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Rick Santorum: Time to get rid of the IRS ("You are guilty until proven innocent")
Hotair ^ | 06/24/2013 | Ed Morrissey

Posted on 06/24/2013 12:58:37 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

“It is just inherently corrupt,” Rick Santorum told a live audience this weekend in Charleston, South Carolina this weekend. The former Senator and GOP presidential candidate said that the latest scandal shows the danger of handing so much power over the lives of Americans to the federal government, and that repealing the Sixteenth Amendment was the only real solution to unwinding that intrusive power.

CLICK ABOVE LINK FOR THE VIDEO

Rick Santorum became the latest Republican to call for the repeal of the Sixteenth Amendment in light of the ongoing IRS controversy. “We have to get rid of this income tax — that is the source of the problem — and do something to replace it,” the former Pennsylvania senator said on Fox News over the weekend.

Santorum called the agency “hopeless” and “inherently corrupt” and warned that its role in Obamacare’s implementation will make matters even worse. “It’s hopeless because we’ve given enormous power to the government over every single person in America,” he said.

Santorum has been trying to raise his profile recently on economic issues. On Saturday, he authored an essay at USA Today pushing the Republican Party to focus more on middle-class policies rather than corporate interests, saying that the disconnect cost them the election in 2012:

2012 exit polling tells us that 21% of voters thought that the most important Presidential quality was that the candidate “cares about people like me” – and President Obama won these voters 81 to 18. This fact rekindled the discussion over the increasing “empathy gap.”

The “gap” should come as no surprise. Republican rhetoric focuses on business creators without making the connection to the average American. Furthermore, the establishment Republicans policies have cooperated with Democrats to use the government to reward big businesses and big banks at the expense of these job creators. But Republicans often don’t even talk about those who work in those businesses: the cooks, technicians, welders, truck drivers, administrative assistants, middle managers, laborers, and all the other good and honorable jobs that are the foundations of these companies. These employees also make the American economy run, and there are a lot more of them than employers.

We need to talk with them – and to them. Plus our policies must address their interests – and I don’t mean just economic interests. True empathy is conveyed by message, messenger, and action. …

In the future, Republicans must have the message and the policies that truly level the playing field, get government out of picking winners and losers, and lift up both owners and workers. We need to look to leaders in our party to emerge and solidify around this message.

Getting rid of the IRS and the current tax code would be one big step in that direction. The tax code (for both personal and corporate income) is where lobbyists win favorable treatment, and where politicians attempt to tilt playing fields for ideological or political gain. A flat tax would fix that problem, but only if it stayed flat. I’d prefer that system if only to prevent the depressive impact a national sales tax or VAT [see update] would have on purchasing. Unfortunately, it would be impossible to trust Congress to keep income tax flat without a constitutional amendment, and that would be less popular than full repeal, I suspect — especially since it would keep the IRS in business, if effectively emasculated.

Santorum’s on the right path here, as are Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, and other more popular Republicans. Bobby Jindal has been hitting the same points on economic policy, if not on the IRS yet. The IRS abuses give a rare and clear example of just how the government can abuse its power to create political cover for an entrenched governing class, and that gives Republicans a chance to make a case for smaller government and working-class focused economic policies. Let’s hope they take the opportunity.

Update: I erred in using VAT, national sales tax, and Fair Tax interchangeably. There are differences between all three, as well as many similarities. I was thinking more of the Fair Tax as the alternative.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: benghazi; fastandfurious; impeachnow; irs; santorum; taxes; teaparty
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1 posted on 06/24/2013 12:58:37 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

Never was a big Santorum fan—but right in this one.


2 posted on 06/24/2013 12:59:47 PM PDT by brooklyn dave
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To: SeekAndFind

Can we ditch the NSA while we’re at it. After all, isn’t it just doing the job the CIA is supposed to be doing?


3 posted on 06/24/2013 1:01:17 PM PDT by cripplecreek (REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
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To: SeekAndFind

IRS...NSA...EPA...DHS...ATF...

There’s more to add...


4 posted on 06/24/2013 1:07:19 PM PDT by Bayard
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To: SeekAndFind

Defund 100% and release of biometrics of all full timers and contractors.


5 posted on 06/24/2013 1:07:32 PM PDT by gaijin
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To: SeekAndFind

Santorum should have been our Presidential nominee. Light years better than Romney.


6 posted on 06/24/2013 1:10:51 PM PDT by fwdude ( You cannot compromise with that which you must defeat.)
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To: SeekAndFind

At what point do politicians stop talking about it, and start doing something about it, lots of talk from lots of people but no action.

Talk...Talk...Talk that’s all we get on issues of importance to Americans, on issues important to LGBT, illegals, and money to al-queada we get plenty of action, go figure!


7 posted on 06/24/2013 1:12:51 PM PDT by PoloSec ( Believe the Gospel: how that Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again)
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To: PoloSec

RE: At what point do politicians stop talking about it, and start doing something about it, lots of talk from lots of people but no action.

______________________________

Santorum can only talk about it, he’s not elected into office now. Same is true with Sarah Palin, who made a similar remark.

He can LOBBY for it, but that’s about it.


8 posted on 06/24/2013 1:15:39 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: gaijin

Our government spends a half trillion dollars on contractors every year.

Granted some are necessary but I’m guessing we could get rid of 2/3 of them and the agencies they work for and we would be just fine.

However a lot of those contractors are politically connected and making lots of very wealthy government officials.


9 posted on 06/24/2013 1:16:34 PM PDT by cripplecreek (REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
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To: Bayard

Add NEA and DOE. Maybe Agriculture.


10 posted on 06/24/2013 1:18:39 PM PDT by Resolute Conservative
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To: brooklyn dave
"Never was a big Santorum fan—but right in this one."

Right? This is cutting off our nose to spite our face. After the IRS is dissolved, then the next 5 years and $400 billion is spent creating a new policing agency to enforce what, the "fair tax"? Do you actually believe the government will have no tax administration? Do you really want to start over? Clean house? yes; start over? we can't afford it.

11 posted on 06/24/2013 1:18:40 PM PDT by Dutchboy88
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To: PoloSec

Talk, talk, talk is just delaying tactics. Makes ‘em look like they are doing something, and then they don’t do nuthin’, or exactly the wrong thing for the country, but the right thing for the political machine they answer to. Whatever they do it’s to benefit a hand that feeds them, not ours.


12 posted on 06/24/2013 1:19:49 PM PDT by rockinqsranch (Dems, Libs, Socialists, call 'em what you will. They ALL have fairies livin' in their trees.)
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To: fwdude

I voted for him. I liked the way he talked street level economics without pretending to be one of us. The guy on the factory floor doesn’t spend a lot of time thinking about capital gains taxes but he does spend a lot of time thinking about our insane method of taxing manufactured goods because he’s the one shutting down production every 3 months and counting everything in the building for tax purposes.

He wanted to eliminate those taxes and tax the finished product rather than the product at every manufacturing step. He said he wanted to cut capital gains taxes by I think it was 12% so the Romneyites went nuts and screamed its not enough because Romney promised to cut them by 17%. I think Santorum’s combined cuts would have produced more revenue through job creation and production.

He was my 3rd choice after Bachmann and Cain but I came to feel that he should have been my first choice.


13 posted on 06/24/2013 1:38:05 PM PDT by cripplecreek (REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
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To: SeekAndFind

It’s easy to say but query whether Santorum really means it or is it just a cheap political line. I remember back when Regan was running, and he’d go on about eliminating Departments of Labor and Education, and it plays well to the crowd but I don’t think he seriously considered it for a second. I appreciate the sentiment but at this point I’d just be content with some substantial reductions (and not just less projected growth) in the size of government, and I’m tired of the soundbites about “if I’m President I’ll get rid of XYZ Department.” Right . . . sure you will (won’t).


14 posted on 06/24/2013 1:52:48 PM PDT by AtlasStalled
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To: AtlasStalled

RE: “if I’m President I’ll get rid of XYZ Department.” Right . . . sure you will (won’t).

I don’t think a President on his own can eliminate ANY department that was created by an act of Congress and signed into law by a previous President.

In other words, the President can only use his bully pulpit. The LAW TO ELIMINATE A DEPARTMENT still has to come from Congress.


15 posted on 06/24/2013 1:56:15 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

“In other words, the President can only use his bully pulpit. The LAW TO ELIMINATE A DEPARTMENT still has to come from Congress.”

You’re right. But a few lines in a stump speech during campaign season hardly constitutes aggressive lobbying by a President against Congress, and if the President REALLY doesn’t like the department XYZ he doesn’t have to request funding for it or make appointments to it. The President is not a potted plant.


16 posted on 06/24/2013 2:01:04 PM PDT by AtlasStalled
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To: SeekAndFind
That's why they call them Campaign promises. Everybody promises more than they can deliver but its really about whether we believe they'll actually try.

I personally think the man is sincere in his desire to try.
17 posted on 06/24/2013 2:08:16 PM PDT by cripplecreek (REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
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To: AtlasStalled

Not sure how it will go down politically if a President suddenly REFUSES to request for funding for all the following departments: Education, Energy, Commerce and EPA.

As for the IRS, it would be totally impractical for him to not request funding for it to enforce the laws. Like it or not, the monstrosity called the IRS is a creation of the legislative Frankenstein called Congress.

In other words, elimination of the IRS *and* the total overhaul of our tax laws will have to come side by side — SIMULTANEOUSLY.

I can’t see it done any other way.


18 posted on 06/24/2013 2:09:11 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

The amount of money the IRS sent to alien workers in 2011 totals more than $46 million in tax refunds.

These 23,994 unauthorized alien workers all listed this one address in Atlanta, Georgia. You can view the audit report here by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.

CNN reports there were 10 address from around the country and 4 of them were in Atlanta.

The IRS sent 11,284 refunds worth a combined $2,164,976 to unauthorized alien workers at a second Atlanta address; 3,608 worth $2,691,448 to a third; and 2,386 worth $1,232,943 to a fourth.

The IRS has has been knowingly facilitating the ability for Unauthorized Aliens to work illegally in the United States for almost fourteen years according to the Treasury Inspector General’s Semiannual Report to Congress.

Other locations for singular addresses used simultaneously by thousands of unauthorized alien workers are as follows:
•Oxnard, Calif, where the IRS sent 2,507 refunds worth $10,395,874
•Raleigh, North Carolina, where the IRS sent 2,408 refunds worth $7,284,212
•Phoenix, Ariz., where the IRS sent 2,047 refunds worth $5,558,608
•Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., where the IRS sent 1,972 refunds worth $2,256,302
•San Jose, Calif., where the IRS sent 1,942 refunds worth $5,091,027
•Arvin, Calif., where the IRS sent 1,846 refunds worth $3,298,877

PLEASE COPY AND FORWARD THIS TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND SHARE THIS LINK BELOW WE NEED TO GO VIRAL WITH THIS INFORMATION.
READ THE 51 PAGE REPORT AT THIS LINK:

http://www.treasury.gov/tigta/auditreports/2012reports/201242081fr.pdf


19 posted on 06/24/2013 2:54:43 PM PDT by ncfool (Obama's aMeriKa 2012 The land of entitlement for the 51% crowd.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Nice idea, but there are a lot of other things that could be done that have a chance of passage in Congress. Number 1 should be huge budget cuts for the IRS starting with the millions in bonuses. Let Democrats try to defend paying IRS staff bonuses. I would be running those idiotic videos of IRS employee line dancing and playing Star Trek on TV and asking if this is why they deserve bonuses.


20 posted on 06/24/2013 2:55:41 PM PDT by The Great RJ
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