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The FairTax Promotes Economic Equality by Thomas Davis
InsideVandy.com ^ | 13 January 2008 | Thomas Davis

Posted on 01/14/2008 6:51:54 AM PST by K-oneTexas

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To: cake_crumb

Yes, but I can clearly see what the income tax is doing already. Tell me then, why do you support the income tax? What are its advantages?


21 posted on 01/14/2008 7:28:39 AM PST by In veno, veritas
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To: In veno, veritas; cake_crumb; camle
Now, that's a fascinating statement. ''Prices stable''? Where've you been since 2002?

We are in the greatest period of commodity price inflation (2002-2007) since the Civil War, far worse than the Vietnam-price control-oil shock inflation of the 1970s. Just look at the board, sheesh.

Prices stable? That's the howler of the year.

22 posted on 01/14/2008 7:29:49 AM PST by SAJ
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To: In veno, veritas
Right. The Regress are SO scrupulous and dedicated to Constitutional procedure that they'll gin up a special omnibus bill just for your pet scheme.

Gonna happen. Sure. About 10 days after the Stanley Cup finals are played in hell.

23 posted on 01/14/2008 7:33:26 AM PST by SAJ
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To: SAJ

Once again, your argument does not follow. What do current price fluctuations have anything to do with a policy that is not in force yet?


24 posted on 01/14/2008 7:33:41 AM PST by In veno, veritas
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To: K-oneTexas
When you purchase a speculative investment, is it taxed at 23% at the time of the investment? If so, this would kill investing of any kind.
25 posted on 01/14/2008 7:34:35 AM PST by LeGrande
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To: SAJ

If they didn’t, you’d probably see a backlash just like we saw with the amnesty bill.


26 posted on 01/14/2008 7:34:51 AM PST by In veno, veritas
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To: In veno, veritas
Does not follow? It follows linearly from your statement.

You, not I, asserted price stability, presumptively as a bulwark for your scheme. I merely pointed out that prices aren't anywhere near stable at this time, and therefore that that feature of your argument was plain rubbish.

You, sir, are the one who mentioned price stability as being advantageous in this discussion, not I.

27 posted on 01/14/2008 7:45:02 AM PST by SAJ
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To: In veno, veritas

I really doubt that prices will be anywhere near stable. suppliers will still charge as much as they can, and the sudden ‘decrease’ in their costs will not be entirely passed on, plus the government will get at least as much as they’re getting now. that means the item costs more.

I’m gonna retire with a very fat pension and will not be affected much if things I buy go up in price. if you want to shoot yourself in the economic foot, then go right ahead.

without a guarantee that the income tax will be eliminated (ANd I seriously doubt it ever will - constitutional ammendment and all) this proposal will give big government another pocket to pick. we’ll end up paying more.

kinda like chickens putting their necks willingly onthe block hoping the farmer will reward their act of consideration.


28 posted on 01/14/2008 7:46:59 AM PST by camle (keep an open mind and someone will fill it full of something for you)
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To: K-oneTexas

Another problem with the fairtax. We all get a “prebate”, to cover the costs of necessities. But we get that whether we buy necessities or not.

So a poor person has just recieved their big prebate check. Now they see that all the food they buy costs 30% more. (23% of 100=23 bucks, which means core price was 77 bucks; 23 bucks added onto 77 bucks is about 30%).

Sure, they have the extra money to pay for the food, but they will still have a great incentive NOT to buy as much food, and to spend the money elsewhere. IN fact, they could well run off and spend it on a big screen TV, because it’s a windfall they weren’t expecting.

So now we’d have a fight to provide the cost of the extra tax in the food stamp program, so that poor people would again have enough money to purchase food for their family.

So would we get rid of the prebate for people on food stamps, and add it into the food stamp program? How complicated will that be?


29 posted on 01/14/2008 7:52:48 AM PST by CharlesWayneCT
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To: In veno, veritas
The populace, generally, understand the notion of amnesty and the results that will obtain therefrom.

The populace, equally generally, do not understand tax arithmetic (unsurprisingly, since it's so deliberately obscure in many cases). Case in point is the famous ''23% figure that the 'fair' taxers throw about. For over 200 years of the Republic, sales taxes have been computed at retail as what you lot call an 'exclusive' tax.

Now, you lot want to spout an 'inclusive' rate, the better to deceive by using a lower figure, instead of the accurate (and traditionally calculated) 29.87% rate. You are attempting, effectively, to substitute the calculation of 'markup' (i.e. based on final sales price) for the calculation of 'profit'' (i.e. based on cost of goods) .

And this is completely dishonest. As are the 'fair' taxers.

30 posted on 01/14/2008 7:54:43 AM PST by SAJ
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To: camle
"suppliers will still charge as much as they can, and the sudden ‘decrease’ in their costs will not be entirely passed on, plus the government will get at least as much as they’re getting now. that means the item costs more."

If you really believe this than you are no conservative, or at least have no faith in the free market. Or at least you'd have to stipulate why there is suddenly no competition. If you could argue that, then I may agree with you, but I'd have to switch parties.

As I said before, if they don't put the fair tax and elimination of the income tax in the same bill, we would see an uprising like that of the amnesty bill. (Really, probably worse.) Although we are shooting ourselves in the foot, economically speaking, with a whole host of other things currently, this isn't one of them.

31 posted on 01/14/2008 7:55:28 AM PST by In veno, veritas
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To: SAJ
No it doesn’t because it is two completely different things going on. One is policy in place by the FED causing current price instability, another is a theoretical policy not in place yet which, ceteras paribus, wouldn’t affect prices much. P.S., look up “ceteras paribus,” it’s often assumed in economic debate.
32 posted on 01/14/2008 8:00:30 AM PST by In veno, veritas
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To: SAJ
It is perfectly honest in different circumstances, especially when you start with an initial price fall and raising it back up.

Irregardless, why do you like the current tax system so much?

33 posted on 01/14/2008 8:03:02 AM PST by In veno, veritas
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To: Always Right
Very well said! Thank you.

You'll note, also, that the 'fair' taxers will be able to perform (and doubtless will perform) another bit of sleight-of-hand when it comes to wage contracts that are tied to CPI. Not to mention also purchasing contracts that are tied to one or another industry index.

If ever there were a more powerful inflation accelerant than the 'fair' tax (barring of course price controls), I'm unable to name it.

34 posted on 01/14/2008 8:03:47 AM PST by SAJ
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To: K-oneTexas

Good introduction to the FairTax for college students. There’s already a lot of FUD on this thread, but momentum is growing. I do wish a better candidate than Huckabee would pick up the idea, but it’ll come sooner or later.


35 posted on 01/14/2008 8:04:07 AM PST by Turbopilot (iumop ap!sdn w,I 'aw dlaH)
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To: In veno, veritas
Oh drats, I knew I should have checked ceteris instead of just trusting the spell check.
36 posted on 01/14/2008 8:04:52 AM PST by In veno, veritas
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To: SAJ
If ever there were a more powerful inflation accelerant than the 'fair' tax

I don't mean to pick on you, specifically, because you're far from the only person who's made such a comment, but I sure do get tired of hearing people describe the FairTax as "inflationary" on a conservative web site.

37 posted on 01/14/2008 8:09:37 AM PST by Turbopilot (iumop ap!sdn w,I 'aw dlaH)
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To: camle

The “neurtral” claim of the Fair Tax Scam is founded on the notion that the US citizenry is taxed at the right amount. We are taxed to much, NOT just incorrectly.

The Fair Tax Scam is just a newer more invasive way to put washington DC further into our personal lives. (do you have your reciepts to prove you bought used? Why buy in the USA, just order from outside the USA.)

This is titanic deck chair rearranging instead of real LOWER TAXES reform.


38 posted on 01/14/2008 8:11:40 AM PST by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: K-oneTexas

It only promotes “economic equality” AFTER the sixteenth amendment has been repealed. Until then, it’s just another tax increase.


39 posted on 01/14/2008 8:12:50 AM PST by Poser (Willing to fight for oil)
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To: Turbopilot

hunter supports this idiocy. He is still surging to 1%.

A college student that can’t see throught this Fair Tax socialist BS, deserves to be a marxist.


40 posted on 01/14/2008 8:13:35 AM PST by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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