Congress can, will and must reform the entitlements at some point, the only question is when. I'd prefer to use the fiscal reform energy available now to resolve the problem sooner rather than later. The fact that it such a larger and growing part of our budget is the reason it needs to be addressed in order to have any real effect.
And the FairTax makes the entitlement reform problem that much worse by adding an even larger entitlement program called the prebate, which are just a socialist welfare payment to every man, woman and child in America. There is no doubt that this "prebate" entitlement would be manipulated to buy votes.
And it severs the link between working and paying SocSec taxes, making Social Security an even larger program and more inclusive program most likely.
The employee will never see the amount he is paying deducted from each and every paycheck and the employer will nolonger be writing checks to the federal government for payroll taxes. What was once visible becomes hidden.
With prices remaining about the same as they are now and increased purchasing power for all, according to the FairTaxers, who will care?
"Congress can, will and must reform the entitlements at some point, the only question is when. I'd prefer to use the fiscal reform energy available now to resolve the problem sooner rather than later. The fact that it such a larger and growing part of our budget is the reason it needs to be addressed in order to have any real effect.And the FairTax makes the entitlement reform problem that much worse by adding an even larger entitlement program called the prebate, which are just a socialist welfare payment to every man, woman and child in America. There is no doubt that this "prebate" entitlement would be manipulated to buy votes.
And it severs the link between working and paying SocSec taxes, making Social Security an even larger program and more inclusive program most likely."
It's hard to understand what you might think you see as "fiscal reform energy" presently. I certainly see little or none so I see nothing to take advantage of to solve the problem(s). Your comments about the prebate being an entitlement do not ring true, either, since it is a rebate which by definition is "... a return of a part of a payment ..." (Merriam Webster Online) and not an entitlement (which has a different meaning). As to being "manipulated to buy votes", that is not a reasonable statement unless you mean manipulated downward in rate which most would certainly agree with. Any other manipulation attempt would result in affecting all or most (if exceptions were attempted to be introduced) taxpayers by raising their tax rate.
And certainly it is not having the FairTax funding of S/S & M/C that the program sizes but the fact that we, as voters, have allowed this sort of nonsense - and no doubt will continue to do so under a tax system that makes many think that everyone is paying the tab for them. Keep in mind that M/C which is the faster growing of the two is funded only by a wage base which certainly is not "fair" to those on wages since every they have illnesses. It's not the source of the funding (the FairTax) that makes the two entitlements larger, but the source of the spending decisions - Congress enabled and allowed by you, me, and our fellow taxpayers.