Flat Tax Philosophy

American Thinker ^ | November 19, 2011 | Scott A. Mahrle

[Scott Mahrle]

The problem is that we conservative economic thinkers have gotten ourselves into a bungle by playing on the liberals' playing field. We have accepted that government goods are to be valued for each of us individually as a function of our income.

Read more: http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/11/flat_tax_philosophy.html#ixzz1eGOEp4K0

[Scott Mahrle]

My article was published in American Thinker yesterday.

[MNJohnnie]

Excellent work. Thank you

[ml/nj]

We have accepted that government goods are to be valued for each of us individually as a function of our income.

The absurdity of the idea that people with higher incomes should pay higher taxes is best understood by considering to cab drivers. One works eight hours a day, and the other works twelve hours a day but otherwise they lead identical lives. What possible moral justification could there be for the one who contributes less (in terms of providing service to others) to be rewarded by having to pay less in taxes than the hard working cabbie?

Of course the tax payment would have to be set at some amount that some people would be unable to pay, but those who do not pay it should not be allowed to vote.

ML/NJ

[ml/nj]

two cab drivers !

[Huck]

Obviously, a tax amount small enough that it could be paid by everyone, when added up, would not be nearly enough to fund all the goods provided by the government today. So much the better. On this system, government would be required to live within its proper limits

Congratulations on being published. Here's where it falls apart, though. We need to do something about this:

Article 1, Sec 8:

To borrow money on the credit of the United States;

And this:

To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, (I refer to the Federal Reserve system)

Until we do, your notion that insufficient revenues will lead to austerity or fiscal discipline is a pipedream, totally at odds with experience.

[calex59]

Income taxes are evil, whether they be flat or progressive, the idea of taxing people on what they earn is against the very idea of freedom, ditto property taxes. Our founders knew of the evil of income taxes(hence the need for the sixteenth amendment)but failed when it came to property taxes. The idea that a person should be taxed simply for owning a home is ridiculous and totalitarian in the extreme.

Eliminate property taxes and income taxes, do away with the welfare system and public schools and spend federal taxes on what the constitution allows and nothing else.