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Worcester, Hampden, Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin, Middlesex Counties, MA November 4, 2008 Election
Smart Voter

Lower Taxes to Build a More Robust Economy

By Nathan A. Bech

Candidate for United States Representative; District 1

This information is provided by the candidate
Nathan Bech opposes proposals for crippling tax increases on job creators and entrepreneurs who are the heart of American innovation, growth and prosperity. Nathan Bech will not vote to increase the current income and investment tax rates.
Ending Urban Poverty

Nathan Bech believes that it is tragic that Holyoke is one of the poorest cities in America. He believes we must take rapid action by creating incentives for businesses to locate, developers to rehabilitate housing, and innovators of all stripes to target our poorest cities. Nathan will work to have Holyoke named as a Federal Economic Empowerment Zone bringing federal preference and tax incentives to those who invest in Holyoke. He will also partner with state and municipal leaders to ensure that our efforts are united and not duplicative. Jobs, Housing and Education are the keys to restoring prosperity to some of the commonwealth's finest people. We owe them no less.

Attacking the Housing Crisis

Nathan Bech supports a timely plan targeted to help those hurt by the housing crisis. He would afford deserving Americans, but not speculators, the opportunity to trade a burdensome mortgage for a manageable FHA-backed loan that reflects their home's true market value. This program would be open to Americans with non-conventional mortgages on owner occupied property taken after 2005; who can prove creditworthiness either at the time of the original loan or today, and are either delinquent, in arrears on payments, facing a reset or otherwise able to demonstrate that they will be unable to continue to meet their mortgage obligations. They must be able to meet the terms of a new 30 year fixed-rate mortgage on the existing home.

Making America Competitive

Nathan Bech supports lower barriers to American goods at overseas markets. There are twenty times more potential consumers of American goods outside our borders than within. Our businesses need fair access to those markets. Nathan believes we should engage in multilateral, regional and bilateral efforts to reduce barriers to trade, level the global playing field, and build effective enforcement of global trading rules. These steps would also strengthen the U.S. dollar and help to control the rising cost of living that hurts our families. Nathan would restore fast track rules for American trade agreements instead of holding American allies like Columbia hostage to domestic politics.

Cutting Taxes For The Middle Class

Nathan Bech comes from a middle class family and understands the struggles that middle class families face. Nathan will permanently repeal the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) + paid nearly exclusively by 25 million middle class families. Repealing this outdated tax will save middle class families nearly $60 billion in a single year. The average middle class family with children, who now would otherwise pay the AMT, will save an average of over $2,700 + a meaningful tax cut for working families. Nathan knows that raising a family is an important task for the future of America. He supports giving parents the money to invest in their children. Therefore he proposes to double the personal exemption for each dependent from $3,500 to $7,000.

Pro-Growth Tax Policy

Nathan Bech opposes proposals for crippling tax increases on job creators and entrepreneurs who are the heart of American innovation, growth and prosperity. Nathan Bech will not vote to increase the current income and investment tax rates. Nathan supports changes to the tax code which would allow the expensing of equipment and technology to provide an immediate boost to capital expenditures and reward investments in cutting-edge technologies.

Saving Family Business from Corporate Buy Outs

Nathan Bech supports the permanent and immediate repeal of the "Death Tax." Family farms, locally owned newspapers and small business are in danger. Forcing the next generation to sell their business to a corporation in order to meet the demands of taxation does nothing to end the concentration of wealth in America. It unfairly penalizes those committed to local and responsible stewardship of important community institutions.

Tax Cuts On American Employers

Nathan Bech will reduce the Federal corporate tax rate from 35% to the international average of 26% to keep America competitive. Nathan believes fair trade means the taxes we impose on American companies should be no higher than the average rate our major trading partners impose on theirs. We currently have the second-highest combined corporate-tax rate in the industrialized world, and it is driving many businesses and the jobs they create overseas.

Stop taxes on Research & Development

Nathan Bech will create a permanent tax credit equal to 10% of wages spent on US based Research and Development. This reform will make us more competitive with other countries and incentivize innovation.

A Real Choice For Simpler Taxes

Nathan Bech will support innovative alternatives to simplify our tax code, discourage fraud and evasion by individuals and corporations alike. Americans do not resent paying their rightful share of taxes + what they do resent is being subjected to thousands of pages of needless and often irrational rules and demands from the IRS. Nathan is open to all solutions which might take burdens off American tax payers.

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ma/state Created from information supplied by the candidate: September 22, 2008 16:48
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