Commonwealth Foundation Offers Prize for Grassroots Champion

Member Group : Commonwealth Foundation

NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Nathan Benefield 717.671.1901 | [email protected]
Commonwealth Foundation Launches Campaign for Taxpayer’s Budget

$500 prize will go to Grassroots Champion

HARRISBURG, PA (04.12.10) — In conjunction with Tax Freedom Day, the Commonwealth Foundation (CF) today launched the "Taxpayer’s Budget" campaign to draw awareness of Pennsylvania’s punishing tax burden and wasteful spending.

Throughout state budget negotiations, CF will be encouraging citizens to log on to PleaseNoMoreTaxes.org and sign an online petition urging legislators and Gov. Rendell to enact a "Taxpayer’s Budget" meeting three criteria:

1. Reduces taxes on working Pennsylvanians and job creators.
2. Eliminates corporate welfare, WAMs/pork-barrel projects, and special interests spending.
3. Balances the budget without accounting gimmicks, shell games, or new debt.

Tax Freedom Day for Pennsylvania is calculated annually by the Tax Foundation and puts into easily understandable terms how much residents pay in taxes. Federal, state, and local taxes consume about 28% of the income earned by Pennsylvania residents, in the aggregate. This represents 103 days – meaning Pennsylvanians worked from January 1 until today, April 13, to earn enough money to pay their tax bill. Pennsylvania has the 11th latest Tax Freedom Day in the country. Tax Freedom Day actually falls about two weeks earlier this year than compared to 2007.

As part of the campaign for a "Taxpayer’s Budget," CF will recognize one citizen activist as the 2010 Grassroots Champion and award that person $500. The winner will be the man or woman who engages in the greatest level of grassroots activism for the Taxpayer’s Budget. Eligible grassroots actions include:

• Writing a letter to the editor advocating the Taxpayer’s Budget.
• Attending a town hall meeting hosted by a state legislator and promoting the Taxpayer’s Budget.
• Organizing or attending a civic group meeting to promote the Taxpayer’s Budget.
• Meeting with your State Representative or State Senator to urge support of the Taxpayer’s Budget.

Those qualifying to win must send the Commonwealth Foundation – within 10 calendar days after the Governor signs the state budget into law -a letter detailing grassroots activities for the Taxpayer’s Budget. Entries must include name, mailing address, email address and daytime phone number, and as much evidence of grassroots activity as possible, such as a letter to the editor clipped out from the newspaper, a letter from a state legislator confirming a visit to his office or for attending a town hall meeting, copies of emails to friends and families promoting the petition for a Taxpayer’s Budget, etc.

Entries should be mailed to:
Commonwealth Foundation
c/o Grassroots Champion
225 State Street, suite 301
Harrisburg, PA 17101

CF staff will select one winner, who will be notified immediately and receive a $500 check via certified mail.
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The Commonwealth Foundation (CommonwealthFoundation.org) is an independent, non-profit public policy research and educational institute based in Harrisburg, PA.

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