Thursday, August 05, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
Ensign says Bush's tax cuts helped businesses
Senator pushes president's re-election during visit to Las Vegas firm
By ERIN NEFF
REVIEW-JOURNAL
Amid whirring telecommunication switchers at a high-tech Las Vegas company, Sen. John Ensign stumped for George Bush's re-election Wednesday, saying his tax cuts have helped small businesses and the economy grow.
"The economy is booming, and the tax cuts are largely responsible with why the economy is doing so well," Ensign said while visiting Switch Communications.
Ensign said Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry's pledge to repeal tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans is a flawed approach. He said many small business owners earn more than $200,000, the income cutoff for Kerry's tax repeal.
Ensign, who is on the High Tech Task Force Republican Steering Committee, also questioned Kerry's opposition to tax cuts on dividends and capital gains and credits for business research and development.
"When I talk to companies about the tax credits, they say if it's permanent there's predictability," Ensign said.
Rob Roy, chief executive officer of Switch Communications, said the bulk of high-tech business expense is in research and development of new technologies.
"On the R&D side, you need to do something wrong 30 times before you get it right," Roy said.
State Democratic Party officials criticized Ensign's comments on behalf of the Bush-Cheney campaign, saying Bush's policies have forced small businesses to choose between providing health care for their employees or earning enough to support their own families.
Democratic Party spokesman Jon Summers said health care and tuition costs have risen under the Bush administration at the same time the average income has dropped $1,400 per person. Summers also said 46 percent of Nevadans will receive less than $100 in tax cuts this year.
"George W. Bush's failed policies are draining the wallets of small business owners and the middle class," Summers said.
Ensign spoke to about 25 business people and young Republicans in the telecommunication company's conference room.
"It is truly remarkable to see this happening in Southern Nevada," Ensign said. "The business climate here in Nevada is at the point where the people are going to want to do business."
