Ad blitz
will promote
economic plan

The task force and business community
team up on the marketing campaign

By Rob Perez
Star-Bulletin

The Economic Revitalization Task Force is preparing to start a major marketing campaign to try to boost support for its controversial plan to boost the economy.

The campaign, being conducted with help from businesses and groups supporting the economic plan, will include television and newspaper ads that begin running within a couple of weeks, said Tom Leppert, a task force spokesman.

The marketing push will come as the Legislature begins to consider the roughly 10 bills and several resolutions that will contain the task force's recommendations. The legislative session begins Wednesday.

While the 26-member panel of business, labor and political leaders made many recommendations, including a 40 percent reduction in income tax rates over three years, much of the opposition has focused on a proposal to raise the general excise tax 34 percent.

Task force members say the plan, if implemented in its entirety, would stimulate the economy, create jobs and benefit most taxpayers - a contention pooh-poohed by critics.

Survey and polling data indicate people strongly support the plan once they understand it, but many people are unaware of or don't understand the recommendations, Leppert said.

"It's very difficult to communicate issues like this," Leppert said.

And if legislators don't see signs of broad-based community support, they will be reluctant to support the excise-tax increase and other controversial elements, especially in an election year, legislators and lobbyists say.

The task force met yesterday for several hours behind closed doors to discuss the marketing campaign and a strategy for getting the package through the Legislature.

Members questioned following the meeting declined comment.

Leppert, however, said the panel didn't revise its recommendations - something critics have been calling for.

To underwrite the campaign, the task force has received pledges from business, labor and nonprofit organizations for "a reasonable amount," Leppert said.

He declined to be more specific and wouldn't confirm reports that between $500,000 and $1 million has been pledged.

Leppert said he didn't consider the campaign a marketing one.

"It's more of an education effort explaining here's what's in (the package)."