Democrats wish to raise them.

As families across Southwest Louisiana struggle to pay higher prices at the pump, rising mortgage rates and escalating healthcare costs, the House Democratic leadership approved the largest tax hike in American history. Their budget will raise taxes on families and individuals, old and young, rich and poor- all to pay for wasteful Washington spending. Taxpayers in Louisiana face average tax increases of $2,642, and small businesses face an additional $4,000 on average. It is simply irresponsible.

Each year, Congress debates a budget for the coming year. The budget should be an outline of priorities. Growing our economy, helping American entrepreneurs and allowing families to keep more of their money are what a responsible budget should accomplish. This Democratic budget is simply a wasteful tax hike on working families. We need a budget that will lead to American prosperity, not bigger government.

The Democratic budget proposal includes a massive $683 billion tax increase over five years in order to finance Washington spending according to the Congressional Budget Office. The Associated Press reported, “[b]oth houses of Congress endorsed the idea of tax increases for millions of Americans Thursday as Democrats pressed ahead with budget plans that would allow some or all of President Bush’s reductions to die after he leaves office.” While failing to address growing entitlement programs, House Democrats are proposing tens of billions more in new federal spending facilitated by the tax increase.

Extra money for tax hikes might be in the family budget for people in San Francisco, but families in Southwest Louisiana do not have extra room in their checkbooks. I am committed to responsible spending and low taxes to keep the economy growing. Americans should be allowed to keep more of their hard-earned money. You earned it.

 The bottom line is that the GOP has spent a lot of money domestically and abroad.  By being so reckless and irresponsible with the spending, particularly with the domestic pork, it opened the door for the democrats to raise taxes, creating a vicious cycle.

Dr. Boustany advocates labor relief for Louisana:

Local economies across the United States are facing an immediate labor crisis. Seasonal jobs that have been filled for years by temporary H-2B workers are vacant. Sugar cane is not being processed, rice crops can’t be sorted or bagged, and crawfish and crabs are being turned away by processors who simply don’t have the workers to clean and pick the fishermen’s catch.  

The H-2B visa program provides the small and seasonal businesses that drive many of our nation’s regional economies with legal, seasonal workers. The FY 2008 cap of 66,000 H-2B workers was met this year on January 2. In past years, Congress acted responsibly and allowed certain returning workers to be exempt from the H-2B cap in order to help meet the needs of the many seasonal businesses that rely on these workers. Unfortunately, Congress allowed the returning worker provision to expire last year, and thousands of small businesses nationwide face critical job shortages. 

The bipartisan returning worker provision is now being held as a political hostage. While American business owners suffer, legislation to fill this need sits idle. In response to the lack of action, I introduced H.Res.1025 to call up, for immediate consideration, Congressman Bart Stupak’s H.R.1843, the Save Our Small and Seasonal Businesses Act. This bipartisan measure reauthorizes the returning worker program, supplying small businesses with their essential workforce. It is my sincere hope that with my colleagues’ help we can find a quick resolution to the crisis occurring in local communities around our nation. 

If you have any questions, please visit my website or feel free to contact my Washington, D.C. office at (202) 225-2031. This is an important small business and economic issue, and I look forward to working towards a solution.

Me:  The 7th district is a small world, and I know some of the people he’s talking about.  I talked with my Uncle who is a big proponent of the George Bush/John McCain immigration policy.  Just get some foolproof ID cards for the H2B holders and the labor shortage is solved, right?  Sounds good but living in Houston opens your eyes to the reality of open borders and the often adverse consequences of such policy over the long run.  Flaunting of the law doesn’t stop with crossing the border.

I get emails from the congressman representing the 7th district of Louisiana, Charles Boustany, M.D. He doesn’t have his own blog so I’m posting his updates.

Two weeks have passed since our national security community lost the ability to track valuable intelligence without going through slow and burdensome bureaucratic hurdles. That’s more than two weeks of terrorist communications that cannot be recovered. Yet, the Democratic House leadership under Speaker Nancy Pelosi refuses to debate a bi-partisan Senate bill, which would give intelligence officials expanded authority to track terrorists outside of the United States. Since August, a temporary set of new laws authorized this program, but it expired on February 15, 2008.

Violent extremists operating around the world have one aim- kill Americans. I am committed to providing responsible and appropriate tools to our intelligence community to protect and defend Americans at home and abroad. It is no coincidence that the U.S. has been free from attack at home since September 11, 2001. American intelligence officers protected us, and Congress must provide the tools and techniques they need to meet the long-term challenges that remain. Those standing on the frontlines battling these terrorists must have the ability to quickly intercept foreign communications to stop terrorists.

The Democratic leadership in the House has said, “there is no urgency” on updating our nation’s intelligence laws. I vehemently disagree; allowing this law to expire is completely irresponsible. I will continue to stand up for our men and women who defend us against future terrorist attacks. If you have questions about this debate or any other issue before Congress, please visit my website to learn where I stand and to send me your thoughts.

Sincerely,

Charles W. Boustany, Jr. M.D.
Member of Congress