Free Republic

Tolerance is the mother who softens the harshness of father’s strict adherence to the rules. Since nobody’s perfect, lawmakers and judges should guard against legal surprises never anticipated by lawmakers. This isn’t rewriting the decrees but interpretation in the highest sense of the word so the law can accomplish its original intent. “Who can say “I have purified my heart, I am free of sin? There is no man on earth so righteous that he never sins!” Proverbs 20:9 Below are some suggestions for lawmakers and judges to bring about a more just country: Intolerance-Justice should be based on each...

The Tax Preparation Industry Allie Winegar Duzett, October 15, 2009 Can you believe that it can cost you more to pay your taxes than you actually pay in taxes? “Last year, Americans spent more than $250 billion on tax preparation,” Ed Morrissey of HotAir.com told the audience at the Americans for Prosperity (AFP) summit on Defending the American Dream, held on October 3, 2009. “It costs us twice as much to comply with the tax code as it costs us in taxes, total,” Morrissey asserted, illustrating his point that our current tax system is “ridiculous.” “Ironically, what prompted our Founding...

Note: The following text is a quote: THE BRIEFING ROOM • THE BLOG WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2009 AT 5:59 AM Streaming at 12:30: PERAB Meeting on Tax Reform Posted by Austan Goolsbee Today, the tax subgroup of the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board (PERAB) will hold a meeting to gather ideas on tax reform. It will be the first of several such meetings. The meeting will center on tax simplification and will be live streamed at www.whitehouse.gov/live. I wanted to take the opportunity to explain why we assembled this subgroup, what areas the PERAB tax reform subgroup will focus on...

RUSH: You want to hear the table of contents in the Max Baucus bill? This is the one everybody's all excited about now, Gang of Six in there, three Republicans, three Democrats. Remember, now, Baucus announced yesterday part of his plan is a fine of up to 3,800 bucks on citizens via the IRS if you don't have health insurance. It's going to be mandatory just like automobile insurance is. ... "Section I: Health systems savings." There are four chapters. "Ensuring appropriate payment. Capturing productivity gains. Reducing geographic variation in spending, and modifying beneficiary contributions." "Section II: Options for Modifying...

Mansfield North Central Ohio Take Back America! Tea Party Saturday, July 4, 2009, NOON-2:00 PM Central Park GAZEBO, Downtown Mansfield Corner of Main Street & Park Avenue Join patriots in our area and across the country who will be participating inTea Party rallies in front of their city halls.Featured Speakers: Lt. Col. Gene Berger, USAF Retired, Combat Pilot, Vietnam Thom Collier, Former State Rep. Dist. 93 & 90, State Senate Candidate Dist. 19 Maureen Collins, Concerned Citizen Dr. Patricia Lydy, D.C., Lydy Chiropractic Clinic Dennis Oleksa, USAF Veteran Pastor Brian Phillips, Cornerstone Freewill Baptist Church Dean Shoup, Shoup’s Plumbing and...

In today’s Washington Post, the White House floats a really scary trial balloon—a new national Value-Added Tax (VAT) to pay for out-of-control spending and a Washington take over of health care. Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad appears to be on board. So does Ezekiel Emanuel, brother of White House chief-of-staff Rahm Emanuel, who has been hired by the White House budget office to help design the health care plan and whose book on health care uses a VAT to fund the new government program. Obama economic adviser Paul Volcker is also on-board the VAT-train. ————— "We need to draw...

WASHINGTON – Social Security and Medicare are fading even faster under the weight of the recession, heading for insolvency years sooner than previously expected, the government warned Tuesday. Social Security will start paying out more in benefits than it collects in taxes in 2016, a year sooner than projected last year, and the giant trust fund will be depleted by 2037, four years sooner, trustees reported. Medicare is in even worse shape.

JUST as the econ omy begins show ing glimmers of a turnaround, here comes President Obama with a "tax-reform" effort that's sure to sock the stock prices and after-tax profits of many of the biggest US employers. Obama's $190 billion business-tax hike will hit Americans whose jobs and pensions depend on these companies doing well, and will increase pressure on already struggling colleges and hospitals. Why? Because millions of individual investors hold the companies' stocks in their portfolios, mutual funds and pension funds, as do many colleges, hospitals, museums and other institutions in their endowments. Among the important employers in...

Do you know what the word "income" means? My large Webster's dictionary is able to provide a clear and comprehensive definition in a mere 52 words. The shortest definition the Internal Revenue Service could provide in response to my request for its definition was 140 words - but the word income was included 10 times, missing the point that you do not include the word to be defined as part of the definition. You may have read that President Obama has just appointed former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul A. Volcker to head a panel to make recommendations for tax reform....

A ny American who's fretted through filling out his or her income tax returns, churned through the confusing TurboTax online maze or plopped their shoe boxes of receipts down on their H&R Block representatives' desk has to be mumbling today, "There's got to be a better way." A predicted half million frustrated taxpayers will hit the streets nationwide today - the day that tax returns are due - to vent about increasing tax rates, wasteful spending, trillion dollar bailouts and debt being thrust onto our kids and grandkids. But after all the spouting, will anything change in the way we...

Our current income tax system, inaugurated in 1913 with the adoption of the 16th Amendment, began with a 1 percent tax on taxable income above $3,000 ($4,000 for married couples). A series of surcharges of up to 6 percent were applied to higher incomes, with the maximum rate being 7 percent on taxable income over $500,000. Less than 0.5 percent of the population ended up paying income tax. From these humble beginnings, the income tax soon blossomed, thanks to World War I, into a tax with a minimum rate that doubled and a maximum rate that reached 77 percent on...

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- One of the people named this week to President Obama's new Task Force on Tax Reform is a member of the AIG board of directors. Martin Feldstein, a professor of economics at Harvard University, has been on the board of American International Group since 1988. He also was a prominent economic adviser to Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush. Asked about the AIG connection, a senior administration official said Friday that the White House declined to comment on the story. Like the others named to the tax reform task force, Feldstein also serves on Obama's Economic...

Iowa Congressman Steve King hosted a "Special Order" on the House floor on March 17 to discuss the FairTax. For an hour, Members of Congress discussed how our legislation can save the U.S. economy. Several H.R. 25 co-sponsors spoke about the FairTax during this historic session. Watch The Video Learn More

SEC. 401. ELIMINATION OF SALES TAX IF SIXTEENTH AMENDMENT NOT REPEALED. If the Sixteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States is not repealed before the end of the 7-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, then all provisions of, and amendments made by, this Act shall not apply to any use or consumption in any year beginning after December 31 of the calendar year in which or with which such period ends, except that the Sales Tax Bureau of the Department of the Treasury shall not be terminated until 6 months after such...

WASHINGTON -- The No. 1 problem facing U.S. taxpayers? A tax code so complex that Americans spend $193 billion per year just trying to figure out how much they owe, said Nina Olson, the National Taxpayer Advocate, in her annual report to Congress on Wednesday. That amounts to 14% of all income taxes collected, according to Ms. Olson. Tax-code changes have averaged one per day over the past eight years -- with 500 changes in 2008 alone, she said.

“The opaque earmarking process paired with a series of examples of corruption and self-aggrandizement has left taxpayers frustrated.”

From the producers of Wordplay and the studio that brought you Supersize Me, the must-see documentary I.O.U.S.A. uncovers the source of critical economic concerns that touch the lives of every American. A tapestry of archival footage, hard data and candid interviews woven together, it paints an authentic profile of today’s economic condition. Solutions for how we can impact this nationwide crisis and evolve into a more fiscally sound nation for future generations are offered by the documentary’s powerful conclusion. “May be to the U.S. Economy what An Inconvenient Truth was to the environment.” - Reuters

Below is the FairTax resolution I submitted to the Platform & Resolutions Committee of the Illinois GOP Party Convention. Marilyn Rickert, Illinois FairTax, President The FairTax reflects the values, ideals and principals of the people of Illinois and the nation. I respectfully submit this resolution to be adopted as part of the Illinois Republican Party platform. FairTax Resolution background: The resolution was adopted by the ...

This is the latest tax reform poll that I have seen. This is from an interesting website in which members develop their own polls.

Dan Mitchell requests that interested parties send in e-mail responses to his proposal to 1. pass the flat tax 2. repeal the 16th 3. pass the FairTax

An alleged tax-fraud scheme involving donations of overvalued art to four local museums is part of a larger, unchecked problem with inflated art appraisals that has cost the federal government untold millions, a Times analysis has found. Each year, the Internal Revenue Service audits donations claimed on only a handful of the 100,000 or more tax returns that allow art donors to reap nearly $1 billion in tax write-offs. Half of the donations checked over the last 20 years had been appraised at nearly double their actual value.

Feb. 10--One of Mike Huckabee's most attractive qualities -- at least for conservatives -- is his all-out support for something called the FairTax, which would do away with the Internal Revenue Service and focus on the collection of sales taxes. The FairTax Book, co-authored by Neal Boortz and John Linder, was published on Aug. 2, 2005, as a tool to increase public support for and understanding of the FairTax plan. The Fair Tax Act was introduced as a bill in the United States Congress some time back for changing tax laws to replace the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and all...

The Americans For Fair Taxation welcomes Congressman Rob Wittman to The Fair Tax movement. He joined The Fair Tax movement on February 14th. Representative Wittman is the 74th cosponsor. His signing is the second in February. Clearly the grassroots momentum for The Fair Tax is growing! Please keep up your enthusiasm for Fair Tax! Congratulations Representative Wittman for joining The Fair Tax movement!

In his December 24, 2007 Tax Notes article, “Why the Fair Tax Won’t Work,” Bruce Bartlett purports to critique the FairTax, a proposal to replace almost all federal taxes with a retail sales tax plus a rebate. In fact, Barlett’s article has little to say about the FairTax and even less to say that’s accurate. Instead, most of his article misstates research on the FairTax, criticizes unnamed proponents of the FairTax, lambasts unattributed views of the FairTax, and engages in political punditry. This paper takes a close look at Bartlett’s “analysis,” exposing his repeated use of straw men for what...

One solution to the nation's long-term fiscal problems that has gained support in recent years is the idea of replacing all federal taxes with a 23 percent national retail sales tax called the FairTax. Unfortunately, the administrative problems inherent in this proposal make it impossible to take seriously, says Bruce Bartlett, former deputy assistant secretary for economic policy at the U.S. Treasury Department. For example, under a FairTax scheme: A worker now netting $800 per week would immediately get a $200 raise and start taking home the full $1,000 gross wage that he is paid; instead of paying income and...

Fred on the Issues (from www.Fred08.com) National Security The first responsibility of government is to protect the American people, the homeland, and our way of life. Today we face the urgent threat of radical Islamic terrorists. Al Qaeda is committed to attacking us here at home, and wants to use weapons of mass destruction (WMD) to kill millions. We must never give them that opportunity. We must defeat the terrorists abroad, and that begins in Iraq and Afghanistan—the central fronts in this global war. We must show the world we have the will to fight and win. A weakened America...

The New York Times made some coverage of the FairTax proposal recently. The coverage was done in a way typical of mass media trying to be "unbiased": they vaguely describe the topic being covered, and quote some people who are in favor, quote some people who are against. The arguments in favor or against are not really explained, and it is left up to the reader to perform their own research, or walk away from the issue with lingering doubts. People who are in favor of FairTax generally say that the proposal has been designed by competent economists, and has...

NEW YORK (Money) -- With Mike Huckabee's big win in the Iowa Republican caucus Thursday, more people are asking, "So what's this guy actually stand for?" Answer: For the most part, he's a pretty conventional conservative Republican. But on economics, he has one big, out-of-left-field-or maybe make that out-of-right-field-idea. It's called the "Fair Tax," which is spin-ease for a national retail sales tax. The sales tax idea isn't Huckabee's invention. It was developed by a group called Americans for Fair Taxation, and it has already been written into a bill sponsored by Georgia congressman John Linder.

Does the Fair Tax cause undo harm to the elderly? This was recently a topic on a popular conservative Internet discussion board. The theory is laid out by the first commenter: "Who are the people who get screwed by the National Sales Tax? Older people, who already paid taxes over the years on what they made, and under the National Sales Tax get to be taxed again on the same money they already made." So is this the case or is there more than meets the eye? Let's take a look. First of all,so we know what we're talking about,...

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford on Wednesday again called for a 30-cent per pack increase on cigarettes and said he wants to use the money to cut income taxes for most of the state's wage earners. But this time, the Republican governor wants to give people a choice: either pay taxes at the current rate of 7 percent and take eligible deductions, or pay a flat tax of 3.4 percent. "Persistence is the key to politics," Sanford told employees at Greer Flooring Center as he gave a preview of a piece of his budget plan for 2008-09. His full state...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Confronting the Senate and White House, House Democrats for a second time passed tax relief for 21 million people, going after companies and hedge fund managers that shelter money offshore. The vote Wednesday was a near party-line 226-193. The White House responded with a veto threat and the Senate's top Republican said the House approach to fixing the alternative minimum tax was unacceptable. "The Senate will not pass a short-term fix for some, if it includes a permanent massive tax hike for others," said Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said it was...

WASHINGTON, (AP) -- The Senate on Tuesday failed to come up with a plan for blocking an unpopular tax that could affect millions of taxpayers and already is causing disruptions in preparations for the upcoming tax filing season. Senate Democratic and Republican leaders, while agreeing that Congress must act immediately to stop the alternative minimum tax from hitting some 25 million taxpayers in 2007, up from 4 million in 2006, mutually rejected plans from the other side on how to proceed. "We all know this is a pernicious tax, a stealth tax," Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., said....

Lord knows I have blasted Fred Thompson a few times, but now he has followed his gutsy and philosophically solid Social Security plan and his on-target defense plan, and his hard-nosed immigration plan, with a tax-reform proposal that is deservedly earning plaudits from conservative experts. I repeat my contention that (apart from a certain Huckster) the Republican field this year is in many ways a font of riches rather than a big disappointment. There are at least four candidates whom I personally could support with serious enthusiasm, and another several (counting ones who already have dropped out) who I would...

Good for Fred. Good for his excellent, broad based, tax-cut plan — including a flat-tax option and a corporate tax cut. Good for him for snapping back at Fox’s Chris Wallace when he tried to pull a fast one by citing Fred Barnes and Charles Krauthammer as proof-pudding that Fred can’t win. Good for Fred for mentioning National Review and Investor’s Business Daily for speaking positively about his candidacy. (So, is it true that Fox is dedicating itself to Rudy?) Good for Fred for showing fire, energy, and animation throughout the interview. It’s the same fire in the belly that...

Is it possible that I’m smarter than Warren Buffett? Well, not likely. There’s so much evidence to the contrary, at least of the "if you’re so smart, why aren’t you rich?" kind. But, on my side, I didn’t let myself be interviewed by Tom Brokaw and say that I should be taxed at a higher rate. Buffett compared the federal taxes he pays to the taxes his office workers pay. Relating these tax amounts to the respective incomes, he then figured rates: Mine came to — 17.7 percent. The average for the office was 32.9 percent. There wasn’t anybody in...

Washington – The Club for Growth praised Senator Fred Thompson for the release of his pro-growth tax reform plan this morning on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace. The seven-part plan is the most comprehensive tax reform plan offered to date by a presidential candidate. The plan will: Permanently extend the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts Permanently repeal the Death Tax Repeal the Alternative Minimum Tax Reduce the corporate tax rate to no more than 27% Permanently extend small business expensing Update and simplify depreciation schedules Expand taxpayer choice Most commendable is Thompson’s plan to expand taxpayer choice by adopting...

Here’s something for the really hardcore, political geeks. Fred’s first Iowa mailer. http://bp1.blogger.com/_5d_fpdUHmxc/R0MC_gjyK1I/AAAAAAAAAhw/ep7W574fYPc/s1600-h/dont+compromise.jpg Much talk is about campaigns’ tv commercials but in Iowa mailers are very important. Disclaimer: I work for Friends of Fred Thompson, Inc.

Warren Buffett has said it before and he's likely to say it again to Congress on Wednesday: He thinks the heirs of the wealthy should be taxed on their inheritance. Buffett, one of the world's richest men and now its biggest philanthropist, has been an outspoken critic of efforts to repeal the estate tax and is scheduled to testify at a Senate Finance Committee hearing on how current law affects estate tax planning. [snip]"Without the estate tax, you in effect will have an aristocracy of wealth, which means you pass down the ability to command the resources of the nation...

Nov. 12, 2007 (SmartPros) -- The U.S. Chamber of Commerce expressed its disappointment over the Temporary Tax Relief Act of 2007, passed by the House on Friday. The nearly $80 billion bill includes provisions that provide alternative minimum tax relief, and extends a number of tax provisions set to expire this year. The bill is not "tax relief" as advertised in its title, the Chamber said, but a tax shift from individual taxpayers to businesses, putting American jobs and the economy at a disadvantage compared with our growing global competitors. "While the Chamber supports an extension of alternative minimum tax...

Here's your chance to make a cameo appearance in Fred's Presidential campaign. Make a video telling us why you support Fred Thompson for President and upload it using the form below. We'll share these videos with all of our supporters on Fred08.com, and allow you, and them, to pick the best one. Here's your chance to be a star. Submit your video now. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sure, Fred Thompson is an accomplished lawyer, prosecuting criminals in Tennessee before serving as counsel on the Watergate hearings. And yes, he served the people of Tennessee as a common sense, conservative Senator for eight years....

Reform Group: Thompson Would Hike Taxes Thursday, November 8, 2007 3:05 PMBy: Ronald Kessler When it comes to taxes, Fred Thompson is the "worst" of the Republican presidential candidates, Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, tells Newsmax. GOP hopefuls Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani have both promised not to raise taxes - Romney even signing an ATR pledge not to raise the marginal tax rate. Thompson, on the other hand, has not signed the pledge and has said high-income Medicare beneficiaries may have to pay more for coverage. “Thompson didn’t sign the pledge as a senator, and...

The House's top Democratic tax writer outlined a $1 trillion plan Thursday to eliminate the alternative minimum tax and ease the tax burdens of most people by asking the rich and some companies to pay more. ''We have attempted to restore equity and fairness to the system,'' said Rep. Charles Rangel, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee... House GOP leader John Boehner of Ohio said the ''mother of all tax hikes'' would ''doom our economy'' and put people out of work. The second-ranking House Republican, Rep. Roy Blunt of Missouri, said his party would use the proposal to...

Sunday 4:00 to 5:00 pm EST This week’s special guest – John Collett, Farm Bureau Coordinater Call-ins taken the second half of the broadcast RadioSandySprings.com

Taxpayers have the right to a simple, fair tax code that they can understand. I am a fiscal conservative and an advocate for lower taxes. I know that maintaining a vibrant economy through lower taxes makes for a more prosperous America as well as protects your hard earned money. http://lamborn.house.gov/ Another record number of co-sponsors for The Fair Tax Act Of 2007 has been set only ten months into the 110th Congress with Representative Doug Lamborn's signing on October 9th. The Fair Tax out numbers its closest competition, The Freedom Flat Tax by 61 votes and growing. The Fair...

The following is a summary of Thompson’s views on the issues of National Security, Federal Budget and Spending/Budgetary Reform, Tax Reform, Healthcare, Government Effectiveness, Building Strong Families, Immigration, Education, Appointment of Judges, Energy Security, and the Second Amendment. National Security In a post 9/11 world, Thompson recognizes the need for America to increase its ability to defeat its terrorist enemies. Therefore, his plans include upscaling the military, improving the missile defense system, enhancing the intelligence community, making homeland security robust enough to protect America from terrorists worldwide, giving backbone the judicial system so it will face the reality of terrorism...

In the two decades since Americans for Tax Reform began asking candidates to sign a pledge not to raise taxes, no Republican has been nominated for president without doing so. That track record might end in 2008. While all of the top four contenders are talking about the need for low taxes, only former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has signed on the dotted line. The other candidates may feel they have enough stature to avoid signing the pledge. But two things are different about this election that might play into their decision. With the first baby boomers set to retire...

Here is the first of Fred's video answers to questions submitted on various blogs a few days ago. He tackles the question of "fixing the tax code"...........

Dear FairTax supporters, I hope each of you were able to watch yesterday morning’s GOP debate where the FairTax was one of the few domestic policy issues raised with the candidates. Our FairTax bus was prominently parked just outside the debate in front of a local theater with “FairTax” on the marquee! In the face of five of eight GOP candidates embracing the FairTax, because of our early primary strategy, our numerous rallies, and the growing visibility of the issue, ABC News’s top editors agreed with us in meetings over the past several weeks that the FairTax has become...

Mr. Giuliani gets it wrong.May 22, 2007 Mr. Michael DuHaime, Campaign Manager Rudy Giuliani Presidential Committee, Inc. 295 Greenwich Street, Suite 356 New York, NY 10007 Dear Mr. DuHaime: If Mr. Giuliani was quoted correctly, and in fact opposes the FairTax because of the current code’s home mortgage and charitable deductions (please see the enclosed article), I would ask you to please study the FairTax Plan much more carefully. The FairTax would greatly enhance both charitable giving and home ownership as compared to current law. Home ownership: Home purchases are far less favored under the current law than under the...

The test on tax reform by Richard W. Rahn(commentary from the Washington Times) If politicians tell you they favor "tax reform" and "tax simplification," what do you think they mean? The fact is most politicians, including the current presidential candidates, say they will give us tax reform and simplification, but what they mean differs widely. Each candidate will strive to try to define those words in such a way that will attract more voters than they repel, and some will be sincere (like President Reagan), and some will be less sincere (like the first President Bush and President Clinton). The...