What is to prevent politicians from putting a $5 tax (or 250%) on food items? Once they are given a green light to hide taxes on consumer items, expect the taxes to spiral up without limit, while politicians grandstand about “big baby food” and abandon any pretense of controlling government spending.
Everything I have said is based on political behavior that we already witness. Handing the politicians a blank check in the form of sales or VAT taxes—which *will* be hidden, since they do not want people to know how much they really pay in taxes—is a recipe for disaster and uncontrolled growth of government.
Instead of insulting me, how about explaining how my logic is flawed, and why I am wrong about my assessment of politicians. Also explain why an across the board flat tax is inferior to other methods of collecting taxes, and how that would *not* give poor people a reason to care about government growth.
You can “hide” a 5$ tax on bread. LOL.
It’s also not a given that the VAT would be uniformly applied. Suppose they target the VAT, maybe 200% on firearms (to punish red state people) and 2% on Nike sneakers (for their ‘friends’).
VATs can give LOTS OF POWER to people who we really don’t want having that power.