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To: Texas Federalist
"Unfortunately, that is also a reason why the tax may not gain support in Congress."

I understand your concern. However, you forget one thing - these guys work for US. When enough Americans understand the benefits and demand it from their legislators, it will pass. I will share two experiences to support my point.

When Bill Clinton was President, congress passed welfare reform bills 3 times. The first two times, he vetoed them. The 3rd time, he signed it. What was the difference? Glad you asked. The 3rd time his pollsters told him the American people were solidly behind welfare reform and that if he continued to veto that legislation and came to be viewed as obstructing it, he would pay a political price for it. Lo and behold, a welfare reform champion was born! He even listed welfare reform as one of his administration's accomplishments during his later State of the Union addresses.

Here in Georgia, we are seeing the issue affect campaigns. Why the difference between Georgia and the other states? Glad you asked. Because Rep. John Linder and Neal Boortz have been educating about the issue for some time now. Georgians are more familiar with the proposal than any other group in the nation and are therefore more supportive. The one thing that we have found is that the more you know about the proposal, the more you support it. That is, unless you have a vested interest in perpetuating the current system because some of the billions we spend in compliance costs go into your pocket.

Anything you want to tell us about how you earn your living, Willie Green?
47 posted on 02/11/2004 1:43:44 PM PST by phil_will1
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To: phil_will1
"It is a signal advantage of taxes on articles of consumption, that they contain in their own nature a security against excess. They prescribe their own limit; which cannot be exceeded without defeating the end proposed, that is, an extension of the revenue.

-Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist Papers

This "limit" that Hamilton talks about is well below 28%. I am wholeheartedly for reform, but can you point to any examples where a sales tax as high as 28% was ever successful? I think the FairTax needs to be about 10% or 12% if it is to work. Therefore, there is an intermediate step. Before we institute a 12% sales tax we have a lot of spending to cut.

49 posted on 02/11/2004 1:52:37 PM PST by Texas Federalist
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To: phil_will1
Anything you want to tell us about how you earn your living, Willie Green?

I can't think of anything that's any of your goddam business.

52 posted on 02/11/2004 2:00:54 PM PST by Willie Green (Go Pat Go!!!)
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