Michael Reagan Named Honorary Chairman of FairTax National Victory Campaign

HOUSTON, Jan. 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Michael Reagan, the eldest son of President Ronald Reagan, has been named the Honorary Chairman of the National FairTax Victory campaign according to officials at FairTax.org.

"This will remain a non-partisan national movement to win enactment of a far better national tax system," said Reagan. "Like my father, the FairTax campaign has long said that such big changes must be driven by Americans across the political spectrum," he said. "I join many Democrats as well as Republicans and independents who believe the FairTax will cure a host of national problems and lead to a new era of robust economic growth".

"This is a natural step considering how strongly Michael has worked to keep alive the legacy and meaning of Ronald Reagan's work and influence on public policy," said Ken Hoagland of the FairTax National Victory Campaign.

"My father understood that the income tax system works against the nation's best interests and primarily benefits the political class," said Mr. Reagan. "I am convinced that had it existed in his time, my father would have been a strong proponent of the FairTax."

"2010 is the 30th anniversary of my father's successful Presidential campaign.  Then, as now, the nation was mired in a deep economic recession, was viewed as in decline domestically and internationally, and the American people were looking for real, positive and substantive change.  My father, Ronald Reagan went on to provide just that, real and positive change for the United States.  The FairTax will provide the same kind of free enterprise driven economic growth, a simplified tax system, reduced taxes to honest Americans, millions of new jobs and a realistic way of dealing with the massive and rapidly growing deficit."

Reagan noted that there have been tens of thousands of changes to the tax code since his father lead the charge for tax reductions and a simplified system. "The special interest lobbyist driven changes that have undermined his work to simplify the tax code prove that it is a beast that cannot be tamed -- only replaced," said Reagan. "It is clear to me that if the FairTax existed then, he would have been a FairTax champion."

"I remember my father saying, 'Extreme taxation, excessive controls, oppressive government competition with business, frustrated minorities and forgotten Americans are not the products of free enterprise. They are the residue of centralized bureaucracy, of government by the self-anointed elite.'"

Reagan pointed out that the FairTax will attract trillions of dollars of foreign investment into the U.S. economy and brings back trillions more in American investments currently in offshore accounts and investments. "The FairTax dramatically expands the national tax base by including taxation of those who illegally avoid taxation or benefit from special tax breaks and lifts the weight of federal taxes and payroll deductions entirely from millions of poor and elderly. It is the shortest path to full economic recovery and millions of new jobs, ends Congressional corruption of the tax code and provides significant tax relief to the middle class," he said. "The FairTax ends the special benefits enjoyed by the political class which has so badly hurt our economy."

National FairTax Victory Campaign official Ken Hoagland said that Mr. Reagan will lead a revitalized national effort to bring the FairTax into every American household and to Congress. "Mike will first lead a petition drive to the House Ways and Means Committee to hold fair and balanced hearings about pending FairTax legislation that now has 65 co-sponsors in the Senate and House of Representatives."

SOURCE Americans for Fair Taxation