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It is time for a Revolution
OpinionEditorials.Com ^ | February 07, 2006 | Marty Evans

Posted on 02/11/2006 9:03:09 AM PST by Eaglewatcher

Pork Barrel spending and political corruption are suddenly top topics of the day in Washington power circles and the national media. Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert recently defended pork spending saying “Who knows best where to put a bridge or a highway or a red light in their district”. He makes a very good point. It is intuitive that people in local districts know best where to spend their tax dollars, which raises an obvious question. Why is the United States Senate and House of Representatives involved in deciding these questions at all? Our real problem is that too few people are deciding what to do with too much money.

Why and how money corrupts politics are not particularly daunting questions. George Will nailed it in a recent editorial column. He says, “People serious about reducing the role of money in politics should be serious about reducing the role of politics in distributing money.”

In the present political reality our government, regardless of which party is in power, does not focus on what is right for the people but rather on what is right for the political class and their symbiotic partners the K Street lobbyists. Our money has made them all exceedingly powerful.

Two simple steps would solve this problem. First eliminate the system of seniority in Congress and the Senate. The operating rules of both legislative bodies allow some Senators and Congressmen to have inordinate power and influence over their colleagues. The result, we are no longer governed by good ideas and convincing arguments. We no longer have equal representation in our federal government.

When did you last hear media referring to a Junior Senator or Senior Congressmen? What does it mean to be a senior member of this committee or that? Our elected representatives should be co-equals. There should be no subordinates, no juniors or seniors among them. Their power should be determined by the quality of their arguments and their influence determined by the strength of their ideas. Secondly, and more importantly throw out the current federal tax code and start over with the Fair Tax.

Our federal tax code is a monstrous abomination used by the political class to manipulate and control every facet of our lives. It is the source of the power that corrupts. Everyone, including the poor, the rich, the middle class, corporations, unions, farmers and small businesses owners say the tax code is unfair to them. Unfortunately they are all correct. It is unfair to everyone except the political class.

Neal Boortz, co-author of “The Fair Tax Book” recently said “Passage of the FairTax would constitute the greatest transfer of power from government to the people since the Revolutionary War.” Legislation is pending in both houses of congress to make the Fair Tax the law of the land. Support for this idea comes from both political parties, from the liberal left and from the conservative right. Redistributionist social engineers and laissez faire capitalists have both found comfort in it. Virtually everyone who has taken the time to truly understand The Fair Tax supports it. It is a bold proposal which could succeed in solving our most daunting social, political and economic concerns. Unquestionably the biggest winners with the Fair Tax will be individual Americans, regardless of their socio-economic station, re-empowered to control their own lives.

Perhaps we the people still wield the power. Let’s see! Vote, speak out, contact your representatives and let our elected officials know the status quo is not good enough. Tell them we are ready for revolutionary change one way or the other.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Government
KEYWORDS: 109th; cwii; economy; fair; fairtax; tax
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Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutly.
1 posted on 02/11/2006 9:03:12 AM PST by Eaglewatcher
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To: ancient_geezer; Taxman; pigdog; Principled; EternalVigilance; PhilWill; kevkrom; n-tres-ted; ...

Fair Tax Ping!


2 posted on 02/11/2006 9:07:24 AM PST by Man50D
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To: Eaglewatcher
The result, we are no longer governed by good ideas and convincing arguments. We no longer have equal representation in our federal government.

Accurate statement. And yes, it IS time for a revolution, but no one is listening.

3 posted on 02/11/2006 9:09:19 AM PST by MeneMeneTekelUpharsin (Freedom is the freedom to discipline yourself so others don't have to do it for you.)
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To: Eaglewatcher

The federal government needs to get out of the highway business. Eliminate the federal tax on gasoline and let the states tax it and keep the money for themselves. If this means fewer roads in sparsly populated god forsaken deserts such as wyoming and Nevada, then so be it.


4 posted on 02/11/2006 9:10:08 AM PST by LibertarianCandidate
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To: Eaglewatcher
Unquestionably the biggest winners with the Fair Tax will be individual Americans
The "individual," unlike the business or corporation, would be the only one paying taxes or having to alter their lifestyle to avoid them, so who would be the "biggest winners" again?
5 posted on 02/11/2006 9:18:23 AM PST by lewislynn (Fairtax = lies, hope, wishful thinking and conjecture.)
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To: Eaglewatcher
Revolution bump.

Bring out the guillotines, because voting, speaking out and contacting our representatives ain't gonna cut it.





6 posted on 02/11/2006 9:26:05 AM PST by G.Mason (Duty, Honor, Country)
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To: G.Mason; Eaker; AK2KX; Ancesthntr; archy; backhoe; Badray; t_skoz; Becki; Jack Black; Joe Brower; ..

G. Mason calls it. JB complies with a mandatory CW II bump!


7 posted on 02/11/2006 9:37:52 AM PST by Jack Black
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To: G.Mason
Bring out the guillotines

I thought we all agreed on gallows?!

8 posted on 02/11/2006 9:41:15 AM PST by johnny7 (“Iuventus stultorum magister”)
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To: Eaglewatcher

Hey! Good recommendation for the Fair Tax!


9 posted on 02/11/2006 9:48:30 AM PST by n-tres-ted (Remember November!)
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To: Victoria Delsoul

Ping.


10 posted on 02/11/2006 9:50:07 AM PST by Alberta's Child (Leave a message with the rain . . . you can find me where the wind blows.)
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To: Eaglewatcher; Taxman; pigdog; Principled; EternalVigilance; rwrcpa1; phil_will1; kevkrom; ...
A Taxreform bump for you all.

If anyone would like to be added to this ping list let me know.

John Linder in the House(HR25) & Saxby Chambliss Senate(S25) offer a comprehensive bill to kill all income and SS/Medicare payroll taxes outright and replace them with with a national retail sales tax administered by the states.

H.R.25,S.25
A bill to promote freedom, fairness, and economic opportunity by repealing the income tax and other taxes, abolishing the Internal Revenue Service, and enacting a national retail sales tax to be administered primarily by the States.

Refer for additional information:


11 posted on 02/11/2006 10:08:29 AM PST by ancient_geezer (Don't reform it, Replace it.)
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To: MeneMeneTekelUpharsin

There are well over 600,000 who have subscribed to the FairTax and he number is growing all the time.


12 posted on 02/11/2006 10:18:57 AM PST by pigdog
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To: lewislynn

The individual is the only one paing taxes now, anyway, Looey. businesses merely are forced to collect it and pass it on to Uncle Sugar without getting paid to do so.


13 posted on 02/11/2006 10:20:24 AM PST by pigdog
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To: lewislynn
Who do you think is paying those taxes now?

We can pretend that corporations and businesses pay taxes and don't pass those taxes on to the individual....that would be one stupid business, but hey this is fantasy.

The bureaucrappers love it when we keep running in circles and maintain the status quo...sure, businesses pay taxes.
14 posted on 02/11/2006 10:25:07 AM PST by socialismisinsidious (Liberals are all about choice UNTIL you choose differently than them.)
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To: Eaglewatcher

The unfortunet part is: it'll all blow over shortly and it'll be business as usual....going into debt about $1 billion per day...oh and building giant bridges in areas with tiny populations and no need for them.


15 posted on 02/11/2006 10:27:54 AM PST by jb6 (The Atheist/Pagan mind, a quandary wrapped in egoism and served with a side order of self importance)
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To: Eaglewatcher
Good article. But how realistic is it to expect that the seniority system could be replaced any time soon. The next step would be to look at legislatures that don't give out assignments and chairmanships based on seniority and see what the alternatives are and how well they work.

Doesn't power always come down to tenure in office and party loyalty? Won't the states and districts that are most loyal to one party or the other always demand material rewards?

16 posted on 02/11/2006 10:35:39 AM PST by x
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To: lewislynn
Businesses don't pay any taxes now.

L

17 posted on 02/11/2006 2:33:50 PM PST by Lurker (In God I trust. Everybody else shows me their hands.)
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To: Man50D

me, you, I, we are the most taxed and less services generation in the history of the world.

Liberals since the 60's have acheived their objective to distribute or hard earn money if not to the government but to foreign governments that oppress their own people.

Ben Franklin said a people need to remove thier government every 200 years to be fair. Guess what - its 200 years.


18 posted on 02/11/2006 2:37:45 PM PST by edcoil (Reality doesn't say much - doesn't need too)
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To: Lurker
Businesses don't pay any taxes now.
Then what's all the fuss about them not paying taxes later?
19 posted on 02/11/2006 2:38:17 PM PST by lewislynn (Fairtax = lies, hope, wishful thinking and conjecture.)
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To: lewislynn

Corporations and businesses are merely tax collectors, never payors. Individuals pay every red cent via reduced return on investment, reduced salary and wages or increased prices. The FairTax will simply make it visible to all. The taxes we inflict on business, corporations specifically, are the most destructive and disingenous means by which we raise revenue. For further explanation of incidence, please see:

"Tax Incidence, Tax Burden, and Tax Shifting: Who Really Pay's the Tax?"...for the scholarly explanation.......

Found here: ftp://ftp.iret.org/pub/BLTN-88.PDF

A less scholarly, but nonetheless valid explanation can be found in "A Primer on the Corporate Income Tax: Incidence, Efficiency and Equity Issues"

Found here: http://www.taxfoundation.org/news/show/119.html


20 posted on 02/11/2006 2:38:27 PM PST by Conservative Goddess (Politiae legibus, non leges politiis, adaptandae)
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