Fairport may not be in his district, but Rep. Christopher Lee, R-26, of Clarence, Erie County, made it a stop on a western New York tour Monday to talk tax issues.
Lee, who represents part of Greece, is speaking out against the Obama administration’s reported support of what’s called a value-added tax, which Lee called an invisible national tax added at each stage of a product’s production, increasing its final cost to consumers.
Lee said Obama’s top economic advisors have been talking favorably for several weeks about implementing a value-added tax, that the president himself called it a “novel” idea as a means to raise revenue, and that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said it should be “on the table.”
“As a New York State business, we are already faced with significant taxes and a difficult economic environment,” said Woods. “Imposing another burdensome tax on small businesses will force companies to pass along the increased costs to consumers and drive companies out of New York state, decreasing the number of job opportunities.”
Lee is co-sponsoring a House resolution that calls the value-added tax “a massive tax increase that will result in hardships for U.S. families and job-creating small business and will stunt economic recovery.” A similar resolution passed the Senate by an 85-13 vote on April 15, tax day.
“If Washington can’t make sacrifices, how can we expect Americans to shoulder the burden of Washington’s wasteful spending?” Lee asked. “Implementing a VAT will trigger more government spending and higher tax burdens. We need to focus on cutting spending — which has skyrocketed during this administration — before looking to increase expenses on taxpayers who are already experiencing difficult economic times.”
Lee also encouraged Western New Yorkers to visit a Web page he started last year called “Washington Waste Watch,” to submit ideas on how to address the nation’s fiscal crisis.
The congressman was a guest of H.P. Neun, one of the state’s oldest packing companies. Joining him were Chris Woods, H.P. Neun’s vice president; Monroe County Legislator Ciaran Hanna, whose district includes Fairport; and Tim Towne, president of Associated New York State Food Processors of Spencerport.
