Posted on 03/27/2006 3:11:32 PM PST by Libloather
Want Tax Reform? Stop Paying Taxes
March 27, 2006
BEGIN TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: Here's my idea. In addition to illegal immigration, many of us in this country are fed up with the federal tax system. We're just fed up with it. But over the years we've been intimidated into obeying. We call on our patriotism tendencies and our desires to do the right thing and so forth, but admit it: We're also scared to death that that's the one thing the federal government will not stop looking for until they find it, and that's every tax cheat in the country. But yet we need reform of this system. We need to reform it.
I mean, the tax code is punitive. Fewer and fewer people are paying federal income taxes, so the opportunity to reform the program is soon to vanish because once the minority is the one paying taxes and the majority of people are not paying federal income taxes, you have no hope for reform. So how do we do it? Well, we've tried any number of ways. We've proposed legislation. We have had books written. We have had speeches given. We have had pamphlets printed. Nothing works, and the reason is that members of Congress are just not going to give up the single greatest power they have, and that's social architecture that they can engage in with the tax code.
So, since Senator Specter and since Senator McCain and all the supporters of this amnesty program say, "Well, 12 million, 11 million? We can't do anything about it! We've got to come up with some way to deal with them already here because we can't deport them." Fine, how about if I we -- and I'm speaking hypothetically, just toying with this idea -- but how about if I, El Rushbo, were to write a tax book, and the idea I have is that we just stop paying taxes. Now, just bear with me on this. Just stop paying 'em. What if 40 or 50 million of us just refused to pay taxes. What are they going to do? (interruption) Well, Mr. Snerdley is yelling that they will get me. I will sacrifice myself for the good of the cause. But if 40 or 50 million -- it's hypothetical -- refuse to pay taxes, what are they going to do? They don't have that many IRS agents; they don't have that much jail space. They might actually build jails for this, though (laughing) and call it the Rush Limbaugh Correctional Facility. They might actually do it. But then what would have to happen because the government obviously needs revenue, we need for our government to perform various basic functions. But it could be a way to change the tax code, because if 40 or 50 million people just said, "The hell with it and dropped out," they'd have to come up with an alternative way of raising the money, and that's how we would get reform. That's how we would get the FairTax, the flat tax, a national sales tax, or whatever it is, one that we couldn't avoid paying because it would arrive every time we spent money.
Now, you say, "Well, Rush, how do you we avoid paying when taxes are withheld?" I understand. I understand that. There are ways around this, but that burden would fall on the shoulders of those who are self-employed and who do not have taxes withheld. It probably would lead to changing a law in five seconds that would require everybody have taxes withheld. (laughing) But my point is if the number of illegals is simply too large to deal with, the number of criminals is simply too large to deal with, and you're not going to have any enforcement mechanism, then all of this is just a bunch of jabberwocky about immigration. It's just designed to placate you and pander to you to make you think that they reeeeeally mean it this time.
It's called retirement.
There will be nothing that tax payers can do about it, except whine, pay their taxes, and SHUT UP (or go to jail).
BUMP
No, but they can seize your assets, sell them off to illegal aliens, garnish your wages above $5.15 an hour, and trash your credit report.
Try holding a good job with a lousy FICO score. Try keeping any job with no transportation, housing, or hope of procuring any.
At that point, what need has the government of imprisoning you?
Does this mean that Rush has gotten on board with the flat tax
Judging from his statement, he is solidly for a consumption tax paid with purchase of goods and services rather than the income tax system hitting individuals as it does today.
"That's how we would get the FairTax, the flat tax, a national sales tax, or whatever it is, one that we couldn't avoid paying because it would arrive every time we spent money.
Though it does not appear as though he has not looked in depth at what a "flat tax" vs true sales taxes are. Flat tax tends to get conflated with sales taxes because of the rhetorical device of calling it an economic "equivalent" to consumption taxes. Functionally the flat tax is still a tax taken from elements of income earned, not when spent as true sales tax is.
What if we stopped paying insurance payments? I know that our combined household insurance (medical, dental, car, life insurance) together is a greater chunck of change than our taxes. Who benefits from health insurance? ILLEGALS because they get free medical. What about public schools if we start home schooling or go into private/charter schools - ILLEGALS get American freebee education because we pay for it! Increasing your payroll deductions will help you pay less in payroll taxes....
I strongly disagree. The IRS would obliterate FR members in the biggest wipe-out since Waco. I'm sure Rush was engaging in satire here, not seriously proposing widespread law-breaking. That is the kind of conduct that empowers government to hang a few folks in order to "focus the minds" of the others.
I've thought for years that would be great! I wonder how many would assign anything to fund the IRS? Not to mention congressional salaries . . . :-D
I've been saying this for years.
Shhhhhhh ... we don't want the illegals and their supporters to oppose the FairTax.
Instead, we should co-opt them to the FairTax cause. How ?
Tell them, "We know hard-working immigrants would like to pay taxes like anybody else, but can't get a SS number to work legally and pay taxes. If you could pay your taxes anonymously through a National Retail Sales Tax, then nobody could complain that you didn't pay your taxes !"
I'd like to see them squirm as they try to weasel out of supporting the FairTax then. Of course, no rebate for them because they have no SS#, but them's the breaks.
The IRS would get hugely over-funded by kiss-assess that wanted to be sure the IRS would go after their neighbor and leave them alone.
If what I read about what the government pays for goods is correct, I owe them 7 toilet seats, 8 cases of toilet paper and 3 cans on air freshener. Where should I send my payment?
Paging Midas Mulligan
.
You may have something there. A few million people working for free for a month. No withholding, no tax revenue. Hmmm...
But... but... we have an obligation to all of those people on welfare who depend on us!!!
LOL!!!
FR has become a powerful voice (Thanks, Jim)--if we're serious about wanting to make a change in the political landscape, I'd suggest we form a third party (the Free Republic Party), or at the very least a unified faction within the Republican Party, with a specific and detailed platform of what we expect of candidates that we endorse and support.
The only way to get the attention of the RP hierarchy is to threaten their base of votes--there are enough FReepers that we could sway virtually every primary if we were to vote together as a block.
It's time to get our platform together; time to get busy on your campaign speeches, Jim! The nation wants a choice!
"You cannot fight a government that can pay jackbooted thugs with fiat money that the average American will accept as legal tender."
Of course you can.
You all hate France, but France is showing you how to do it right now. 10 million of you flat out refuse to pay the law, refuse to shut up, refuse to move on, and if anybody lays a finger on them, all of their friends and relatives get MORE pissed off and come out too.
The government can't imprison even a million people, let alone 10 million, or 50 million.
What Limbaugh said is true: if a massive portion of the population went on a tax strike, and simply refused to pay their taxes - indeed, filled out their W-4 forms to block withholding (in other words, committed "perjury" according to the form), the government would collapse. The federal government of the United States is nowhere near strong enough to be able to handle massive, directed, pointed defiance of its orders. It could not even handle the dislocation from a hurricane.
Also, who will the police obey? Who will the army obey, if there is an order to use VIOLENCE against peaceful citizens.
Limbaugh is right.
The fastest way to bring the government to heel is mass defiance of the tax system.
But Americans are idol worshippers. Their idol is their law. Americans will never break the law, no matter what.
France is showing how the government can be forced to cave in and change laws in a week, with its tail between its legs to boot.
But you're going to keep mocking the French and doing whatever government tells you to do. Because that really is the American way. Unfortunately.
Rush is right here.
One usually goes to a tax preparer because the lawyer scum, infesting government at all levels, have made the tax code so complex for those who may have multiple sources of income, investments, deductions etc. cannot always determine how much they owe.
To tell a person who felt the need to have their taxes prepared that they should have made sure the return was accurate is typical of the out of control government we are under.
I submit that laws have become so complex on so many fronts that ignorance of the law should be an excuse. We know the ruling class won't allow this as they might be held accountable to legislate with some common sense.
An X% Federal Sales tax on everything except food, housing, medical would simplify things immensely and the poor would pay less than the rich simple based upon their lifestyle.
"Try holding a good job with a lousy FICO score. Try keeping any job with no transportation, housing, or hope of procuring any."
Actually, not.
Because the court system cannot process 40 million repossessions, and the bank or IRS do not simply GET your house and car. They have to go through the courts to get it. Fight them there, right now, where it's just bankruptcies, and it takes a year or two. Toss another 40 million cases, and it will take bank and government decades to be able to take ANYTHING.
Of course the tension would not last that long.
Because, as France demonstrates, if millions of people directly defy the government, the government will cave every single time. It has no power if people won't obey it anymore.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.