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Rep. Doc Hastings Weekly Column

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Murray "calling pigeon a peacock"

Doc slams Murray's Reach proposal

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Tuesday, March 25, 1999)--Many have asked Rep. Doc Hastings for an on-the-record response to Sen. Patty Murray's latest proposal concerning control of the Hanford Reach.

Murray--a Democrat and thus a faithful champion of powerful central-government control of everything--made her proposal as Hastings was enroute to Washington state.

Jennifer Scott, Hastings' information officer, said "Senator Murray's proposal is just the same old wine in a new bottle."

"All she's done is increase the number of local representatives on her advisory board. She can put all 100,000 residents of the Tri-Cities on that advisory board and it won't make a bit of difference as long as federal bureaucrats are still calling the shots.

"Frankly, calling a pigeon a peacock doesn't make it a peacock--which Senator Murray will find out once people realize that her so-called 'new effort to reach out and find common ground' is nothing of the sort."

Connell, Selah, Cashmere

Doc to hold town meeting series

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Tuesday, March 23, 1999)--Congressman Doc Hastings will hold several town meetings in the next few weeks to provide an open forum for area residents to share their views and ask questions about issues to be addressed during the 106th Congress.

Town meetings are slated for:

Connell, 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 30 at the Connell Community Center, 211 E. Elm

Selah, 6:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. in the Lince Elementary School auditorium, 316 W. Naches Ave.

Cashmere 6:15 to 7:45 p.m. at the Chelan Historical Society Museum and Pioneer Village meeting room, 600 Cotlets Way.

Will wonders never cease?

IRS won't force small businesses to file their payroll taxes electronically

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Monday, March 22, 1999)--The IRS has agreed not to force small businesses to file their payroll taxes electronically, Rep. Doc Hastings said today.

Hastings has authored House legislation the past three years toward making the filing method voluntary.

"This is a victory for small businesses," said Hastings, a longtime small business owner. "Small businesses should be given the option to pay their taxes either electronically or through the tried-and-true paper method."

Currently, small businesses with more than $20,000 in annual payroll taxes are required to pay all their federal taxes electronically using the Electronic Filing Tax Payment System. Today's IRS decision raises the threshold to $200,000 beginning in 2000.

Hastings told IRS Commissioner Charles Rosotti last July that small businesses were concerned about being forced to file electronically.

Social Security funds

Hastings pledges to end fund raids

Editors Note: The national Social Security fund has always been a sieve rather than a pot. Funds routinely are drained from it to pay for other fed-inspired programs. The Social Security Administration is not legally forced to pay any retirement funds to any retired American (court case, 1937).

WASHINGTON, D.C.--Congressman Doc Hastings has signed a pledge promising he will vote to spend every penny of the Social Security Trust Fund on retirement benefits for older Americans.

"Not a penny of our Social Security payroll taxes should go for anything but the retirement benefits for which they were intended," said Hastings. "I'm committed to ensuring that Social Security is there for the seniors of today, the baby boomers of tomorrow, and their children."

The FY 2000 budget agreement endorsed by the House and Senate Republican leadership sets aside every dime of Social Security Trust Fund for retirement benefits beginning next year and for the every year thereafter. The Congressional Budget Office predicts a $1.8 Trillion surplus in the fund over the next 10 years.

Jim Martin, President of the 60-Plus Association, praised House Republicans who signed the pledge. "Members who signed this 100 percent pledge are leaders in the move to strengthen Social Security. We thank them for their courage and their commitment," he said. The association represents the interests of older Americans.

The pledge Hastings signed states:

"I, Representative Doc Hastings, pledge to the taxpayers of the Fourth District of the State of Washington and to the American people that I will vote to lock away 100% of the Social Security Trust Fund to provide retirement security to three generations of Americans."

Local farm families help themselves

By Doc Hastings (3-12-99)

Local family farmers and ranchers roll the dice each season and hope for the best.

Some years they are successful--but other years they are hit hard due to bad weather conditions, unusually low prices, or both. I'm working in Congress to help our farmers and ranchers better manage the unique risks they face.

Farmers and ranchers understand the need to save for rainy days, both literally and figuratively. However, our tax structure often penalizes farm families for their careful planning. Like the story of the ant and the grasshopper, our tax code should allow our farmers to prepare for the inevitable tough times.

That's why I'm backing a bill that was just introduced in the House of Representatives that will help our family farmers and ranchers prepare for poor market conditions and natural disasters so they can get through the bad times.

This bill, called the Farm and Ranch Risk Management Act (FARRM), would allow individual farmers to save up to 20 percent of their annual income from farming in special tax-deferred accounts. The money could be saved in a FARRM account for up to five years, and would only be taxed as ordinary income upon withdrawal. These accounts will ensure that when the rainy day comes--as it always does--our farmers and ranchers aren't soaked by the IRS.

Farmers and ranchers are self reliant folks, and these new FARRM accounts will give them the flexibility they need to decide for themselves when to make withdrawals and contributions. I know this is important to Central Washington farmers because many of them have told me over the years that they can take care of themselves, if the federal government doesn't stand in their way.

Agriculture is the largest industry in Washington state and our family farmers and ranchers contribute much to the economic success of our communities. They work hard to feed their families and ours, so I think it's just plain common sense to help farm families plan for the future, rather than having the federal government overtax them in good years and then try to bail them out in bad ones.

Murray "calling pigeon a peacock" Doc slams Murray's Reach proposal WASHINGTON, D.C. (Tuesday, March 25, 1999)--Many have asked Rep. Doc Hastings for an on-the-record response to Sen. Patty Murray's latest proposal concerning control of the Hanford Reach. Murray--a Democrat and thus a faithful champion of powerful central-government control of everything--made her proposal as Hastings was enroute to Washington state. Jennifer Scott, Hastings' information officer, said "Senator Murray's proposal is just the same old wine in a new bottle." "All she's done is increase the number of local representatives on her advisory board. She can put all 100,000 residents of the Tri-Cities on that advisory board and it won't make a bit of difference as long as federal bureaucrats are still calling the shots. "Frankly, calling a pigeon a peacock doesn't make it a peacock--which Senator Murray will find out once people realize that her so-called 'new effort to reach out and find common ground' is nothing of the sort." Connell, Selah, Cashmere Doc to hold town meeting series WASHINGTON, D.C. (Tuesday, March 23, 1999)--Congressman Doc Hastings will hold several town meetings in the next few weeks to provide an open forum for area residents to share their views and ask questions about issues to be addressed during the 106th Congress. Town meetings are slated for: Connell, 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 30 at the Connell Community Center, 211 E. Elm Selah, 6:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. in the Lince Elementary School auditorium, 316 W. Naches Ave. Cashmere 6:15 to 7:45 p.m. at the Chelan Historical Society Museum and Pioneer Village meeting room, 600 Cotlets Way. Will wonders never cease? IRS won't force small businesses to file their payroll taxes electronically WASHINGTON, D.C. (Monday, March 22, 1999)--The IRS has agreed not to force small businesses to file their payroll taxes electronically, Rep. Doc Hastings said today. Hastings has authored House legislation the past three years toward making the filing method voluntary. "This is a victory for small businesses," said Hastings, a longtime small business owner. "Small businesses should be given the option to pay their taxes either electronically or through the tried-and-true paper method." Currently, small businesses with more than $20,000 in annual payroll taxes are required to pay all their federal taxes electronically using the Electronic Filing Tax Payment System. Today's IRS decision raises the threshold to $200,000 beginning in 2000. Hastings told IRS Commissioner Charles Rosotti last July that small businesses were concerned about being forced to file electronically. Social Security funds Hastings pledges to end fund raids Editors Note: The national Social Security fund has always been a sieve rather than a pot. Funds routinely are drained from it to pay for other fed-inspired programs. The Social Security Administration is not legally forced to pay any retirement funds to any retired American (court case, 1937). WASHINGTON, D.C.--Congressman Doc Hastings has signed a pledge promising he will vote to spend every penny of the Social Security Trust Fund on retirement benefits for older Americans. "Not a penny of our Social Security payroll taxes should go for anything but the retirement benefits for which they were intended," said Hastings. "I'm committed to ensuring that Social Security is there for the seniors of today, the baby boomers of tomorrow, and their children." The FY 2000 budget agreement endorsed by the House and Senate Republican leadership sets aside every dime of Social Security Trust Fund for retirement benefits beginning next year and for the every year thereafter. The Congressional Budget Office predicts a $1.8 Trillion surplus in the fund over the next 10 years. Jim Martin, President of the 60-Plus Association, praised House Republicans who signed the pledge. "Members who signed this 100 percent pledge are leaders in the move to strengthen Social Security. We thank them for their courage and their commitment," he said. The association represents the interests of older Americans. The pledge Hastings signed states: "I, Representative Doc Hastings, pledge to the taxpayers of the Fourth District of the State of Washington and to the American people that I will vote to lock away 100% of the Social Security Trust Fund to provide retirement security to three generations of Americans." Local farm families help themselves By Doc Hastings (3-12-99) Local family farmers and ranchers roll the dice each season and hope for the best. Some years they are successful--but other years they are hit hard due to bad weather conditions, unusually low prices, or both. I'm working in Congress to help our farmers and ranchers better manage the unique risks they face. Farmers and ranchers understand the need to save for rainy days, both literally and figuratively. However, our tax structure often penalizes farm families for their careful planning. Like the story of the ant and the grasshopper, our tax code should allow our farmers to prepare for the inevitable tough times. That's why I'm backing a bill that was just introduced in the House of Representatives that will help our family farmers and ranchers prepare for poor market conditions and natural disasters so they can get through the bad times. This bill, called the Farm and Ranch Risk Management Act (FARRM), would allow individual farmers to save up to 20 percent of their annual income from farming in special tax-deferred accounts. The money could be saved in a FARRM account for up to five years, and would only be taxed as ordinary income upon withdrawal. These accounts will ensure that when the rainy day comes--as it always does--our farmers and ranchers aren't soaked by the IRS. Farmers and ranchers are self reliant folks, and these new FARRM accounts will give them the flexibility they need to decide for themselves when to make withdrawals and contributions. I know this is important to Central Washington farmers because many of them have told me over the years that they can take care of themselves, if the federal government doesn't stand in their way. Agriculture is the largest industry in Washington state and our family farmers and ranchers contribute much to the economic success of our communities. They work hard to feed their families and ours, so I think it's just plain common sense to help farm families plan for the future, rather than having the federal government overtax them in good years and then try to bail them out in bad ones.