Statement by Chris Neeley
4/26/05

Thanks for being here.

I'm Chris Neeley, director of Americans for Prosperity, and we are here today to announce the 2005 signers of the Taxpayer Protection Pledge for North Carolina.

This year we have 24 House and Senate members who have committed to vote against any and all tax increases during the 2005 Legislative Session.

Today, these legislators, by signing the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, have publicly demonstrated their personal commitment to holding the line on taxes in North Carolina.

And their support couldn't come at a better time.

With the Senate set to take up the state budget, the lottery and tax increases; we need more leaders, like the 24 pledge signers, to stand up for the taxpayers of North Carolina.

After all, we already pay the highest corporate and personal income taxes in the Southeast -- ninth highest in the nation; the 12th highest sales tax nationally; and the 11th highest gas tax.

To make matters worse, Governor Easley has proposed a budget that includes more than $1.7 billion in tax increases, including tax increases on tobacco, liquor, newspapers, cable, satellite and phone services, candy, live entertainment like the circus, and the continuation of the so called temporary sales tax.

If passed, these tax increases would represent the fifth year in a row that taxes have gone up on taxpayers and an increase of more than $800 per year for a family of four. And that's wrong.

But thanks to these 24 courageous leaders we have a chance to stop that awful trend.

On behalf of the citizens of our state I want to thank each pledge signer for standing up for the taxpayers and for recognizing the real problem in our state. That is, North Carolina has a spending problem, not a revenue problem.

To the members of the General Assembly who chose not to sign the Taxpayer Protection Pledge -- it's not too late. You too can show your commitment to protecting our citizens from over taxation by simply voting down all tax increases in the upcoming budget votes. Can we count on your support? In a few weeks, the whole state will know!

I now call on Senator Robert Pittenger to share with you his thoughts on why he signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge.

After Senator Pittenger speaks I ask Representative Bryan Holloway to come up and share his thoughts on the Taxpayer Protection Pledge.

Thank you Senator Pittenger and Representative Holloway.

We will now take questions from the media.

Thank you