ping
Ok, then we will just keep the crappy system we have now!/sar.
I am for bringing back the tarrifs that used to support us before we stupidly bought into the income tax. I am willing to try anything, including the fair tax, as long as it is not another income tax. Flat taxes are out as far as I am concerned, it will quickly degenerate into the income tax system we have now.
Ho, hum. This argumentative essay is far too logical to be the basis for any sort of likely reform.
But let's not make the perfect the enemy of the good. Any reasonable tax reform is better than what we have now, and what we will be getting as the AMT hits more and more people.
A flat income-tax would be good; then tax cuts, then permanent tax limits.
First, though, we must win the war. Otherwise, most of us will be paying the jizya, the special tax Islam imposes on dhimmis (non-Moslems). You will be forced to pay that asuumming that you are not simply sold into slavery, which was the big money-maker for the movement under the leadership of the false prophet himself.
mark
This statement is proof that the author has never listened to Boortz for any length of time.
He hit most of the key points, although I could add several more problems of the fairytax. Probably the best article against the fairytax I've seen outside of threads on this forum.
Move tax day to the vicinity of election day, say the first week in October, a month before voting.
As I have repeatedly stated, NO tax reform will ever work until the excess spending of government is gotten under control.
Want to cut the deficit? Stop all the excessive spending across the board. Pork barrel projects need to be the first.
As long as either party has endless supplies of our money, they will just keep taking and throwing it away as they see fit.
Now that you're done trashing the Fair Tax, what's your proposal?
The only tax that would be "fair" would be a voluntary tax.
It's just another scheme for social engineering.
I only got to problem #2 because it's late and I'm doing laundry, but you've got two problems:
First the need to change the way taxes are spent is not immediate to the Fair Tax idea. Once people are able to see their taxes actually coming out of their wallets when they go to the store, they'll be much more likely to crack down on the gov't for spending like Paris Hilton with daddy's Visa.
Secondly, it is a voluntary tax. If you use your money to buy items that are considered essentials and under the prebate "budget" you're essentially paying no taxes IIFC.
Can't stand Neil Boortz, really.
But I believe in giving credit where credit is due.
He's exactly right on taxation, unlike yourself and the author of this worthless piece of pro-status quo propaganda.
Like yourself, the writer offers nitpicking around the edges, but not a single convincing argument against the overall concept of replacing income taxation with a national retail sales tax.
Maybe you should wait to comment on this book until it comes out in an audio version because you obviously had a difficult time understanding it as it is written. Many of your comments about the book and plan are wrong. I will just give a couple of examples which will include your own contradictory comments.
Your "Lie # 1" section is completely absurd. Your claim that the fair tax would not be voluntary is way off the mark. You ask "what happens if someone decides that they don't want to pay any taxes to the federal government?" Then you reply with: "The same thing that happens now: fines and imprisonment." Fines and imprisonment could occur if someone buy or sells goods without charging or paying the tax. As is pointed out in the book, that requires two parties (the buyer and seller) to consciously avoid the system.
This is so simple! Even an under-worked, over-educated idiot should be able to understand it. If I don't make any purchases on new goods or services I won't have to pay any tax. That would not be illegal. I would earn my wage, keep ALL of my earnings, then save (if I choose to) in an interest bearing account without paying taxes. That would be completely legal.
If on the other hand I wanted to buy a bunch of goods that I don't need, I would be VOLUNTARILY paying more in taxes.
Your "Problem #1" section is also flawed. "Go stand in front of a store and ask the typical American how much federal sales tax he paid on the item he just bought for $139? Give him a calculator and ask him again. Unless he is familiar with figuring percentages, the average American will not be able to tell you how much sales tax he just paid."
Do you think that same individual has any idea how much is deducted from his paycheck? I pay attention and have good math skills but I still don't know in advance how much is going to be confiscated by the government; sometimes it's 22%, other times it's 23%, when I work several hours overtime it's 31%. At least the fair tax is a consistent percentage.
As far as the typical American being unable to do simple math.......well, that's a different debate for a different day.
Now it is time to point out some contradiction. "The FairTax is not a voluntary tax at all. The whole idea is a contradiction in terms." You made that assertion in "Lie # 1" but in "Problem #2", you state, "Millions of Americans will pay no taxes at all." By whom is the contradiction being made?
I will now admit that I didn't read your entire posting. I will, however, if you will actually read all of the book and the proposed legislation.
Under the FairTax, these prices will "go down by roughly the same amount as the proposed FairTax rate of 23 percent."
I knew it was a MONSTROUS load of hokum (the fair tax proposal, that is.
I have a fairly decent memory, and up here in Canuckistan, when the GST (government sanctioned theft) was introduced, the manufacturer's tax of 13% was eliminated.
Imagine the shock and dismay of economists here when the month after the 7% GST was imposed, there was a 7% "inflationary episode".
I do agree that a consumption tax is the "fairest" tax, but ALL other taxes MUST be reduced, and the federal government should go back to funding itself through IMPORT taxes ONLY, after eliminating all the "transitory" and "temporary" taxes that have been imposed on the productive over the last 100 years. Food, clothing, and shelter (the necessities) should all be exempt from all taxation. Sure, there are the Imeldas out there, but duds are duds, and food is food.
The outrageous homes will be taxed by their communities.
Ouch. That's gonna leave a mark.
bump