Posted on Tue, Oct. 10, 2006

Nelson: Voters not swayed by tax talk
STACEY EIDSON
Herald Staff Writer

Despite Congresswoman Katherine Harris' recent attempts to paint him as an enemy of the taxpayer, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson said Florida voters are not buying his opponent's rhetoric.

"I have voted over 80 times for cutting taxes," Nelson said in an interview with The Herald. "It's just not the tax cuts that she likes. It is not the tax cuts that have taken us from a position of surplus in the federal budget into an enormous deficit."

In 2001, Nelson supported what he called a "fair and equitable" tax cut that would have benefited all citizens, instead of only providing tax breaks to the wealthy.

"I believe the tax cuts that I supported were much more reasonable and fiscally conservative tax cuts," Nelson said. "In contrast, she has come out in favor of the Fair Tax, which is a national sales tax. The net effect of the Fair Tax, according to independent tax commissions, is that it would cause an additional $4,000 of taxes per year for the average taxpayer.

"Ninety-five percent of the taxpayers will be paying more taxes under this national sales tax than under the existing tax system," Nelson added.

By adopting the Fair Tax proposal, households across the country would be able to save money because citizens could control the amount of taxes they pay by limiting the amount of money spent, said Jennifer Marks, spokeswoman for Harris.

"Congresswoman Harris has reviewed many different models of tax reform because she has consistently campaigned on reforming the nation's current onerous tax code," Marks said. "She believes that the Fair Tax model, at its core, is a more fair tax and a far less complicated tax than our current system."

The only reason Nelson is attacking the Fair Tax is because he wants to avoid specifically addressing his own voting record on tax reform, Marks said.

"Bill Nelson can't run from his record," Marks said. "He has a history of flip-flopping when it comes to tax reform."

Nelson has consistently voted against the marriage penalty tax relief, the tax credits for small business owners and legislation aimed at eliminating tax on Social Security, Marks said.

This year's battle in Congress over proposals to change the nation's immigration policies is also a hot campaign topic in this Senate race.

In a press conference last week in front of Tampa's office of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Harris accused Nelson of putting the nation's economy and security at risk by supporting immigration reform.

"Bill Nelson supports amnesty for illegal immigrants," Marks said. "These are individuals who have broken the law and he wants to reward them. Citizenship is not an emergency and it should not be treated as such."

However, Nelson insists that the immigration bill that was approved 62 to 36 votes in the Senate last spring, but failed to gain support in the House, realistically addressed the challenges of immigration by strengthening border security and monitoring illegal immigrants already in the country.

"We need to control the border but we also need to deal with the fact that there are 12 million illegal aliens in the country," Nelson said. "How do you get them out of the shadows and into a process of legalization that will still provide the labor pool that is needed for major industries, such as agriculture, construction and tourism? Those are three industries that have major economic impact in the state of Florida."

Crafting an immigration bill that will satisfy the majority of Congress is going to be difficult, Nelson said.

"The House of Representatives wants to build a fence," Nelson said. "That's why the issue is at an impasse."

Harris recently co-sponsored a bill called The Secure Fence Act, which proposes constructing more than 700 miles of reinforced fencing with cameras, ground sensors and surveillance equipment along the nation's borders.

With less than a month left before the Nov. 7 election, Nelson said he is encouraged by polls that are showing him about 20 points ahead of Harris. But Nelson acknowledges that he is not taking anything for granted, especially after recently learning that Harris has pledged to use up to $10 million of her own money to fund her campaign.

"I assume nothing," Nelson said. "I'm preparing for whatever comes at us because $10 million can pay for a lot of attack ads."

Stacey Eidson, Herald reporter, can be reached at seidson@HeraldToday.com or at 708-7908.


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