Repeal of the federal estate tax is just over the horizon and we need your help to make it a reality.

In early June, the House of Representatives will vote on the bipartisan Dunn-Tanner Estate Tax Repeal Bill (H.R. 8). It is important for you to contact your Representative and ask him or her to vote for this needed legislation. The larger the favorable vote, the better the chance we have of repealing the estate tax soon.

H.R. 8, the Dunn-Tanner Death Tax Elimination Act, gradually phases out the estate tax over 10 years. It is a true bipartisan bill with 43 Democrats among its 238 cosponsors. Ask your member of Congress to vote with these dedicated supporters of death tax repeal.

Here are some of the points you might want to make:

• Family supermarkets must plan on an ongoing basis to pay legal and accounting fees, insurance premiums and appraisal fees related to estate tax planning. These considerations affect business decisions about store improvements, expansions and jobs. Many do not have the cash to fully avoid the tax, as one or two stores valued at $10 million can trigger the top 60% tax rate.

• Family businesses are connected to the community they serve and are generous in civic and charity donations. Local connections are often lost when owners are forced to sell to pay the tax. Others take on debt to pay death taxes eliminating the chance to expand or improve their business.

• Family-owned supermarkets invest their capital back into their stores, equipment, refrigeration, property, trucks, etc. The narrow profit margins in the industry and the intense competition from other channels of trade make it difficult for most owners to have the cash to pay the tax

The current climate in Congress and the upcoming election give us the best chance in many decades to repeal this unfair and onerous tax. But we need your help -- we need you to write or call your Congressman today.

All members of Congress can be reached through the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 225-3121. Just ask for their office. If you need additional information or a list of representatives in whose congressional districts you operate, please call Laura Bourne at (202) 220-0631, or Brian Smith at (202) 220-0616.