Posted on 05/05/2006 1:35:32 PM PDT by RobFromGa
In my letter to Rep. Linder and Mr. Boortz of August 24, 2005, I pointed out a number of what I called “serious misrepresentations” of the Fair Tax plan contained in “The FairTax Book”. I specifically named many of these by page #.
Now that the revised second issue is out, let’s see what they did to these passages in the book:
First edition page 55, you go on to explain that these embedded taxes are “in addition to the money taken out of your check in income and payroll taxes.”
Second edition- this line was eliminated. This means that they are acknowledging that the 22% embedded taxes INCLUDE the income and payroll taxes which was one of my points all along.
First edition page 59, “Once the FairTax takes effect, you’ll be receiving 100 percent of every paycheck, with no withholding of federal income taxes, Social security taxes, or Medicare taxes and you’ll be paying just about the same price for T-shirts and other consumer goods and services that you were paying before the FairTax.”
Second edition- “Once the FairTax takes effect, you’ll be in complete control of your paycheck as nothing will be withheld and your purchasing power for t-shirts and all other goods and services will be almost exactly what it was before the FairTax.”
This means that they are acknowledging that “purchasing power” will remain the same, not a big increase in purchasing power as they previously asserted with their larger paychecks/same prices verbiage. They eliminated the “100% of paycheck” wording.
First edition page 83: “Remember that the poor, along with everyone else—will no longer have Social Security taxes or Medicare taxes removed from their paychecks. Whatever they earn, they get on payday. For most of those we categorize as poor, this would mean an immediate 25 to 30 percent increase in their take-home pay.”
Second edition- “Remember that the poor, along with everyone else—will no longer have Social Security taxes or Medicare taxes removed from their paychecks. Whatever they earn, they get on payday. If employers leave this money in paychecks instead of taking it out of price, most of those we categorize as poor, this would mean an immediate 25 to 30 percent increase in their take-home pay.”
Of course, this acknowledges that the employer has a choice to make—to pay the worker his current paycheck and not reduce prices (meaning prices with FairTax added go up 30%) or to cut paychecks to present takehome levels. They cannot both give workers more takehome pay and reduce prices. The Free Lunch described in the first edition is eliminated.
First edition, page 84, you make it clear though that even though the workers will keep all of their paychecks for a big raise, you still believe that because of “the disappearance of the embedded taxes, the total price paid for consumer goods will remain very nearly the same”.
Second edition—“when you factor in the combined lower prices/higher takehome pay caused by the disappearance of the embedded taxes” prices will remain about the same.
This again acknowledges that they money currently deducted as taxes can either be used to increase take-home pay or reduce prices but not both at the same time. If they were being more honest here, they would have referred to purchasing power remaining the same rather than prices, but they are trying to put the best possible spin on this major admission.
First edition page 111, you tie it all together with a Quick Review in which you erroneously assert that “Here’s what happens when we pass and implement the FairTax plan:
“We start collecting 100 percent of our earnings on our paycheck.
“We all get virtual raises, since payroll taxes are no longer siphoned from our checks.
“The prices of consumer goods and services remain essentially the same, with the removal of the embedded taxes compensating for the added consumption tax.”
Second edition:
“We start controlling our earnings in every paycheck” (whatever that means)
“100% earnings” line is eliminated from the second edition. "virtual raises" is likewise eliminated.
“Our purchasing power for buying consumer goods and services remains essentially the same, with the removal of the embedded taxes compensating for the added consumption tax.”
This is a MAJOR difference in the Quick Review! In the first edition, they promised larger paychecks and prices remianign the same—which means a major increase in purchasing power. Of course this was a ridiculous promise. In the second edition, they say our purchasing power will be about the same.
They still left a lot of wrong and misleading verbiage throughout the book, but they addressed most of the concerns that I sent to them and removed those claims in the second book.
And the item in this case was taxed by the income tax. The sales tax is only one means of collecting tax - the income tax is another (or did you not know that, perhaps) ... and there are even others.
You are the one being a punk and displaying your ineptitude to boot if you can't see the error that plainly exists in post #410. I don't THINK there is an error; I KNOW there is and it's on display to anyone who can read the post.
It's there all right. If you'd hone your reading skills perhaps you might even see it (but then again ...).
I couldn't care less if you're all too intellectually lazy to find your own errors. That really fits with your posts about the FairTax.
You're hardly in a position to grade such a comment (let alone with such an erroneous mark) unless you have read the book in question which you obviously have not.
Yup. Fits you and your ilk to a tee.
You are the one being a punk and displaying your ineptitude to boot if you can't see the error that plainly exists in post #410. I don't THINK there is an error; I KNOW there is and it's on display to anyone who can read the post.Grow up.
You Squirrels are all full of beans it seems ...
Can't think up your own comments.
It's totally amazing - actually almost beyond belief - that you SQL Squadron members who can spot the slightest imperfection (or even imputed slightest imperfection) in things FairTax cannot spot a clearly-visible error one of your own puts "out there" and then claims there is no error (as you do).
Guess you're afraid of eating your own, eh? Or maybe it's just plain old ignorance after all.
It's totally amazing - actually almost beyond belief - that you SQL Squadron members who can spot the slightest imperfection (or even imputed slightest imperfection) in things FairTax cannot spot a clearly-visible error one of your own puts "out there" and then claims there is no error (as you do).There is no error. You won't tell us because it doesn't exist. You are a liar (and an immature one at that).
Please explain how, smoke blower.
That should read "outed again" rather than simply "outed".
That should read "outed again" rather than simply "outed".Have you ever encountered a more despicable FReeper than pigdog? He brings absolutely nothing to any discussion he participates in. He's a waste of bandwidth.
:oP
"There is no error."
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Are you ever dense. You keep repeating the lie that there is no error when clearly there is. I've told you that several times and you KNOW I don't lie even though you may not agree with everything I say and IF I make a mistake I admit it.
If I really thought you'd TRIED to find it I might take pity on your ignorance and tell you which line it's in, but it's so much fun to keep hearing you say things like the lead-in sentence and then call ME a liar.
Keep it up, Nightie!!
#474 can be used for you as well, mojo.
Why not try to find the error (no matter how much it may strain your brain since it's in plain sight).
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Are you ever dense. You keep repeating the lie that there is no error when clearly there is. I've told you that several times and you KNOW I don't lie even though you may not agree with everything I say and IF I make a mistake I admit it. If I really thought you'd TRIED to find it I might take pity on your ignorance and tell you which line it's in, but it's so much fun to keep hearing you say things like the lead-in sentence and then call ME a liar.The lie continues....
:o)
Why not try to find the error (no matter how much it may strain your brain since it's in plain sight)."I've gotta secret! NA NA NA NA NAAAAA!"
I've never seen a "fair" taxer who wasn't rich in errors and falsehoods.
You guys are apparently either blind or stupid - you get to choose which.
It's reallyu amazing you haven't spotted it. That really says a lot for your "work" opposing the FairTax.
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