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The Honorable Paul H. O'Neill
Secretary of the Treasury
United States Department of the Treasury
1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20220
USA

Dear Mr. Secretary,

We, the European Democrat Students (EDS), student organization of the European People's Party (EPP), party coalition of European conservative, liberal and Christian-Democratic parties of Europe, respectfully ask you, Mr. Secretary, to please withdraw United States support for the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) initiative against "harmful tax competition", as we ask European governments to withdraw from this socialist agenda.

Embarking on global tax cooperation in the way this project does will ultimately lead to higher taxes. Higher taxes will lead to bigger government and less free and independent individuals. We believe in smaller and limited government and more individual liberty and independence. We reject the socialist agenda of a large number of European governments, the European Union, and the OECD.

The OECD "harmful tax competition" project is an assault on liberty, financial privacy, and the principle of limited government. We strongly believe in these values. We do not believe any government or any international bureaucratic organization has any right to make an assault on these values.

Global tax cooperation is a threat to the right to vote with one's feet. When pilgrims came on the Mayflower to America, they voted with their feet. We call on the United States, with their heritage, to protect the right to vote with one's feet, and to denounce the socialist agenda of the OECD. We call on the United States, with their rich heritage when it comes to checks and balances, to protect and preserve a very important check, namely global tax competition to its full extent.

We look forward to your response, Sir.

On behalf of the Council of European Democrat Students
Stockholm, Sweden, May 8th 2001

Gustaf Casparsson
Chairman European Democrat Students 

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