[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 73 (Wednesday, May 22, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H5384-H5385]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         IRS IS DOWNRIGHT PETTY

  (Mr. TRAFICANT asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, at times the IRS is not only arrogant and 
disgusting, they are downright petty. Check this out.
  Louise and Harvey Phillips of Deltona, FL, got a demand letter from 
the IRS. The letter said, ``You owe us money; and if you don't pay in 
10 days, we will take legal action against you.''
  The Phillips' just got tired of the drag, so they wrote a check, 
ladies and gentlemen, for the entire amount. One red cent. The Phillips 
then asked, ``Why are you so petty?'' And the IRS said, ``That's none 
of your business. You will get an answer in 8 weeks.''
  Beam me up, Mr. Speaker. No wonder the American people are taxed off. 
I think the Congress of the United States of America should tell the 
IRS to shove that Phillips penny right up their software. I think we 
should also tell them that the Phillips' of Deltona, FL, just happen to 
be their boss.
  Think about it. Yield back the balance of this 32 cent stamp for a 1 
penny settlement with the IRS.

[[Page H5385]]



          INCREASE IN MINIMUM WAGE WILL MEAN 500,000 JOB LOSS

  (Mr. KINGSTON asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, today the Democrats say goodbye to 500,000 
jobs, according to the Federal Reserve, which is what the impact of 
increasing the minimum wage will be. That is no problem, though, 
because most of those folks will get on public benefits, which is 
exactly where the Democrats want them, right under the thumb of the 
Government so they can create dependency on the Government.
  Do my colleagues know who is on minimum wage? Sixty-six percent of 
the people are part-time workers. Thirty-nine percent of them are 
teenagers. Two percent are over 30 years old. And those who start with 
a minimum wage are making $6.05 an hour within 1 year. It is an entry-
level wage.
  I started at minimum wage when I was 16 years old. I have worked 
minimum wage in the restaurant and the construction business. I learned 
skills, and as I learned them, I was paid more. That is how the private 
sector, the capitalistic free enterprise system, works.
  I am sorry there are so many people who lean with socialistic 
tendencies to government solutions to every possible problem that is 
out there. I say let the private sector get out there and compete. Let 
us save the jobs and cut out the talk about increasing the wage.

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