JEFFERSON CITY
- Like fellow Democrats before her, Claire McCaskill has
never met a tax increase she didn?t like. During her six years as a state
lawmaker, McCaskill towed the Democrat line by voting for more than $1
billion in tax increases and since then has supported other oppressive tax
plans while failing to pay her own taxes.

"Claire McCaskill, along with other successful Democrats like Bob
Holden, voted for $1 billion in new taxes as a state lawmaker, a fact which
raises serious concerns about what she would do as governor and shows a
serious lack of fiscal responsibility," said Paul Sloca, communications
director for the Missouri Republican Party. "Time and
again, Missourians have rejected burdensome tax increases but Claire
McCaskill hasn?t listened and her record proves it."

Between 1983 and 1987, McCaskill voted in favor of higher taxes on gas,
property and utilities. She even supported a sales tax hike. And just two
years ago, McCaskill supported Holden?s plan to increase taxes by more than
$600 million.

Ironically, McCaskill failed to pay property taxes on her lavish lake
home for three years and eventually the house was put up for auction to
collect the taxes.

"Claire McCaskill represents the same old tax and
spend policies of the Democratic Party that thrust this state into the worst
budget crisis since the Great Depression while at the same time failing to
pay her taxes like other hard-working Missourians," Sloca said.
"Republicans like Matt Blunt stood in the way of
these oppressive increases and took a responsible approach to cutting costs
rather than increasing taxes. Claire McCaskill is trying to pull Missouri
back into the tax abyss."

Blunt has promised to hold the line on new taxes while taking steps to
reduce wasteful spending including closing the state’s Washington D.C.
office, freezing the acquisition of non-emergency vehicles, mobile phones
and office space, and charging all state department heads to ferret out
instances of fraud, waste and abuse.

"Matt Blunt understands that lower taxes and
government accountability will put more money into the pockets of
Missourians which will help grow our state economy," Sloca said.
"That?s the kind of opportunity Matt Blunt offers
Missourians."