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Lower Taxes Aid Small Business, Study Shows

According to a new Joint Economic Committee (JEC) study, reducing taxes is beneficial for small businesses. Contrary to claims that tax reductions help only the very richest people in the United States, the JEC study shows that lower taxes will boost small businesses. Reducing the tax burden on American business not only helps large companies, but also offers proportionally greater benefits to small-scale entrepreneurs.

"Small businesses and farms do not have the same access to financial markets as do large corporations, so internal cash flow is more important to them," said JEC Chairman Jim Saxton (R.-N.J.). "A reduction in personal tax rates can increase small business cash flow, and thus provide an important boost to small business and farm investment ... For many years, researchers often did not differentiate between small and large businesses in considering the impact of tax rate reduction on investment. However, the statistical evidence shows that, once this distinction is made, the positive impact of tax rate reduction on small business investment is quite significant."

The study shows that taking less money in taxes from the middle class offers a host of benefits to individuals as well as the nation at large. "To the extent tax rate reduction can facilitate the ability of entrepreneurs to form businesses and invest in them, such measures can contribute to the dynamism and growth of the U.S. economy," Saxton said.

Keyes Launches Grassroots Website

Declaration America, the Alan Keyes organization, announced on June 14 the launch of a new website called Renew America. This site declares its purpose to be "to build a broadly inclusive, nationwide grassroots movement that will restore America to its founding ideals."

In his welcome to visitors of the site, Keyes writes that "Working together, we can restore our people's confidence in their ability to govern themselves wisely and well... Working together, we can begin to remember what it is like for a free people to live together as fellow citizens, as friends, as a free people, under God."

To achieve its mission of rejuvenating America by returning the country to the goals stated in the Constitution, Renew America seeks to build a network of at least one million conservative grassroots activists across the country, representing every county in the United States.

To find out more about Keyes and Renew America, readers can visit their website: http://www.renewamerica.tv.

Cantor Fights to Keep Monticello on Nickel

Rep. Eric Cantor (R.-Va.) has introduced legislation (HR 4903) that would prevent the U.S. Mint from removing the image of Thomas Jefferson's home, Monticello, from the back of the. nickel. The Mint plans to replace Monticello with the image of an American Indian and an eagle.

"My office was notified of this decision very late in the process, and I'm offended on behalf of the people of Virginia that we were not given any chance to have any input on this decision, nor were the American people," said Cantor. "The images of Thomas Jefferson and Monticello represent to America so much of what this nation was founded upon-the principles of liberty, freedom, and limited government."

UN Approves Cuban Resolution Restricting U.S.

Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R.-Md.) has called attention to the June 10 passage by the UN Special Committee on Decolonization of a resolution introduced by Communist Cuba that calls on the United States to end military maneuvers on the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico-a U.S. Commonwealth. This resolution was approved without a vote, notes Bartlett, and indicates that the United Nations believes that a Communist dictator has the authority to make demands on U.S. military training on U.S. commonwealth land.

-Compiled by Meredith Hoar

U.S. Flag Balloon Instills Pride, Educates

Many Americans are displaying flags to demonstrate their patriotism, but Pennsylvania couple Barry and Teri DiLibero are taking this show of pride one step further-with a large hot-air balloon shaped like the U.S. flag.

The United States Flag Balloon, first launched May 22, is booked for 10 appearances at balloon rallies and festivals throughout the Northeast this summer. The 124,000-cubic-foot balloon is an impressive sight. It is made of specially constructed ripstop nylon and is 78 feet long, 53 feet tall, 29 feet deep, weighing 530 pounds.

"It flies much better than we expected. We expected it to fly like a brick," said Teri DiLibero, a self-described "political junkie." Beyond the awe-inspiring visual aspect of this project, the DiLiberos' aim is to educate their audience as well. They pass out pocket editions of the Constitution to crowds at balloon rallies and other events, hoping to help Americans better understand their country.

"We live in an age where, sadly, students learn very little about the Constitution and even fewer have an understanding of the mindset of the framers... [Many students] have no idea why the 1st Amendment set America apart as a nation or why the document as a whole became the envy of the world and the reason that democracy has spread throughout the past two centuries," said Mrs. DiLibero, explaining why the couple wants to pass out as many copies of the Constitution as they can-at least 50,000.