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JLRy 10 ' 93 1Z :35PM i* RepYeaentativn Chaxlie Witliams ~k t ~t ~ Mississippi * * * * ' ~ M• " w" : " ~ man ' i Senator Ron Silver Florida Chairman Elect Senatorlohn H.Chichester Virginia Vice Chairman Dear . ® 5 May 19, 1993 ' Colleen Couaineau Executive Director Kenneth Fern, Jr. Deputy Director The Council of State Govemmenes The Lenox Building ' 3399 Peachtree Road, N.E., Suite 810 Atlante, Georgia 30326 . . . . (404) 266-1271 As a member of our Southern Congressional delegation, you are acutely aware that the South historically lags behind the rest of the nation . • ia a number, of areas. With the median income of Southerners already below' the national average, consumer excise taxes place a disproportionate burden on the least affluent in our region.. - • While meeting in Washington recently for our Third Annual Legislative Summit on Mandates - a}oint meeting with the Executive Committee of the Southern Legislative Conference and members of Congress - the Executive Committee adopted -a policy position which strongly opposes the inclusion of federal consumer excise taxes and energy tax increases in current and future federal policies. It is th.: hope of the Executive Committee that you will work with Presldent Clinton to develop and implement economic policies that are more equitable and that do not penalize any particular region of the nation, while improving the living standards for all Americans. The impact of consumer excise taxes, energy taxes, and milita•ry, base closings is by far more deleterious to the South than to other regions. As you work to ensure that the South does not fall further behind the rest of the nation because of unfair economic policies that disproportionately burden the citizens in . our Southerrn states, we urge you to consider our position on this issue. With warm personal regards, I am . Sincerely yours, Charlie Williams, Mississippi SLC Chairman • enclosure Alabama • Arkansas • Florida • Georgia • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maryland • Mississippi • North Carolina Okiahoma • South Carolina • Tennessee 9 Texas • Virginia • West Virginia