We, the undersigned, are concerned that the so-called "Bush tax cuts" of 2001 and 2003 are about to mire our Congress and President in a bitter and divisive gridlock that may extend well past the pending expiration of the tax breaks at issue. We further understand that the area of greatest debate is over whether to extend the personal income tax cuts to individuals earning over $200,000 per year and families earning over $250,000 per year.

Rather than engaging in an all-or-nothing argument over whether to extend those tax breaks or let them lapse - or even giving a blanket, temporary extension of those cuts for up to two years - we are in favor of the following compromise solution:

1. Extend permanently all of non-contested cuts enacted in the 2001 and 2003 legislation; 2. Extend indefinitely the contested tax break to the wealthiest filers who can prove annually that they have actually used the money saved on their individual tax returns due to the 2001 and/or 2003 cuts to create and maintain jobs in small businesses (as defined by the IRS and GAO); 3. Extend indefinitely the contested tax break to the wealthiest filers who don't fall into category #2, but pledge to spend an amount equal to what their tax savings have been under the 2001 and/or 2003 cuts in order to create and maintain jobs at small businesses going forward, and then can document that they have in fact fulfilled their pledge on their following year's returns.

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