Today, Giffords for Congress released its new television ad, “Fair.” The ad features Jesse Kelly advocating for the “Fair Tax,” a 23 percent sales tax on everyday items like food, gas, medicine, childcare and rent that would allow corporations to stop paying any income taxes at all.

The ad will begin airing in the Tucson media market today.

Kelly’s proposed national sales tax would make families who work for a living pay thousands more in taxes every year. The so-called “Fair Tax” would raise average overall federal taxes on 80 percent of Southern Arizonans by more than $3,000 per year.

At the same time, it would also give a big break to millionaires and companies that ship jobs overseas. The “Fair Tax” would lower the average overall taxes of the top five percent of income earners by more than $40,000 and eliminate all corporate income taxes.

Kelly’s support of this 23 percent sales tax is yet another example of how out of touch he is with Southern Arizona working families and seniors on fixed incomes. Kelly has said he ”would love to eliminate” Social Security and refers to seniors receiving Medicare as needing to “get off the public dole.”

Jesse Kelly is a risk Southern Arizona can’t afford.

“In this economy, families need Jesse Kelly’s giant new national sales tax like they need a hole in the head,” said Rodd McLeod, campaign manager for Giffords for Congress. “Jesse Kelly is willing to put middle class families through the wringer just to give corporations another tax break.”

Gabrielle Giffords is a third generation Southern Arizonan and the only person in Congress with an active duty military spouse. Gabrielle is not like other politicians. She takes an independent view on the issues and was rated Arizona’s most moderate member of Congress by the National Journal in 2009. She’s voted against a Congressional pay raise every time one has come up, and she doesn’t make earmark requests for campaign contributors. Most importantly, Gabrielle stands up for Southern Arizona by working across the aisle to secure the border, protect our military and veterans and create jobs by investing in solar energy.

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