[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 41 (Thursday, April 2, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E584]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      IT's OUR MONEY, NOT THEIRS!

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BOB SCHAFFER

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 1, 1998

  Mr. BOB SCHAFFER of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, processing salmon on a 
cannery slime line was probably the best job preparation I ever 
received for my stint in the U.S. Congress. Making laws is never pretty 
either.
  Standing boot deep in fins, fish heads, and entrails, trying to keep 
up with the conveyor belt, my team routinely exceeded our production 
goals. In the end, we made a fine product, and our Alaskan employer 
succeeded in running a good business--despite the bloody mess.
  That was my first job out of college. I paid my way through school as 
a lifeguard, a farm hand, a referee and umpire, a night clerk at an 
apartment complex, and as a retail worker. During holidays, I filled in 
for a vacationing heating and air contractors' assistant, and conducted 
public opinion polls for local governments and community boards.
  Upon graduation I worked a few more jobs before being asked, at a 
relatively young age by local leaders, to fill a vacancy in the state 
Senate. In addition to the cannery job, I worked as a carpet layer, in 
food service, as a legislative researcher, a corporate and political 
speechwriter, and press secretary. I later ran my own marketing 
business for six years too.
  But, throughout all my work, entrepreneurial and investment 
experiences, I've been confronted with the same disappointment--high 
taxes.
  Each time I forked over more of my earnings to the government, I 
pledged to myself that, if I ever got the chance, I'd work even harder 
to put the priorities of wage-earners ahead of the tax collectors.
  This month, millions of Coloradans will labor through the time-
consuming and stressful task of preparing tax returns to answer the 
government's deadline of April 15th. The average family will endure a 
local, state, and federal tax burden of an incredible 40 percent of 
income for 1997.
  This year, Americans will spend a combined 5\1/2\ billion hours 
working to comply with our tax system. Meanwhile, the 114,000 employees 
of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) are toiling too. They must, in 
order to churn out and process the 8 billion pages of forms and 
instructions taxpayers will need in order to stay above the law.
  This is why, in my first year in Congress, I cosponsored and voted 
for two of the most important pieces of tax legislation in decades: The 
Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, providing the first net tax cut in 16 
years; and the IRS Restructuring Act, getting us a step closer to 
reining in one of the most abusive federal agencies, and setting us up 
to scrap the entire tax code in favor of one that is fairer, flatter, 
and simpler.
  Indeed, this is one goal I will be pursuing further this month along 
with my friends at the National Federation of Independent Business 
(NFIB)--the nation's largest small business advocate. I've been a proud 
NFIB member myself for many years.
  On April 15th, NFIB will sponsor national ``It's our Money, not 
THEIRS'' Day. The plan is to gather one million signatures on petitions 
calling upon the president and Congress to ``abolish the IRS Code as of 
December 31, 2000, and to propose to the American people for our 
consideration a simpler, fairer tax code which will reward work and 
savings.''
  Paying taxes is never pretty. Some would say the tax code is a bloody 
mess. Thanks to the NFIB, taxpayers will have a chance to send a 
forceful tax message to the government: ``Fish or cut bait!''
  To volunteer for April 15th Day, or to obtain petitions, call me, see 
any other NFIB small business member, or call toll free 1-888-NOT4IRS.

                          ____________________