[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 60 (Friday, May 9, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S4287]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            TAX FREEDOM DAY

 Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, today is National Tax Freedom Day--
the day when families around the country finally start working for 
themselves and not for the Government. For families in my home State of 
Washington, however, Tax Freedom Day does not come until May 14. In 
Washington State, families must work 5 additional days before the 
income they earn can go to meet their own needs and not the 
Government's.
  The residents of Washington State will bear the Nation's fifth 
highest tax burden in 1997 with each man, woman, and child of the State 
owing $6,572 in Federal taxes. Add this with State and local taxes and 
each Washington citizen will owe $9,881 or almost 37 percent of the 
average, annual income to support the Government .
  It is no wonder today's families are feeling squeezed. It is no 
wonder more and more families must rely on dual incomes and parents 
must work longer and longer hours. Families are paying more in taxes 
today than ever. They are now spending more just on taxes then they do 
on food, clothing, shelter, and transportation combined.
  This is not fairness. It is robbery.
  Clearly, it is time for Congress to seriously reexamine our current 
tax system. As Betty Dursh from Spokane, WA, stated in her recent 
letter to me:

       It is past time to reform the Tax Code. We are now in our 
     fifth year, hear this, our fifth year, of working almost half 
     the year before the taxes are paid. That is unconscionable! 
     It is wrong!

  Yes, Ms. Dursh, it is wrong and it is far past the time for Congress 
to begin the work of reforming our tax system.
  The budget agreement announced by the President and Congress 1 week 
ago today gives me hope--hope that we can finally begin to put our 
fiscal house in order and provide some tax relief for the American 
people. If our efforts are successful this summer and we are able to 
begin the job of reforming some of our most oppressive taxes it will be 
a good step. But it will only be the first, small step in the direction 
of the real reform we need--reform that will, at last, provide us with 
a tax system that respects the right of American's to keep their 
earnings and investments. This will require much more than one or two 
changes to the volumes of provisions in the Tax Code, however. It will 
require a complete examination and, eventually, overhaul of the entire 
system.
  I want to leave my colleagues with one final thought--the words of a 
52-year-old woman from Marysville, WA who lost both her husband and her 
job this past year and who is unable to sell her home to make ends meet 
because she would be required to give the Government 40 percent of the 
proceeds of the sale in capital gains tax. Ms. Linda Blasengame has 
this message for all of us here in Congress:

       I have lost so much and have always fought back but I can't 
     imagine the pain of having to lose my dignity too. Please, 
     look inside your heart and help me and so many others that 
     are in my shoes. . . . I don't need a handout, I need your 
     help.

  Congress must heed the cries for help from people like Ms. Blasengame 
and we must respond to the outrage of people like Ms. Dursh. The 
American people are slowly losing patience with our bandaid approaches. 
Americans overwhelming want a fairer and simpler tax system. They 
deserve this and they are relying on us to work toward this 
end.

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