For Immediate Release – Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Contact: Corey R. Lewandowski (603) 894-5881 or (202) 550-7839
E-Mail:CLewandowski@afphq.org

Americans for Prosperity- New Hampshire Launches Statewide Grassroots Effort Against Proposed Rooms and Meals Tax Increase

Week 2- “Taxed Enough Already” (TEA) Month: AFP says No to Rooms and Meals Tax

-Local restaurant owners wear AFP lapel stickers opposing Rooms and Meals Tax-

WINDHAM— Americans for Prosperity- New Hampshire (AFP) today launched a statewide grassroots effort involving local restaurant owners opposed to the proposed increase in the Rooms and Meals Tax.

“The proposed rooms and meals tax increase in this year’s bi-annual budget will be devastating to business owners across the state,” said AFP State Director Corey R. Lewandowski. “Increasing the tax on rooms and meals will encourage people to stay home for dinner to avoid increased prices. This will have a direct effect on local restaurant owners already struggling to survive.”

AFP has been coordinating efforts with restaurant owners and employees to disseminate and wear lapel stickers opposing the proposed tax increase, which would bring the tax from 8% to 8.75%-- making New Hampshire’s Rooms and Meals tax one of the highest in the nation.

The Draft, The Barley House, and Concorde Grille are just a few of the restaurants encouraging employees and customers to wear the lapel stickers and speak out against the increased taxes for local restaurant owners and their customers.

"The Concord Grille is against this tax being raised due to the fact it will not only hurt wait staff and bartenders, but goes after the customers as well,” said Michael Walchak, general manager of Concord Grille. "The state should curb spending, not raise taxes and add more expenses to an ever growing deficit.You are taking money from people who need it most."

The effort is a part of AFP- New Hampshire’s “Taxed Enough Already” (TEA) Month, established to highlight unnecessary taxes under consideration by the General Assembly during the month of May. Previous weeks focused on the Gas tax and the tobacco tax. Next week will focus on the death tax.

For more information, visit www.americansforprosperity.org/newhampshire

Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is the nation’s premier grassroots organization of citizen leaders working at the state and local level and committed to advancing every individual’s right to economic freedom and opportunity. AFP educates and engages citizens in support of restraining state and federal government growth and returning government to its constitutional limits. For more information, visit www.americansforprosperity.org.

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