[LPL Board of Directors] Tax Reform PRESS RELEASE - for your approval

[Adrien Monteleone]

Since the Tax Reform discussion is heating up and on the agenda in a few 
weeks, I'd like to issue the following press release to inject the LPL into 
the debate.

Please offer any critiques or suggestions.  Also, if you'd like to take 
ownership of one of the quotes, or provide your own (without adding too much 
to the word count) please let me know.

I'd like to release this tomorrow, but I can wait till later in the week 
perhaps.  Please get your comments in quickly so this can be a timely release.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

*Libertarian Party of Louisiana Weighs In On Tax Reform Debate*

Lafayette, Louisiana (March 26, 2013)---The Libertarian Party of Louisiana 
(LPL) applauds the current plans for tax reform but says the proposals fall 
far short of a serious effort. Libertarians fully support the elimination of 
the barbaric and confiscatory practice of taking money earned by hard working 
citizens via so-called "income taxes." However, they caution that any serious 
tax reform must include reductions in bloated government spending.

The LPL scoffs at attempts to characterize tax reform in class envy terms. 
"Fairness," Libertarians contend, should never be a standard by which to judge 
taxation. Instead, the party believes that a tax should be judged by how much 
it negatively impacts the ability of consumers to meet their needs with the 
limited resources of their paychecks and savings. A tax, notes the LPL, needs 
to be as light and unobtrusive as possible so it is not a burden upon business 
or consumers. "A tax on a wage or salary is outright theft of your 
legitimately acquired property and is unfit for a free society," said state 
chairman Adrien Monteleone.

Mr. Monteleone also notes that, "the current hang-ups by detractors over 
'revenue neutrality' are red herrings---a socialist and progressive ploy that 
is a throwback from the 1980's era efforts at national tax and spending 
reform. Democrats used 'neutrality' to thwart the move to reduce bloated 
government in a 'compromise' to get bills passed. This resulted in monstrous 
deficits." He continues, "Cast aside the flawed idea of revenue neutrality, 
and reformers can focus on raising legitimate revenue. If this is not enough 
money to fund the current levels of government spending, then the obvious next 
step is to reduce those bloated levels of spending. If serious spending reform 
were considered, there would be no need to even raise sales tax rates or 
extend the current tax base. Personal and business taxes can still be 
eliminated, and it might even be possible to lower sales tax rates further."

"Extending the base to include services is also problematic when determining 
the 'final consumer' of those services as in the case of engineering, 
architectural, and other fees in the construction industry. Who is the final 
consumer, the architect, the builder, the contractor, the home owner? Is the 
administration suggesting taxation upon taxation upon taxation?" asks Mr. 
Monteleone.

The LPL applauds the administration's effort to simplify sales tax filing for 
businesses, but they suggest that sales should be taxable at the point of sale 
and never at point of delivery. This would be far simpler and easier to 
implement and comply with. Such a move would also provide economic incentive 
for local jurisdictions to keep their sales tax rates as low as possible. Some 
of these local rates alone are as high as 5-6%.

The Libertarian Party is currently the third largest political party in 
Louisiana and is the fastest growing party in the State, growing over 50% 
since this time last year. The Party is currently organizing on the parish 
level to begin seriously contesting local elections and will be recruiting 
candidates for congressional, legislative and statewide elections over the 
next two years. For more information on the LPL or its positions, visit 
LPLouisiana.org.

Contact:
Adrien Monteleone, chairman
chairman at lplouisiana.org
337-593-8208
###

-- 
In Liberty,

Adrien Monteleone - Chairman
Libertarian Party of Louisiana

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