[kevkrom]

Unfortunately, you're just wrong. My dollar bills get taxed when earned and again when spent. Your dollar bills get taxed only when spent. No way is that fair.

And your dollar bills, under the current system, are taxed both when earned and spent. No difference to you. You are not harmed in any way by the transition.

But to be against such fundamental reform that doesn't hurt you because someone else might do better off than you is a lousy attitude.

And your hypothetical is a bad example, no matter how much you're trying to simplify. It points out the worst possible case. And even in those conditions, the NRST still works out OK for you -- just because it works out better for others doesn't make it less fair or right. You have the same opportunity as anyone else under the new system -- take that lump of cash and invest it to see tax-free growth. Then you too will have new dollar bills that are untaxed when earned.

[labard1]

Under the current system there is NO FEDERAL SALES TAX, so my income is taxed by the Feds when earned but NOT when spent. Don't try to convince me that I'm not harmed by the new system in my hypothetical.

My hypothetical was not my personal facts, but INTENDED to be the worst case. There are many retired folks who are close to those facts, and those folks vote.

My own personal view is that a federal sales tax (to replace ALL income and payroll taxes) is not a bad idea if the transition problems are dealt with in a sensible way. But I assure you that retirees whose facts approach my hypothetical will be up in arms, and if you don't have any better answer than to denounce their "lousy attitude" you can't sell your idea.