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“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...

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I have a little scenario I would like to paint for those of you out there who just insist on finding something wrong with the FairTax. Admittedly, the FairTax isn't perfect. No tax plan is. How, after all, can you come up with a perfect way for a government to take its operating funds from its subjects? If you know an easier and more equitable way to do it, by all means, let me know! I'm going to ask you to crank up your imagination for a moment here ... and by "you," I mean those of you who think...

On Tuesday when I'd usually stay home and make dinner for the family, we all found ourselves heading down to a Barnes and Noble bookstore in Austin for a special event. Well, special for me anyway, maybe not so special for the kids. My wife was late meeting us, so I sent our 14-year-old to the kids' section with her 4-year-old sister and instructions to read her Skippyjon Jones books until further notice. I headed for the middle of the store to hear a presentation and get a brand new copy of Somebody's Gotta Say It signed by the author,...

The fact that the political parties won't acknowledge this is one reason they are doing a disservice to the voting public. ... Politicians talk this way because they generally talk about only one tax: the federal income tax, which offers graduated rates from 10% to 35%. Politicians rarely talk about what real people experience: the true maze of taxes and government benefits. If someone put them all together, we could see what our actual tax burden was. We could see who pays at the highest or lowest rates. Discussions of tax policy wouldn't be a waste of time. Well, two...

FairTax Momentum Builds on Capitol Hill With so much happening on Capitol Hill during the change from Republican to Democrat control, I have not had an opportunity to update you on the status of the FairTax. I have heard from many of you who fear that the change in power on Capitol Hill has doomed the FairTax, but I am writing to tell you that nothing could be further from the truth. A decisive election like the one last November has an uncanny way of focusing politicians on the real reasons that their constituents sent them to Washington . Given...

NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas, Dec. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Governor Rick Perry has been named Texan of the Year by the Texas Legislative Conference, according to conference Advisory Committee chair Robert Howden. Perry will be presented the award on Friday, March 23, at the conclusion of the 41st event. He will be joining an array of prominent past honorees since 1974 that includes First Lady Laura Bush, President George W. Bush, Barbara Jordan and Lloyd Bentsen. The Texas Legislative Conference is a non-partisan organization of Texas business and political leaders who meet annually in New Braunfels to focus on public policy issues....

Cut Corporate Taxes to Boost Wages? To boost future wage growth, Democrats have suggested raising the minimum wage, making college more affordable, and tweaking the tax code to try to prevent U.S. companies from moving jobs overseas. Here's another idea, one it seems that only the GOP could love–but it was actually adopted by Spain's Socialist Party-led government earlier this year, Germany's Social Democrats in 2000, and Britain's Labor Party in 1999: Cut corporate income taxes. The combined top federal, state, and local corporate tax rate in the United States is 39.3 percent, the second highest (after Japan) among the...

... Democrats in Congress are saying they now want to address the "wealth gap" even as they deplore and want to eliminate the Alternative Minimum Tax, or AMT. It was a previous crusade against the wealthy that created the AMT. Haven't we learned anything about the perils of tax policy rooted in political envy? ...The latest data indicate that the eight states with the highest percentage of tax filers subject to the AMT all voted heavily Democratic in 2004 and 2006 -- including Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey and Rhode Island. Those voters are now screaming for relief, and the question...

WASHINGTON -- Millions of entrepreneurs, teachers and parents with kids in college have a financial stake in whether Congress, in the dying hours of Republican rule, revives tax breaks that expired 11 months ago. If Congress fails to act, teachers no longer will be able to deduct up to $250 for the books and supplies they pay for out of their own pocket. Residents of Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and Wyoming -- each without an income tax -- will miss out on an average $1,500 deduction for state and local sales taxes. Lawmakers have tried all year...

Democrats have long attacked President Bush for the historic tax cuts he ushered through Congress during his first term and have promised to reverse at least some of them. But among their top priorities when they take over Congress next month is passing a permanent tax cut of their own. Included in their "Six for '06" platform that they say helped them win majorities in the House and Senate, Democrats promised to: "Make college tuition deductible from taxes, permanently." Their tax cut promise is neither an election-year gimmick, Democrats say, nor a reversal in their long-standing opposition to Mr. Bush's...

The Best Looking Tax Plan Around! Attack Taxes with the Fairtax Rap

11/26/2006 Redistribution and work By William C. Whitbeck     Some time ago, Robert Herbert, a writer for The New York Times, authored a column in which he savagely criticized the tax cuts that President Bush had proposed and that the Congress had enacted. They were regressive, he said, designed to increase inequality in this country and the effect would be to send a "boatload of money to the rich."     That last phrase has stuck with me. I have often wondered how Herbert, an obviously intelligent individual, could have reached the extraordinary conclusion that reducing taxes "sends" money to anyone. Clearly,...

With the outcome of the current elections, Americans should pay special attention at the direction this country will now face. Many issues we have dealt with in the past will now come under new scrutiny, as the balance of power shifts. Unfortunately, one issue that affects us has not been dealt with adequately by either of the major parties. Both have their own ideas concerning our tax money, but little effort has been made to change the system used to collect taxes. The promise of tax cuts is a very effective means to gain votes. A proposed bill, The Fair...

A USA Today headline said, "Democratic House Means Changes in Tax Agenda." If so, such changes will be small and subtle. Congressional Democrats might want to reverse the tax cuts of 2003 but know they can't override a presidential veto. There is no point in appearing eager to raise taxes before the next presidential election, since that would just make it easier to lose in 2008. Most tax cuts expire in 2010 anyway, so all the pro-tax Democrats need do is lay low, not show their hand and stall for time.

WASHINGTON -- Renewing expired tax breaks for businesses and college tuition is the Democrats' top tax priority in the wake of their election victory this week. Next up, increasing and simplifying tax breaks for college and fixing the alternative minimum tax that threatens millions of middle-income families with higher taxes. Oil companies, watch your back. Some of your tax breaks are on the chopping block. The measures are a sharp contrast to Republicans' warnings to voters before the election that Democrats were eager to raise taxes on wages, married couples and investments. "If the Democrats take the House, your taxes...