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FAIR TAX BOOK PLUMMETS 200% TO #14 IN THIRD WEEK
self | May 27, 2006 | RobFromGa

Posted on 05/27/2006 5:12:45 AM PDT by RobFromGa

FAIRTAX BOOK PLUNGES 200% IN THIRD WEEK ON CHART

In an unprecedented plunge, the second edition of "The FairTax Book", co-authored by Atlanta radio motor-mouth Neal Boortz and Congressman John Linder, plunged 200% (inclusive) in its third week on the NYT Non-fiction paperback bestseller list from #7 to #14, following a precipitous 233% drop last week from #3 to #7.

The Boortz book was beaten handily by a book about the fascinating and always popular topic of punctuation. EATS, SHOOTS & LEAVES, by Lynne Truss. (Gotham, $11.), which moved ahead of "The FairTax Book", recounts the gripping story of an Englishwoman as she expounds on the use and misuse of punctuation marks.

The FairTax Boook, which is controversially listed on the Non-Fiction list, in spite of the many fictional elements of the story, debuted at a respectable #3 after a huge marketing campaign. This campaign included incessant flogging of the book on Boortz's popular radio talk show, as well as exortations to buy multiple copies and use them as gifts or firestarters.

Boortz, in a fit of stupidity rarely seen in this present age where facts can be easily checked on the Internet, continues to claim that the book had "the highest paperback debut in over forty years", even though this is demonstrably false from even a cursory study at the NYT archives.

For example, "Night" debuted at #1 just this year, on Feb 5, 2006.

"Million Little Pieces" debuted at #1 on NYT Non-Fiction Paperback list on October 9, 2005, just last year.

Another obvious example is The 9/11 Commission Report, which came out less than two years ago in 2004, and debuted at #1. There are many other such examples and these are all #1 debuts. The Boortz book only opened at #3. Claims of the highest debut in over forty years are laughable, and point to a possible Algore-like pyschological condition on the part of the belligerent talk-show host.

Even though an alert listener named Rob tried to tell Boortz on-the-air that his claim of the "highest paperback debut in over forty years" was an obvious error, the juvenile talk-show host berated the caller, and wouldn't let him get a word in edge-wise, and then pulled the plug on the call declaring victory in an on-air display of pigheadedness.

Notably, Boortz never had anyone recheck his claims which are still on his website to this day.

It is expected that "The FairTax Book" will continue to plummet on the charts in the weeks ahead, and Boortz listeners will be able to go back to their regular routine of being told that they shouldn't be proud of their children if they are being educated in government schools, and that they graduation of their little Johnny or Suzie from such a school is really not an achievement at all, but should be viewed as an embarrassment.


TOPICS: Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: boortz; fairtax; linder
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To: RobFromGa
The basic idea is that if I am making a pizza and I save 10% on my pepperoni, and 10% on my cheese, and 10% on my flour, and 10% on my labor, and 10% on my rent-- I have not saved 50% of my costs. I have reduced my costs by AT MOST 10% in this example.

Everything you say is correct - and the 10% savings will be allocated to lower prices, higher wages, or improved ROI according to competitiveness.

This pizza example is only one level of production. It's the savings from previous steps you ignore. Do you deny the existence of savings in previous steps of production?

101 posted on 05/27/2006 8:55:00 AM PDT by Principled
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To: Principled
I remember when lewislynn was saying this in 1998.
Never said it. Which proves you can't keep your thoughts straight.

You and pigdog must be in the same Scientology level. What do they call the highest Scientology level for lying anyway?...Research director?

102 posted on 05/27/2006 8:58:09 AM PDT by lewislynn (Fairtax = lies, hope, wishful thinking, conjecture and lack of logic)
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To: RobFromGa
I issued a correction for those who could not understand the tongue-in-cheek nature of the percentage calculations.

Everyone understood the tongue-in-cheek nature - it's that the percentages were calculated wrong in order to make your position seem stronger. That's what you always accuse others of.

103 posted on 05/27/2006 8:59:49 AM PDT by Principled
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To: Principled
No the savings will exist in every stage, and percolate through to the next stage as a percentage of their cost at the next stage. If we assume that labor savings are 7% due to the elimination of Employer-half SS/M and we start at the lowest level and determine that the best case savings for a company that is all labor is 9%, then that is the most savings that we will see on any component of cost.

If you have ten components of cost and the most that any of them are reduced is 10%, then you are going to have less than a 10% reduction in your total cost.

To argue against this, you would need to come up with a hypothetical company that can save more 22-23% at ANY level of production, without assuming inputs that are dropping by unrealistic amounts.

104 posted on 05/27/2006 9:04:52 AM PDT by RobFromGa (The FairTax cult is like Scientology, but without the movie stars)
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To: mjolnir
...there's nothing about the flat tax that demands in principle that those inane taxes be kept...

All the flat tax bills include both the EE and ER portions of payroll tax and business income taxes. If one is proposed without them, I'd be in favor.

... just as there's nothing about a national sales tax that demands in principle the income tax be eliminated.

Section 101-102:

SEC. 101. INCOME TAXES REPEALED.
SEC. 102. PAYROLL TAXES REPEALED.

THere is no other nrst bill.

Enter "HR 25" without quotes.

105 posted on 05/27/2006 9:06:50 AM PDT by Principled
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To: Principled
it's that the percentages were calculated wrong in order to make your position seem stronger. That's what you always accuse others of.

Very good, you have solved "The DaBoortzi Code"

106 posted on 05/27/2006 9:07:08 AM PDT by RobFromGa (The FairTax cult is like Scientology, but without the movie stars)
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To: RobFromGa

Rob

For now I'm not going to disagree with your arguement that the savings in cost are not as high as "they" say.

I am still a big fan of the Fair Tax for several reasons.

#1. It reduces the legislatures ability and power to manipulate society.

#2. All of a sudden America becomes a big tax haven for business- as your great Friend NealB would say, all of a sudden Daimler/Chrysler becomes Chrysler/Daimler. It seems to me that this would drastically boost the economy.

#3. We will be suddenly gaining revenues from illegal immigrants, foreign tourists and diplomats, and all those drugs dealers buying 20 inch rims for their H2's and 300's.(a lot of money from folks who don't pay any taxes now) Will there be black markets? Yes but we'll have a whole bunch of former IRS agents looking for work who can go to work for Treasury chasing these down. It seems to me that enforcement would be a lot easier with Fair Tax than with any form of our current tax system.


107 posted on 05/27/2006 9:07:17 AM PDT by heckler (wiskey for my men, beer for my horses, rifles for sister sarah)
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To: Tennessean4Bush
It is sarcasm. He is trying to make a point that Boortz's math is as suspect as his.
It's not Boortz's math, Boortz is the profiting messenger for the Fairtax math.
108 posted on 05/27/2006 9:11:46 AM PDT by lewislynn (Fairtax = lies, hope, wishful thinking, conjecture and lack of logic)
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To: SittinYonder
which school do you teach at?
If you went to private school you need a refund for your grammar lessons.
109 posted on 05/27/2006 9:14:16 AM PDT by lewislynn (Fairtax = lies, hope, wishful thinking, conjecture and lack of logic)
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To: heckler
#1. It reduces the legislatures ability and power to manipulate society.

Execpt for the future maniuplation of the prebate, the inclusion/exclusion of certain items from the tax for political reasons, and the raising of lowering of the FairTax rate, and the possible addition of an income tax at a later date as an extra tax, you might be right.

All of a sudden America becomes a big tax haven for business

This analysis is based on the same faulty analysis that told us "Keep 100% of your paycheck, prices will stay the same, and we'll send you a happy check every month". I don't trust it or believe it.

#3. We will be suddenly gaining revenues from illegal immigrants, foreign tourists and diplomats, and all those drugs dealers buying 20 inch rims for their H2's and 300's.(a lot of money from folks who don't pay any taxes now)

That's another mis-represntation, these people are paying the 22-23% embedded costs of our present tax system with every single legal purchase they make now. They are also employing Americans when they buy our stuff which enables Americans to buy more stuff.

We will still not be collecting taxes on their illegal activities just like now.

Listen, I wish it were true too-- it just isn't.

110 posted on 05/27/2006 9:22:15 AM PDT by RobFromGa (The FairTax cult is like Scientology, but without the movie stars)
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To: Principled

... just as there's nothing about a national sales tax that demands in principle the income tax be eliminated. All the flat tax bills include both the EE and ER portions of payroll tax and business income taxes. If one is proposed without them, I'd be in favor.

Section 101-102:

SEC. 101. INCOME TAXES REPEALED.

SEC. 102. PAYROLL TAXES REPEALED.

THere is no other nrst bill.

I understand that, but tying together the repeal of the income tax with the introduction of the fair tax in the original bill doesn't tie them together in principle brings them no closer together actual in practice because even if we put aside the problem of getting the states to ratify repeal of the 16th amendment, there would be no gurantee 101 and 102 would get through commitee.

Did you read the link to the Hoover Institue article? What did you think of his proposal? I'd like to see the U.S> do what Hong Kong does and institute a voluntary flat tax, so that people can choose the mammoth tax code with all its deductions and complexities or the proverbial simple post card.

111 posted on 05/27/2006 9:24:26 AM PDT by mjolnir ("All great change in America begins at the dinner table.")
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To: RobFromGa
If you have ten components of cost and the most that any of them are reduced is 10%, then you are going to have less than a 10% reduction in your total cost.

This does not model the nrst. It's not what we're talking about. In the nrst, each stage affects the future stage and so on.

112 posted on 05/27/2006 9:33:00 AM PDT by Principled
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To: Principled

I am talking about the way that a business operates, it does not change due to the nrst, because the nrst does not tax businesses in any way, until the final sale is made.

Perhaps you are confused with a VAT, or ? Actually, I have no idea what you are talking about.


113 posted on 05/27/2006 9:39:11 AM PDT by RobFromGa (The FairTax cult is like Scientology, but without the movie stars)
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To: RobFromGa
Execpt for the future maniuplation of the prebate, the inclusion/exclusion of certain items from the tax for political reasons, and the raising of lowering of the FairTax rate, and the possible addition of an income tax at a later date as an extra tax, you might be right.

Yes but all of this would become much more visible, it would be harder to hide from the American people than it is now. And IF we succeeded in repealing the Income Tax I just don't see the American people ever allowing it again. (I have been wrong before but only a few times)

All of a sudden America becomes a big tax haven for business

This analysis is based on the same faulty analysis that told us "Keep 100% of your paycheck, prices will stay the same, and we'll send you a happy check every month". I don't trust it or believe it.

Not a good arguement, you get an F on this one.

They are also employing Americans when they buy our stuff which enables Americans to buy more stuff.

I'm not sure what your point is here.

114 posted on 05/27/2006 9:46:59 AM PDT by heckler (wiskey for my men, beer for my horses, rifles for sister sarah)
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To: RobFromGa
This man is talking about the paperback edition that was on the number one best seller list for over four weeks. This is an incredible performance for a paper-back non-fiction book. The original publication in hardback that came out last year was high up on the best seller list for months.

Many people hope the Fair Tax movement will go away and maybe it will in the form presented in this book. But some system of lower taxes is inevitable, and soon.

Taxes on everything is going up every year. This cannot keep up without an economic collapse. Producers will revolt when taxes reach confiscatory levels just as they do in socialist countries.

Governments will never stop raising taxes until they are forced to halt.
115 posted on 05/27/2006 9:48:25 AM PDT by R.W.Ratikal
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To: heckler
I'm not sure what your point is here.

You skipped that part where I explained it.

116 posted on 05/27/2006 9:49:20 AM PDT by RobFromGa (The FairTax cult is like Scientology, but without the movie stars)
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To: Zon; Miss Marple
A book on taxes -- The Fair Tax -- made it to the best seller list on concept/content not name recognition.

Nice try Miss Murple.

A radio talk show host with a daily program and maybe millions of listeners wrote a book promoted on the air had no "name recognition"?

Nice try Zon.

117 posted on 05/27/2006 9:51:51 AM PDT by lewislynn (Fairtax = lies, hope, wishful thinking, conjecture and lack of logic)
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To: R.W.Ratikal
This man is talking about the paperback edition that was on the number one best seller list for over four weeks.

The paperback edition debuted at #3 on the paperback nonfiction lsit, then dropped to #7, then dropped this week to #14. It was never #1 on the paperback charts.

This is an incredible performance for a paper-back non-fiction book.

Appearing on the paperback nonfiction charts is an incredible achievement for a paperback nonfiction book?

But some system of lower taxes is inevitable, and soon. Taxes on everything is going up every year.

Actually the rates are going DOWN, and our economy is reaping the benefits right now. I am with you in that I want lower tax rates.

118 posted on 05/27/2006 9:53:38 AM PDT by RobFromGa (The FairTax cult is like Scientology, but without the movie stars)
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To: RobFromGa
Actually, I have no idea what you are talking about.

If each stage saves 9%, the total savings will be more than 9% of the pre-saving-on-each-stage price.

This is easy to model. Have you tried?

119 posted on 05/27/2006 10:06:45 AM PDT by Principled
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To: Principled
Correction:

If each stage saves 9%, the total savings can be more than 9% of the pre-saving-on-each-stage price.

120 posted on 05/27/2006 10:08:59 AM PDT by Principled
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