ATLANTA BUSINESS TELLS EVANS AND PERDUE THAT THEIR ECONOMIC FORECAST IS SWEETER BECAUSE OF PRESIDENT’S ECONOMIC PLAN

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Don Evans and Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue today paid a visit to Heavenly Cheesecake, Inc., a local bakery that makes gourmet desserts and cheesecakes, to highlight elements of President Bush’s plan that targets small businesses for economic growth and job creation. Evans and Perdue called President Bush’s economic growth package a “boost to the local economy” and said that the plan that would create new, better paying jobs while helping Atlanta’s more than 92,000 small businesses expand. Evans pointed out that small businesses are responsible for 70% of new jobs in America and said they are at the heart of the President’s plan to grow the economy and create new jobs for the American people.

Evans visit to Atlanta today comes as Bush Administration officials are pursuing peace abroad and American jobs at home. Evans, a senior member of the President’s economic team, is currently touring the nation talking about the President’s economic growth and job creation plan and how it would benefit individual taxpayers, small businesses and American workers. Georgia is the 8th state Evans has visited since the President announced his economic plan early January.

“Small businesses are the engine that drive American prosperity and they are at the heart of the President’s plan to grow this economy and create new, better paying jobs for the American people,” said Evans. “By lowering taxes, the President’s plan gives small businesses the tools they need to purchase new equipment, hire new employees and grow the economy this year and many years into the future.”

Dianne Dougherty, President of Heavenly Cheesecake praised the President’s plan and told Evans and Perdue that her business would see immediate benefits from the President’s tax rate reduction. The President’s plan would increase the amount small businesses can write-off for new equipment purchases this year from $25,000 to $75,000, a provision that would allow Heavenly Cheesecake to buy a new cheesecake slicer and freezer.

“As a small businessman, I understand how important small business is to economic growth and the prosperity of our citizens,” said Perdue. “Thanks to the hard work of thousands of entrepreneurs in Georgia, our economy will continue to recover and small businesses will continue to drive economic development.”

As they toured the Heavenly Cheesecake, Evans and Perdue discussed the tax cuts individual taxpayers would receive under the plan. Evans told workers that 92 million Americans would receive an average of $1,083 in 2003 with more to come in the years ahead. Evans went on to say that under Bush’s plan, 46 million couples would receive an average of $1,716 and 34 million families with children would receive an average tax cut of $1,473.

In the last three weeks Evans has traveled to Houston, Texas, Traverse City, Mich., Lansing, Mich., Minneapolis, Minn., Milwaukee, Wis., Dayton, Ohio, Paducah, Ky., Boca Raton, Fla., and Miami, Fla. where he met with unemployed workers, employees and employers to discuss how the President’s plan can assist them. Evans returns to Washington, D.C. from Atlanta where he will be meeting with Members of Congress and members of the President’s economic team about to talk about the economic plan and what he has seen during his travels.