For more than a century Congress has recognized the importance of keeping American companies competitive in the global marketplace, understanding that their success and growth abroad increases prosperity and creates jobs here at home. To level the playing field, Congress enacted a series of complex tax rules designed to prevent double taxation and allow American companies to compete on an equal footing with their foreign competitors.

Reports about the death of conservatism in America may be greatly exaggerated, at least according to a poll released by Gallup last week that—big surprise—didn’t generate a lot of interest in the mainstream media. Gallup, perhaps the most respected and unbiased polling organization in the country, found that self-identified conservatives outnumber liberals by a 2-1 margin. Forty percent of Americans describe themselves as conservative, compared with 21 percent who say they are liberal. Another 35 percent label themselves as moderate.

Taxes are created from several sources, but the biggest source is from corporate and personal income taxes. (I will omit the discussion of sales taxes, property taxes, business taxes, and other taxes that specifically benefit state and local governments. I want to focus on our federal deficits with regard to their primary sources of revenue.)

A host of reasons accounts for the gap between Virginia’s available transportation dollars and the state’s transportation wish list, from land-use policy to the precedence that maintenance takes over construction. A static gasoline tax also plays a significant part. It was set in 1986 at 17.5 cents per gallon, and hasn’t budged since. Thanks to inflation, 17.5 cents buys a lot less than it used to. Today it takes $194 to buy what $100 would buy in 1986.

House Republicans, especially a 29-year businessman like myself, clearly understand—and are experiencing—how tough the economy is. If you are one of the thousands of Virginians who are unemployed, the pain caused by this recession is real and imme diate. We know “it’s the economy, stupid”! We are very focused on implementing good public policy that will stimulate Virginia’s economy and create good-paying jobs.

How to undo your miscues with the IRS Let’s talk about the queasy feeling that some of you have today because you’re in trouble with the Internal Revenue Service. The bottom line is nothing will make that feeling disappear until you take the proper action. Let’s go over some of the mistakes that get consumers into hot water with the IRS and what the consequences and options are.

Five members of a Mechanicsville family have been charged with filing false income-tax returns for allegedly understating their tax liability by a combined $38,000. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the five are Eugene Bud Helmick and his wife, Doris Marie Helmick, both 72; and children Michael Wayne Helmick, 48; Eugene Larry Helmick, 41; and Diana Marie Acree, 40. If found guilty, the maximum punishment is three years in prison.

The U.S. Postal service is mostly sticking to regular business hours today, the deadline for Americans to file their federal tax returns.

I am from the government and I’m here to help you. Most of us have heard or used this expression from time to time with either mirth or disdain. However, in recent years, this expression has taken on new meaning. Over the past few years, our government has succeeded in accomplishing the impossible. It has taken the richest, most powerful nation in the history of the world and reduced it to a nation of debtors. This transformation has been under way for some time, but George Bush and Barack Obama have vastly accelerated the pace.

Procrastinators, start your engines. Or at least, fire up your laptops. There’s just three days to go before you must file your 2008 tax return. The number of refunds and the average refund size are up so far this season. If you haven’t sent in your return, here are some things to keep in mind:

• Deductions. Before automatically taking the standard deduction, try this quick test suggested by Bob Scharin, senior tax analyst from Thomson Reuters’ Tax & Accounting business, to see if you’re better off itemizing.

Before filing away your 2008 taxes, think about the $1,500 you could save on next year’s returns if you add extra insulation or a skylight. Congress tripled the tax credit for energy-efficiency home improvements when it passed the latest stimulus plan. The tax credit now covers up to 30 percent of the cost of products installed this year and next.

In 1991, the TV program “Eerie, Indiana” first aired. It was the story of 13-year-old Marshall Teller who moved with his family from a New Jersey suburb to what appeared to be an idyllic small town. But things were not always as they seemed, and young Teller soon discovered that the Midwestern burg was actually the “center of weirdness for the entire planet.“

Old habits in Washington appear to have clouded President Obama’s vision of change. The first budget of his new administration contains change no doubt, but when it comes to energy, it is not the kind of change the American people are hoping for. The president’s budget contains $80 billion in new taxes on the U.S. energy sector over the next decade. Apparently, the president thinks we have enough domestically produced natural gas and oil. He must be comfortable with our level of reliance on foreign oil.

There are numerous steps that need to be taken before our nation can turn the corner and begin the road to economic recovery. Somewhere near the top of this list is the need for entrepreneurs to become re-engaged. They need to go back into the marketplace and take risks and make investments. Before any new jobs can be created, some adventurer needs to go stick his or her neck out.

The financial crisis, and the recession it spawned, have created much confusion and uncertainty across the land. The causes of the downturn are hotly debated—and spun for political advantage. Solutions have, so far, remained elusive. Perhaps we can gain a bit of clarity by identifying what did not cause the downturn.