AIADA Supports Bush Tax Plan

    WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 The American International Automobile
Dealers Association (AIADA) strongly supports President George W. Bush's tax
cut plan, which was presented to Congress today.  The proposal includes
elimination of the death tax, a top priority for AIADA due to the harmful
impact of the tax on family-owned automobile dealerships. The death tax
currently requires payment of up to 55 percent of the estate's total value --
in cash -- to the federal government.  To pay these unreasonably high taxes,
heirs often must sell the business, break it up or liquidate their assets.

    "It is wrong to penalize those entrepreneurs who have taken the risk and
responsibility to establish and operate a small business by slapping an
enormous tax bill on their estate," said AIADA Chairman of the Board Richard
Kull.  "The death tax must die.  It unfairly punishes those that have worked
hard their whole lives for a chance at living the American dream."

    Like many automobile dealers, Kull's business is family-owned and
encompasses 11 franchised new car stores in six locations in the
Philadelphia/Southern New Jersey market.  Kull's four sons and two sons-in-law
are active in company management.  Under Bush's plan, the death tax would
repeal gradually starting in 2002 and phase out completely by 2009.

    AIADA and its dealer members were a loud voice for death tax repeal on
Capitol Hill last year, lending significant grassroots support to legislation
eliminating the tax that passed both houses of Congress, but was vetoed by
President Clinton.   "We are extremely encouraged by President Bush's
commitment to death tax repeal and urge Congress to move quickly to pass
legislation that would end the tax," continued Kull.