Reponse from GBW to protesters

Below is a press release from the office of Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite in response to today's politically motivated protest in downtown Brooksville which was organized by the Orange County Democrat Executive Committee:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Charlie Keller
February 28, 2008

REP. BROWN-WAITE DEFENDS FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY

Congresswoman Invites All 5th District Constituents to Meet With Staff and Share Their Views

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – U.S. Representative Ginny Brown-Waite (FL-05) today released the following statement regarding the protests outside her Brooksville district office.

“I send a warm welcome to all the protesters on their visit to Hernando County,” said Rep. Brown-Waite. “I think it is wonderful that some Floridians have come so far to see our City of Brooksville. I hope that during their day in Hernando County the protesters can find the time to spend some of their anticipated tax rebate checks with local businesses. And, if the group needs to cool off, I recommend that they head down the road to Weeki Wachee for a fun afternoon at our water park.

“It is disappointing that the Orlando partisan race hustlers who traveled to Hernando County today have chosen to continue the politics of division. Tax policy should not be something that divides America along racial or party lines. When you have protesters like the ones here today, however, factual issues are obscured and the focus shifts to name-calling and angry partisan rhetoric. I was embarrassed to read in the newspaper today that Orange County Democratic Party Chairman Bill Robinson is apparently so misinformed about how Florida residents want seniors’ Social Security taxes to be used that he feels it is ok to take retirement incomes from my senior constituents and give it away to those who don’t pay federal income taxes. If that is truly how he feels, I am happy to have that debate, any time, any where. Rather than discussing whether people who don’t pay federal taxes should get a check from my constituents, however, Democrats have once again chosen race-based hysteria.

“I would also like to point out that the use of the word foreign to describe the tax status of people living in the American possessions was entirely accurate. According to the Internal Revenue Code, section 7701(a) 9 defines the "United States," for tax purposes, to include only the fifty states and the District of Columbia. Further, section 901(a) provides a foreign tax credit; section 901(b) defines it to include taxes paid to the possessions (which include Puerto Rico). Finally, sections 7701(a) 4 and 5 define "domestic" and "foreign" corporations as corporations chartered in the United States or abroad, respectively.

“Taken together, these sections of Internal Revenue Code make it clear that people and corporations located in possessions of the United States are considered foreign for tax purposes. In my original statement, and in following statements, I have been consistent that we need to debate who should receive a tax rebate in times of budget deficits and a slowing economy. The facts, no matter how loudly anyone shouts otherwise, remain the facts. The American citizens who live and work in Puerto Rico do not pay federal income taxes to the United States Treasury. My constituents do not believe that Puerto Rico residents should receive tax rebate checks. That debate is moot, however, since the economic stimulus package has been signed into law. Puerto Rico citizens, just like Americans living in the fifty states, the District of Columbia and the other possessions, will receive checks courtesy of the federal taxpayer.

“I hope in the future that we can have a fact-based discussion and avoid further protests like the one we see today, but I doubt that the press that has fanned these flames is up to the heavy lifting to accomplish that simple request.”