Marianne Cohan NCPA Chairmans Council. Greg Wilkinson Appointed to NCPA Board of Directors. NCPA building its online presence through social media.

1. NCPA President and Kellye Wright Fellow John C. Goodman and
other world-renowned economists and tax experts debated the pros
and cons of the proposed value-added tax (VAT) at an NCPA-
sponsored Capitol Hill briefing in June.
Although a VAT is just another form of a retail sales tax, it has
the advantage of being harder to evade.Tax experts believe that large
retail sales taxes lead to compliance problems, which we can avoid by
collecting the same tax along the chain of production.
The NCPA strongly opposes
enacting a VAT, particularly since the
primary purpose of the VAT in the
current political climate would be to
raise revenue to support Congress’
out-of-control spending practices.
The first order of business should
be to control federal spending —
especially entitlement spending. Only
when Congress can demonstrate
some modicum of control over federal
spending should we examine different
ways to generate revenue.
(continued on page 2)
Vol. XVI, No. IV July/Aug, 2010
Wilkinson Joins NCPA Board of Directors
See insert for photos from the most recent Chairman’s Council, British Columbia, CanadaSee insert for photos from the most recent Chairman’s Council, British Columbia, Canada
NCPA Sponsors Capitol Hill Briefing on Proposed Value-AddedTax
Greg Wilkinson,a lifelong Dallas resident,has joined the NCPA Board
of Directors for the 2010–2011 term.Mr.Wilkinson has been in the
construction business since 1971 and has been a registered professional
engineer in Texas since 1972.After receiving a degree in Mechanical
Engineering from Southern Methodist University (SMU),he completed
graduate programs in business at Penn State University and SMU.
Mr.Wilkinson spent 11 years with one of the largest construction/
engineering firms in the world: Fluor-Daniel.In 1982 at the age of 35,he
was promoted to Vice President of Fluor-Daniel and became one of the
youngest vice presidents the company had ever had. Story continues on page 2
NCPA President and Kellye
Wright Fellow John C. Goodman
(above) and NCPA Senior
Fellow Laurence J. Kotlikoff
(left) explained the negative
impacts of the proposed value-
added tax (VAT), addressing
staff from the Joint Tax
Committee and other committees
at an NCPA-sponsored Capitol
Hill briefing held in late June.

2. National Center for Policy Analysis
NCPA News
Wilkinson Appointed to NCPA Board of Directors
(continued from page 1)
In mid 1985 Wilkinson became the co-majority
shareholder and President of Hill & Wilkinson,
Ltd. At the time, annual revenue was approximately
$10,000,000. His skills in marketing and overall
management have been instrumental in the growth
of the company.Today the company’s annual
revenue in building construction is $300,000,000.
“As a leading business innovator who cares deeply
about public policy and how free-market reforms
can empower individuals and generate economic
growth, Greg Wilkinson is an invaluable asset to
our board,”said NCPA Board Chairman Pete du
Pont.“I look forward to serving with him as we
work for the continued growth of the NCPA.”
Wilkinson is active in civic and professional
organizations, including Boy Scouts of America,
United Way and the Texas State University System.
NCPA Board Chairman Pete du Pont confers his “Board Member”
designation ribbon to Greg Wilkinson, the NCPA’s newest Board
Member, during the NCPA’s Chairman’s Council in Canada.
Goodman and Kotlikoff Discuss
Impact of VAT on Federal Spending
(continued from page 1)
It is possible to envision a VAT, or some other
type of consumption or flat tax, that supplants
our disparate system of income, excise and other
federal taxes — but not until Congress gets
control over runaway spending.
At the briefing, NCPA Senior Fellow
Laurence J. Kotlikoff (shown below) explained
the mechanics of how a VAT would work and
the negative impact it would have on growing
entitlement problems, the budget deficit and federal
spending practices. Stephen Entin, President and
Executive Director at the Institute for Research on
the Economics of Taxation, argued the reasons to
oppose the VAT, and Michael Lind, Policy Director
of the New America Foundation’s Economic Growth
Program, provided arguments in favor of a VAT.
The briefing attracted staff from the Joint Tax
Committee and other committees that will be
examining the prospects of enacting a VAT.

3. ALERTNCPA
July/August 2010
Chairman’s Council
British Columbia, Canada  May 2–5, 2010
1. Brent Beesley
2. NCPA Board Member
Jere Thompson
3. (From left to right): Peggy
Thompson and Betty May
4. Elise du Pont
5. (From l to r): NCPA Board
Member Greg Wilkinson,
Jerry Mills, Peggy Thompson
(background), and NCPA Policy
Chairman Mike Whalen
6. NCPA Board Chairman
Pete du Pont
7. Janice Mills
8. NCPA Board Member
Tommy Franks
9. Virginia James
10. NCPA Board Member Victor
Lattimore and Peggy Wilkinson
1 2 3
4 5 6
7
9 10
8

4. National Center for Policy Analysis
Chairman’s Council
11 12
13 14
15 16
17 18

5. ALERTNCPA
July/August 2010
Chairman’s Council
11. (In background,from l to r): Peggy Wilkinson,Kara Nordstrom,
NCPA Policy Chairman Mike Whalen and NCPA Board Member
Jere Thompson
12. (From l to r): NCPA Board Member Jere Thompson,Glenn
Stinchcomb,NCPA Board Member Greg Wilkinson (background) and
NCPA Board Chairman Pete du Pont
13. Shawn Wells
14. (From l to r): Kim Whalen,Peggy Thompson,Kara Nordstrom
(background),Betty May,NCPA Board Member Jere Thompson,
Jeanette Goodman and Shawn Wells
15. (From l to r): Elise du Pont,Ernie May,Virginia James and Brent Beesley
16. NCPA Policy Chairman Mike Whalen,Charles Murray and NCPA
Board Member Jere Thompson
17. Peggy and NCPA Board Member Greg Wilkinson
18. Shawn Wells and Ernie May
19. Ernie and Betty May
20. (Background,clockwise): NCPA Board Chairman Pete du Pont and
Glenn Stinchcomb.
21. (Clockwise from far left): Virginia James,Michael Walker,NCPA Board
Chairman Pete du Pont,Brent Beesley and Elise du Pont
22. Kara Nordstrom and Shawn Wells
23. Virginia James and Kim Whalen
24. Marianne Lattimore
19 20
21 22
23
24

6. National Center for Policy Analysis
Chairman’s Council
31. Cathy Franks
32. Marianne Lattimore and NCPA Board Member Greg Wilkinson
33. NCPA President and CEO and Kellye Wright Fellow John C. Goodman
34. (From l to r): NCPA Board Member Jere Thompson, NCPA Policy
Chairman Mike Whalen, and Charles Murray
25 26
27 28 29
32 34
30
33
27
31 25. NCPA Board Member Victor Lattimore
and Betty May
26. Glenn Stinchcomb and NCPA Policy
Chairman Mike Whalen
27. NCPA Board Chairman Pete du Pont
28. NCPA Policy Chairman Mike Whalen
29. NCPA Board Member Tommy Franks and
Glenn Stinchcomb
30. (Background, clockwise): Jerry Mills, Nick
Lewin (entertainer), Dr. Bruce Ames, Peggy
Thompson and Ernie May

7. ALERTNCPA
July/August 2010
Villarreal Discusses Government Bailout,
Tax Increases on HoustonPBS Segment
NCPA Major Sponsor of Free-Market Lunch Group in D.C.
Senate Banking Committee Chief Economist Jeff
Wrase headlined the most recent gathering of the
NCPA/Cato Institute free-market lunch group
on Capitol Hill. Wrase told the group, including
congressional staff members and other influential
policy makers, about the sweeping reforms in
the financial regulation bill and the broader
prospects for increased taxation. The lunch group,
currently co-sponsored by the NCPA and the
Cato Institute, meets monthly to discuss current
happenings on Capitol Hill and the opportunities
to promote free-market reforms.
Past speakers have included former director
of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
and former chief economic advisor to Sen. John
McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign, Douglas
Holtz-Eakin, McKinsey Institute Founder Bill
Lewis, and Tax Foundation President Scott Hodge.
NCPA Legislative Director Brian Williams, in conjuction with the
Cato Institute, coordinates a monthly free-market lunch group.
Washington Outreach
On May 21, NCPA Senior Policy Analyst Pamela
Villarreal appeared on HoustonPBS public affairs program,
“Red, White and Blue,” to discuss the government bailout,
private sector vs. government-created jobs, tax increases,
and other economic issues
affecting the United States.
Villarreal told hosts David
Jones and Gary Polland that the
problem with the bailout was that
a large portion of it went toward
creating jobs, and government
isn’t very good at creating jobs.
She said the government usually
spends more money creating jobs
than it would cost the private
sector to create the same jobs.
On tax increases, Villarreal said that when President Obama was campaigning, he vowed that he wouldn’t raise
taxes, and the first thing he did when he got into office was to raise excise taxes. She also pointed out that the
problem with tax increases imposed on the wealthy is that most of their wealth comes from capital and many of
the proposals for increases are taxing capital. When you tax capital you effect job creation, Villarreal said.
NCPA Senior Policy Analyst
Pamela Villarreal appeared on the
HoustonPBS public affairs program
“Red, White and Blue,” with Mark
Lee, Deputy General Counsel in
the legal department for American
International Group, and hosts Gary
Polland and David Jones.

8. National Center for Policy Analysis July/August, 2010
Designer . . . . . . . . Amber Jones
The NCPA is a research and
education organization operating
under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS
Code. You can contribute to our
effort by mailing your donation to
our Dallas headquarters or visiting
our Web site at www.ncpa.org and
clicking “Support Us.” For more
information, please contact Eileen
Resnik at eileen.resnik@ncpa.org.
The NCPA depends solely on the
contributions of individuals, corpora-
tions and foundations that advocate
private sector solutions to public
policy problems. All contributions are
tax deductible and the NCPA accepts
no government grants or contracts.
National Center for Policy Analysis
P.O. Box 650098
Dallas,TX 75265-0098
NCPA Alert©
Online Activities
Upcoming NCPA Events
October 5, 2010
James Carville and Mary Matalin
Political strategists and commentators, authors,
and former advisors to President Bill Clinton
(Carville), President George W. Bush (Matalin),
and Vice President Dick Cheney (Matalin)
Hilton Anatole  Dallas,Texas
NCPA/Sumners Distinguished Lecture Series
For reservations, please visit www.ncpa.org/events/
July 29, 2010
John C. Goodman, PhD. and
Ron Anderson, M.D.
NCPA President John C. Goodman and
Ron Anderson, M.D., President of Dallas’
Parkland Health and Hospital System
Belo Mansion  Dallas,Texas
Health Care Forum
Online:An Interconnected Network of NCPA Ideas
The NCPA continues to build its online presence with its
newly-redesigned Web site and active social media profiles,
offering visitors the opportunity to read the latest NCPA ideas
on consumer-directed health care, taxes and growth, retirement
reform, energy and the environment, and policies that affect
families.Through social media platforms such as Twitter,
Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and Helium, the NCPA not
only markets its upcoming events, but it shares its research,
newsletters and blog postings with its fans and followers.
Every day, more than 33,000 people visit the NCPA’s•
Web sites.
The NCPA actively communicates with its 6,300 Twitter•
followers and more than 3,000 Facebook fans.
More than 10,000 people per day visit John Goodman’s•
Health Policy Blog and over 7,100 subscribe to his weekly Health Alert e-mail newsletter.
Each business day, more than 424,000 people receive the NCPA’s• Daily Policy Digest newsletter,
summarizing all that’s new in the world of ideas.
Through the NCPA’s Virtual Library, visitors have access to more than 25,000 documents produced by the•
entire public policy community.
By integrating new media campaigns rich in educational content and the latest developments in public policy,
the NCPA is establishing one-on-one relationships with its donors, readers and potential consumers.