Starting Jan. 1, 2011, the American people will be levied with an $3.8 trillion tax hike if Congress does not renew the 2001 tax cuts at a time of near double digit unemployment, a timid business sector and sluggish economic recovery.

Contrary to popular belief, the tax hikes set to kick in in less than four months affect more than those who drive exotic cars and own multiple homes. In fact, nearly every tax-paying West Virginian will see taxes increase if Congress does not step-in. That's the plain and simple truth.

Have kids? Your tax credit will shrink by half, from $1,000 to $500 per child. Are you married? You'll be on the hook for $1,850 more in taxes when the marriage penalty is reinstated. Have you invested for the future? Your long-term capital gains tax will increase by 5 percentage points, from 15 percent to 20 percent. These numbers start to really add up, especially for families that have faced unexpected financial turmoil -- illness, job loss, foreclosure.

Our nation's small businesses will once again bear the brunt of ill-thought policies. On the first of the year, small business income will be taxed at higher rates and their ability to expense capital investment will be reduced to nearly one-fifth of the current rate. It seems like our nation's job creators can't catch a break.

These policies, coupled with the threat of cap-and-trade and new energy regulations, have certainly made many West Virginia businesses reluctant to hire or invest in new projects. On top of burdensome regulations and tax increases that hurt every sector of the business world, the energy industry is faced with the looming threat of a massive national energy tax coming down the pike.

If the Senate majority leader has his way, the Senate will vote on an energy bill that may include greenhouse gas regulations, spill liability fund requirements, and a renewable electricity standard. This will affect every consumer who pays electricity bills and threaten thousands of energy and manufacturing jobs across the Mountain State. Now is not the time to pass a national energy tax that will make our utility bills skyrocket while greatly increasing the operating costs of all businesses.

Taxes -- when kept low and in-check -- do serve the community and the greater good. They help fund schools, fire stations and national defense. But it really frustrates me when, every day in Congress, I see taxpayer dollars wasted on pet projects and questionable programs. The American people should not be on the hook for this, and they certainly should not be burdened with higher taxes when there are other ways to reign in the deficit and lower the debt.

If Congress asked West Virginians point-blank if they believed subsidizing first-class Amtrak travel was a good use of taxpayer money, I am certain it would be a resounding "no." I firmly believe that constituents would agree that spending millions of dollars on promotional stimulus signs is wasteful.

Unfortunately, all of this exists right now, but there are some of us in Congress who are working to make sure these wasteful programs and policies do not cost the taxpayer another cent.

Let's ring in the New Year by slimming our budget without raising taxes. If we can all agree on one thing, it's that the West Virginia taxpayer needs a break.