Kyl Senate bill.

EDUCATION/BI-PARTISANSHIP

The key to our success has been education and the message to educate. It has created passion for repeal with supporters, and created sympathy, if not always outright support, with those not sympathetic. It has created bi-partisan support and understanding.

The key education elements are:

• This is a middle class and working persons job issue (loss of jobs with death of family and small business).
• It is a minority and female-owned business issue.
• It is an environmental issue.
• It is a capital formation issue. (It is not a wealthy person’s issue!)
• It contributes nothing "net" to the federal budget, yet kills thousands of jobs and businesses.

WASHINGTON, D.C. MEETING AND LOBBYING WEEK

Our May 25th meeting, co-hosted by NAA and the U.S. Chamber, was successful beyond our wildest dreams – and as it turns out the timing was just right.

Everyone wants to be part of a success, and as it becomes clear that repeal is "doable" more and more organizations, legislators and individuals have gotten involved. If you would like more material on the meeting, please contact Janet Hammack at 206-464-8211.

CALL NOW!

Remember – call these Representatives and Senators now. This is happening, but we need all the help we can get.

Web site - www.deathtax.com

Did You Know?

The death tax brings in less than 1.1 percent of total federal revenues.

And, it is estimated it costs the government 65 cents of every dollar raised for enforcement and compliance.

The death tax is a jobs issue.

Repeal of the tax would result in 145,000 new jobs over the first 9 years of repeal.

And that doesn’t include the countless jobs that would be saved if the death tax didn’t force 70% of family and small businesses to liquidate or sell out after only one generation.

99% of all private businesses have fewer than 500 employees. This represents 50% of all private sector jobs which generate 50% of all revenue.

77% of the American voters polled by the 60 Plus Association indicated that they would be "more likely" to vote for their member of Congress if he or she voted to eliminate the death tax.