Fayette County's

representative in the U.S. House isn't content with President George W.

Bush's initial $900 billion tax cut plan.

Mac Collins

wants more.

Collins Thursday

introduced the Individual Income Tax Rate Reduction Act of 2001, which

would cut personal income taxes an additional $600 billion over the ten

years of the Bush plan $30 billion in the first year.

Bush's $900

billion tax cut was approved by the House Thursday, the same day Collins

introduced his bill.

Bush also is

proposing changes in the tax code to bring about $700 billion more in

tax relief, but has not yet introduced that legislation.

Collins, who

represents several west Georgia counties in addition to Fayette, told

The Citizen Monday that he introduced the additional tax cuts because

economists are predicting higher revenues than previously expected, and

because the economy is sagging.

His bill would

provide across-the-board marginal income tax rate reductions for all wage

earners as well as changes designed to simplify the tax system and reduce

the marriage penalty.

"A new

day has arrived in Washington," Collins said. "I fully support

the legislation that has been passed by the House of Representatives,

but I believe we can do more."

He said he

believes "that we must reduce the amount of taxes taken out of paychecks

today to help restart our economy."

Collins said

the reduction would take place immediately and would gradually reduce

the number of tax brackets from five to four. It would also reduce the

marriage tax penalty by increasing the standard deduction for all taxpayers,

and making the married deduction twice that of the single taxpayer's deduction.

Under current law, an unmarried couple benefits from two full deductions,

while a married couple gets only one and a half standard deductions.

Economists

are expecting the Congressional Budget Office to soon release its updated

estimates on government revenue, which they predict will be higher than

previously estimated. If this is the case, Collins says, the nation will

be able to implement his legislation within the restraints of the balanced

budget.

"Treasury

has already reported in committee hearings that revenues have gone up

considerably more than they had expected," Collins told The Citizen.

"I think the additional moneys are there now for tax relief."

"The problem

with tax reductions aimed at stimulating economic recovery," Collins

said, "is that they usually come too little, too late. "We need

to move forward with more tax relief up front."

He has sent

his bill to the White House, but doesn't yet know whether the president

will support it, Collins added.

In its first

year, Collins' bill would reduce the lowest marginal income tax rate from

15 percent to 12 percent. The current 28 percent bracket would be reduced

to 25 percent; the 3 percent bracket to 28 percent, and the 39.6 percent

top bracket would be phased down to 33 percent by 2006.