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BEREN: "CUT SPENDING, CUT TAXES, REDUCE DEFICIT, BALANCE THE BUDGET"

In these challenging times, we need to keep taxes low and improve economic growth.  The economy is strong in its essentials – inflation is low, unemployment is low - but nevertheless, we can take action to even further strengthen the economy.

We need to sharply reduce spending, cut taxes, reduce the deficit, and balance the budget.  I’m for lower taxes and smaller government, because lower taxes are better for families, property owners, and small businesses.  Lower taxes lead to increased liberty.  With lower taxes, families have more money for their needs: mortgage, college education, and health insurance.  With lower taxes, business have more money to invest, hire, and provide services.  Less government bureaucracy improves the business climate and promotes job growth.  In general, I favor economic policies that create jobs, encourage small businesses, reduce taxes, protect property rights, and strengthen families.  We need to maintain the tax cuts and continue growing the economy. 

We should eliminate taxes for everybody making less than $25,000 a year, and we should greatly reduce taxes for everybody else.  I support generous tax deductions for retirement savings, medical savings, and education savings. 

If taxes are lower, liberty is increased.  If taxes are lower, families have more of their own money to pay their mortgages, educate their children, and purchase health insurance.  If taxes are lower, businesses have more of their own money to invest, leading to more jobs, more products, and more services.

There can be no fiscal responsibility without addressing the problem of illegal immigration.  The presence of 12 million illegal immigrants hurts the economy, depresses the wages of American workers, and burdens the taxpayers.  I oppose open borders, and I oppose amnesty for illegal aliens.  We need to end the massive wasteful spending on benefits for those here illegally.

CUT SPENDING, REDUCE THE DEFICIT, BALANCE THE BUDGET
In all spheres of government bureaucracy, we must recognize that there is much wasteful spending on programs that are ineffective, obsolete, or no longer serve the purpose for which they were initially intended.  Thus, program-by-program auditing and accountability is necessary, and often greater results can be accomplished with program reform and less actual spending.

I favor the promotion of government reform, lower taxes, limited government, and curtailing out-of-control spending. Cutting the deficit is a priority for our nation.

There should be across-the-board spending cuts of at least 10% to 15% in almost every program, with rare exceptions such as national defense, homeland security, and emergency preparedness. No program should ever be increased without a dollar-for-dollar decrease elsewhere in the budget.  This would allow appropriate levels of spending for vital programs such as programs for military veterans, and assistance to people with severe disabilities.  (See below for a chart, from votesmart.org during the 2006 campaign, comparing my views on spending to the views of the incumbent.)

REDUCE TAXES, INCREASE DEDUCTIONS, REFORM THE TAX SYSTEM
Federal tax levels should be greatly decreased across the board, with elimination of taxes for families with incomes of less than $25,000 per year.  Gasoline taxes should be greatly reduced, and the death tax should be eliminated.

The child tax credit should be greatly increased, as should the deductions for mortgage payments, medical expenses, and charitable contributions.  There should be generous deductions for savings by parents for their children’s education, with an increase in the allowable contributions to education savings accounts, which earn tax-free interest.

The medical expense tax deduction should be greatly increased, and all drug purchases and insurance premiums should be fully tax-deductible.  Eligibility for tax-free medical savings accounts should be greatly expanded.  Low income families should receive tax credits to help them purchase private healthcare coverage. 

We need major tax reform – an overhaul and simplification of the entire tax system.  The current federal tax code should eventually be replaced with some combination of a flat tax and national sales tax, with generous rebates for low-income people.  (See below for a chart, from votesmart.org during the 2006 campaign, contrasting my views on taxes to those of my opponent.)

CLEAR CHOICE – STARK DIFFERENCES WITH MCDERMOTT
In my campaign against incumbent Congressman Jim McDermott, there is a clear choice, with stark differences on a wide range of issues.  In particular, our views clash sharply on the matters pertaining to the economy, taxes, the budget deficit, and a sharp reduction in spending.

Source for Steve Beren and Jim McDermott positions: http://www.votesmart.org in 2006

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