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Introductory Letters from NTC President Randy Nelson and the Tax Foundation
2010 National TaxA tax is a mandatory payment or charge collected by local, state, and national governments from individuals or businesses to cover the costs of general government services, goods, and activities. payers Conference Annual Meeting
One Washington Circle Hotel, Washington, D.C.,
September 26-29, 2010
Registration
Agenda Outline
(subject to change)
Sunday, September 26
Monday, September 27
Tuesday, September 28
Wednesday, September 29
2010 NTC Annual Meeting Confirmed Speakers
American Enterprise Institute
Andrew G. Biggs is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. From 2008 to 2009 he served as principal deputy commissioner of the Social Security Administration and as secretary of the Social Security Board of Trustees, where he oversaw SSA’s policy research efforts and led the agency’s participation in the Social Security Trustees working group. He has a Ph.D. in government from the London School of Economics.
Sunshine Review
Michael Barnhart is President of Sunshine Review, a non-profit promoting state and local government transparency. Barnhart joined Sunshine Review in 2009, bringing nearly three decades of political and public affairs experience to the position. Prior to joining Sunshine Review, Barnhart served as a Managing Director with Public Strategies, a national public affairs firm; a Communications Director for a Fortune 100 telecommunications firm; a congressional Chief of Staff; and, a congressional Campaign Manager. Barnhart holds a Ph.D. in political science. He is a resident of Alexandria, Va., and a native of Detroit, Michigan.
Manhattan Institute for Policy Research
Josh Barro is the Walter B. Wriston fellow at the Manhattan Institute focusing on state and local fiscal policy. He is the co-author of the Empire Center for New York State Policy’s “Blueprint for a Better Budget.” He writes weekly on fiscal issues for RealClearMarkets.com and has also written for publications including the New York Post, Investor’s Business Daily, the Washington Examiner, City Journal, and Forbes.com. His commentary has been featured on CNN, Fox News Channel, CNBC, the Fox Business Network, and Bloomberg Television.
Tax Analysts
David Brunori writes The Politics of State Taxation, a column for State Tax Notes. He is a research professor of public policy at George Washington University, where he also teaches state and local tax law. He is the author of several books and articles on state taxation. Before joining Tax Analysts, Brunori was an appellate trial attorney with the Tax Division of the U.S. Justice Department and practiced with a Washington law firm.
Council on State Taxation
Joseph R. Crosby is COO and Senior Director, Policy of the Council On State Taxation (COST). Joe is responsible for all aspects of COST’s advocacy. He regularly testifies before state legislatures and other state and national policymaking bodies, such as the Federal Advisory Commission on Electronic Commerce. Joe also frequently speaks to trade and industry groups on tax policy matters. He is often quoted as a state and local tax policy expert in publications such as the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Financial Times, and the Washington Post.
University of Illinois Institute of Government and Public Affairs
Richard Dye is a Professor at the Institute of Government and Public Affairs at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and is co-director of IGPA’s Fiscal Futures Project. He is also a Visiting Fellow at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and the Ernest Johnson Professor of Economics Emeritus at Lake Forest College. His research and public outreach activities focus on state and local government finance. He received his A.B. from Kenyon College and an M.B.A. and a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Michigan.
Pew Center on the States
Kil Huh manages the PCS Research and Information staff and agenda. He oversees project teams of researchers, policy analysts and consultants to conceptualize, design, and implement research and analysis across 50 states that inform state policy-focused efforts on a wide range of issues. He holds a bachelor of science in urban regional studies from Cornell University, a master’s degree in urban planning from New York University and both a master’s degree in philosophy and a doctorate of philosophy in urban planning from Columbia University.
Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP
Charlie Kearns, a member of Sutherland’s Tax Practice Group, focuses his practice on state and local tax planning, policy and controversy including income, transactional, property and payroll taxA payroll tax is a tax paid on the wages and salaries of employees to finance social insurance programs like Social Security, Medicare, and unemployment insurance. Payroll taxes are social insurance taxes that comprise 24.8 percent of combined federal, state, and local government revenue, the second largest source of that combined tax revenue. es. Charlie also represents Fortune 500 companies on unclaimed property compliance including designing unclaimed property procedures with respect to gift card programs and analyzing the effect of the business-to-business exemption on unclaimed property liability. From 2004 to 2005, Charlie was a Graduate Fellow at the Council On State Taxation (COST) in Washington, D.C.
National Conference of State Legislatures
Luke Martel is a Policy Associate in the Fiscal Affairs Program at the National Conference of State Legislatures in Denver, Colorado. He has been with NCSL since 2007, and his present work focuses on state budget and tax policy as well as state economic development initiatives. He provides information to legislators, legislative staff, and members of the media, and testifies before legislative committees. Prior to joining NCSL, Luke served as a legislative aide in the Texas House of Representatives. He received his bachelor’s degree in political science from Southwestern University and his law degree from Texas Wesleyan University. He is licensed to practice law in Colorado.
University of Indiana
John Mikesell is a professor of public and environmental affairs and director of the Master of Public Affairs Program in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Mikesell’s research interests are in sales and use taxation, property taxA property tax is primarily levied on immovable property like land and buildings, as well as on tangible personal property that is movable, like vehicles and equipment. Property taxes are the single largest source of state and local revenue in the U.S. and help fund schools, roads, police, and other services. ation and state and local government finance. Mikesell is the recipient of the Waldavsky Award for Lifetime Scholarly Achievement in Public Budgeting and Finance, awarded by the Association for Budgeting and Financial Management. Mikesell was also a World Bank consultant on government finances of countries of the former Soviet Union.
Tax Foundation
Kail Padgitt is a staff economist for the Tax Foundation. He primarily works with the Center for State Fiscal Policy on the State Business Tax Climate Index as well as developing other measures for the economic incidence of particular taxes. Kail holds a Ph.D and Master’s degree in economics from George Mason University concentrating on the areas of Public Economics, Industrial Organization and Experimental Economics. Kail has taught Public Choice and International Economics at George Mason University.
U.S. Census Bureau
Christopher Pece is the Assistant Division Chief for Recurring Programs in the U.S. Census Bureau’s Governments Division. Pece began his career with the Census Bureau in 1998 as an analyst on the Monthly Retail Trade Survey where he played a significant role in the development and implementation of the of the Quarterly Retail E‐Commerce Report. In 2002 he became a manager over the Advanced Monthly Retail Trade Survey (MARTS) and the Manufacturing, Trade, Inventory, and Sales report (MTIS). He joined the Governments Division in 2005 as chief if the State Government Finance Survey, the State Government Tax Collections (STC) survey, and the Quarterly Summary of State and Local Government Tax Revenues (Q‐Tax). He holds a B.S. in economics from St. John’s University and an MA in Philosophy from Bowling Green State University.
Tax Foundation
Gerald Prante is a senior economist at the Tax Foundation. He has done work on both federal and state issues with a special emphasis in data analysis, including microsimulation models and local geographic data. His work has been featured in the New York Times, Atlantic Monthly, the Economist, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, USA Today, and the New York Post. Gerald holds a Ph.D. in economics from George Mason University with specializations in public finance and industrial organization. He teaches economics at Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia.
Tax Foundation
Mark Robyn is Staff Economist at the Tax Foundation. He conducts research on a variety of federal and state tax policy issues. Mark holds a B.S. in applied mathematics from Geneva College.
National Association of State Budget Officers
Brian Sigritz is the Director of State Fiscal Studies for the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO) in Washington, D.C. Within NASBO, his responsibilities include tracking and analyzing economic, tax and revenue trends, as well as handling NASBO activities related to performance measures and management, privatization, and disaster response issues. He also monitors the fiscal health of the states and edits and produces the State Expenditure Report annually. Prior to coming to NASBO, Sigritz worked as a legislative aide in the Ohio legislature, served as the legislative liaison to the Mayor of Dayton, Ohio, and has worked as a research assistant for the Center for Washington Area Studies. Sigritz graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from St. Bonaventure University in 2000, and received his Master of Public Administration degree from George Washington University in 2006.
Evergreen Freedom Foundation
Bob Williams is the Founder and Senior Fellow of the Evergreen Freedom Foundation, and is known as a national expert in the areas of fiscal and tax policies, election reform and disaster preparedness. He received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Pennsylvania State University. Bob worked as a GAO auditA tax audit is when the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) conducts a formal investigation of financial information to verify an individual or corporation has accurately reported and paid their taxes. Selection can be at random, or due to unusual deductions or income reported on a tax return. or of the Pentagon and Post Office before serving five terms in the Washington state legislature and was the 1988 Republican nominee for governor.
American Legislative Exchange Council
Jonathan Williams is the director of the Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force for the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), where he works with state legislators and the private sector to develop free-market fiscal policy solutions in the states. Prior to joining ALEC, Jonathan served as staff economist at the non-partisan Tax Foundation, authoring numerous tax policy studies.
Hotel Information
Please make your hotel reservations by directly calling the One Washington Circle Hotel. Be sure to mention the National Taxpayers Conference or booking number 554960 when making your reservation.
What to Expect: Washington, D.C. in September
Washington has ample opportunities for recreation, relaxation, shopping, dining, and intellectual pursuit!
The weather in Washington can vary significantly in September. The average daytime temperature sits at 80°, although it is just as likely to be sunny as it is to be cloudy or raining. The average nighttime temperature is 57°.
During your visit to Washington, consider indulging in any and all of the following:
- The Smithsonian Institution ranks among the most popular and most enthralling of Washington’s attractions; the National Air & Space Museum is the most visited museum in the world. A collection of 18 museums throughout the city (plus three more in adjacent Northern Virginia, including the Air & Space Museum Annex), the Smithsonian offers exhibits on everything, from art and culture to aeronautics and technology. Other highly attended museums include the Newseum, the International Spy Museum, the Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the Crime & Punishment Museum.
- As the national capital, Washington is the site of numerous federal buildings, including the White House, the Capitol building, the Supreme Court, and Congressional and executive agency office buildings. Many of these offer tours to the public (advanced registration through your representative is customary). The National Archives and Bureau of Engraving and Printing also offer popular tours.
- The city is adorned by monuments, honoring the nation’s leaders and most significant events. Some of these include the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial, the World War I and World War II Memorials, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, Arlington National Cemetery, and the Navy and Air Force Memorials. The most recent addition to this collection is the Pentagon Memorial, commemorating those who died in the September 11 attacks.
- The Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority (WMATA) operates public transit bus and rail throughout the Washington region. Highlights include a 106-mile heavy rail rapid transit network, known as Metrorail. The Foggy Bottom-GWU Metrorail station on the Blue and Orange lines is less than a block from the One Washington Circle Hotel. Metrorail directly serves Reagan National Airport and Metrobus express routes serve Dulles International Airport and Baltimore Washington International (BWI) Airport. Commuter rail, buses, rental cars, car sharing, and taxis are also abundant.
- Washington hosts world-class shopping and dining venues as well. Georgetown is walking distance from the One Washington Circle Hotel and many others are accessible by public transit or short taxi rides.
Getting to Metro
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
From Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is connected directly to Metro’s Yellow and Blue lines. Follow the signs to the covered walkways and into the station.
To From Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
Use Metro’s Yellow or Blue lines to take you directly to the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport station. It’s closer to the airport than the parking lots. Use the covered walkway to take you directly into the terminal.
Dulles International Airport
From Dulles International Airport
Coming from Dulles International Airport, connect to Metrorail using Metrobus. For just $6 per person (exact change required), the 5A takes you to Rosslyn station on the Orange and Blue lines with just one stop in between.
You can also take the Washington Flyer bus to the West Falls Church-VT/UVA station on the Orange Line.
To Dulles International Airport
Take Metrobus route 5A from L’Enfant Plaza station (Yellow, Green, Blue, and Orange lines) or the Rosslyn Station (Blue and Orange lines). This Metrobus takes you to the airport for only $6 per person (exact change required).
You can also take the Orange Line to the West Falls Church-VT/UVA station where you can take the Washington Flyer bus service to the airport.
Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)
From Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport
From Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, connect to Metrorail using Metrobus. For just $6 per person (exact change required), the B30 takes you to Greenbelt station on the Green Line.
You can also take a shuttle from the airport to the MARC rail station and take the MARC train to Union Station. From there, you can transfer to Metro’s Red Line.
To Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport
Take Metrorail to the Greenbelt station on the Green Line. Then, for only $6 per person (exact change required), take the B30 Metrobus to the airport.
You can also take Metrorail from your nearest station to Union Station on the Red Line. From there, take the MARC train to the airport, where a shuttle takes you directly to the airport.
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