Posted on 08/28/2007 4:39:18 PM PDT by Bigun
The People Must Demand The Fair Tax
By Doug Patton
August 28, 2007
Last year, during the United States Senate race in Nebraska, Republican challenger Pete Ricketts suggested that every option must be considered when looking at ways to reform our federal tax system. Among the list of alternatives Ricketts said should be on the table was a national sales tax known simply as the "Fair Tax."
The Democrat incumbent, U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson, launched an attack on his opponent that was, at best, distorted and condescending, at worst, irrational demagoguery. One would have thought that Ricketts had suggested stealing all the assets of the poor and handing them over to Warren Buffet and Bill Gates.
Recently, the panel of pundits on ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos," discussing the apparent rise in popularity of former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee's presidential campaign message, scoffed at Huckabee's unabashed promotion of the Fair Tax.
George Will, the token "conservative" on the panel, brushed it aside with the disbelief of an elitist who cannot understand the burden of the average worker who would love to take home his or her entire paycheck, as the Fair Tax would allow him or her to do. Will opined that Huckabee's second place showing in the Iowa straw poll was even more amazing given the fact that "he supported a national sales tax of thirty percent, which means that if you buy a one million dollar house, you'll be writing a check to the government for three hundred thousand dollars." Of course, the others on the panel readily agreed.
The elites of this country, who buy those million-dollar homes, are not enamored with the Fair Tax. They would be if they took the time to understand its appeal.
The Fair Tax would replace all federal income taxes. No more federal withholding. No more Social Security withholding. No more Medicare withholding. No more stealing from the paychecks of American workers before they even see it and then pretending to give them a refund, without interest, at the end of the year. No more saving receipts for tax deductions. No more IRS audits. No more April 15th.
Instead, the Fair Tax would put us in control. All consumer items would be taxed. Business purchases would not. By allowing us to make the determination about what we buy and when we buy it, the ability of our legislators to manipulate our behavior is eliminated. That is why the elites don't like it. They can't control the public's spending habits under such a system.
The current federal tax system is broken. It cannot be fixed. Since the inception of the federal income tax with the passage of the 16th Amendment in 1913, federal corruption and control have turned it into a Frankenstein monster that torments the people and serves the special interests. A tax on a person's income is a tax on production, and as Ronald Reagan once said, "Whatever you tax, you get less of."
Because the poor are forced to spend a disproportionate percentage of their resources to cover the tax on necessities, the Fair Tax hits them the hardest. That issue can be addressed by simply issuing a "prebate" check each month to every household in the country. Unlike disingenuous tax credits, deductions, exemptions and other loopholes in the current income tax code, a prebate check is a clean, honest method of covering the sales tax on food, clothing and shelter - up to the poverty level.
Of course, removing the income tax on corporations will reduce the cost of everything we buy, since corporations don't pay taxes. They simply pass them along to consumers. The Fair Tax plan calculates that removing the corporate income tax will result in a reduction in the cost of virtually every consumer item on the market. In fact, it will just about offset the tax on those products. Imagine paying the same price for something but having your entire paycheck to buy it.
And then there are the billions of dollars that flow untaxed through our economy today: drug dealers, prostitutes, pornographers, foreign tourists. Imagine how much revenue could be raised simply by taxing the things those people consume.
There would be no more audits, no more justifying deductions, and April 15th would become just another spring day. But only if the people stand up to the elites and demand it.
I’m rubber and you’re glue...
Yep, you said it. That’s about all you’re capable of adding.
I’ve added plenty of comments that debunk your silly plan, but you are one of the last True Believers in the FairTax Free Lunch fairytale. Have you read the 2nd Edition of the FairTax book? Or do you consider the first edition to be a Holy text, emanating from the divine taxing spirit?
He kinda reminds me of the homeless beggar in the snow played by Eddie Murphy at the beginning of Trading Places. Is that who you were thinking of?
I've heard this line ever since I started posting on these FT threads almost 2 years ago. Since it isn't true and since the opposite is more like it and since it continually comes up with you guys one has to wonder if you all have been coached on the topic. Is there a book or a website you use to come up with these misnomers?
"Tell a lie often enough and it will soon be perceived as truth."
More like a certain swine/canine.
AND property taxes. As long as the government has the power to not only tax our property, but take it away if they feel it could better server the community as a luxury hotel or resort or something, we Americans will HAVE no control or no freedom.
The government will not be squeezing an ‘income tax’ refund into 12 rebates. Apparently you mispoke and meant to say 12 rebates derived from FairTax revenues.
The government keeps fairly good track of households now via income tax filing. It cannot be more difficult for households to pick up a monthly rebate card, check or sign up for direct deposit.
And a few million errors over several hundred million checks (number of Social Security recipients times 12 checks) is a small percentage. That’s not to say it can’t be improved.
The reasoning for the rebate is here in answers to various questions running from 3 to 18:
http://www.fairtax.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_faq
The rebate ensures the poor do not pay disproportionately more for necessities. It is an essential piece of the FairTax bill and is well worth the benefits and simplification that occur from abolishing the Income tax and IRS.
You might want to google “signs of cult” and see how many of the danger signals your little movement exhibits:
* doomsday scenarios; check
* absolutism- stark black and white; check
* loaded language; check
* thought-terminating cliches; check
* exaggerated claims; double check
* groupthink; check
* denial of problems; check
* avoif critical thinking; check
* charismatic leader; check
* shunning of outsiders; check
there is a lot of good information out there on how to break free from a destructive organization for those who are interested.
In your own mind, in your own mind can you twist absurdities into some sort of ‘debunking’.
Silly
Free Lunch
fairytale
divine tax spirit
This is your toolbox for ‘debunking’.
Sad, very sad.
When losing the debate, blow smoke and hallucinate.
That’s your M.O.
It’s called wit and humor. And in your case, the Free Lunch is exactly what you promise and it is a fairytale and any intelligent businessperson would see that it is silly.
And there is no “divine tax spirit” but with the way ya’ll refer to the FairTax Book, it sounds just like scripture.
I’ve never lost a debate, so I wouldn’t really know.
I don’t see anyone appreciating your self-professed possession of wit nor is anyone laughing at your humor.
More hallucinations.
Free lunch
Fairytale
silly
scripture
Yep. Those are real concepts used in serious policy analysis.
Self-delusions out in the open now.
You need to get out more and walk the dog, or feed the pigs or chickens, or whatever it is that you do for relaxation.
Oh no? Do you still claim the FairTax is inflationary? Would you like for me to pick another item? Is that one too painful for you?
I am monitoring my investments and occasionally stepping out to check on some landscape remodeling going on. It’s a beautiful day and the FairTax haters are in a panic. Life is good.
I see you chewing your finger nails wondering what you will do when the FairTax is passed. But of course you can’t think of that so you visit the FR board and try and snipe at those discussing FairTax news just to reassure yourself that your precious Income tax will be your bread and butter today and tomorrow.
FairTax is a’comin! Take a sedative and sleep well!
Again with the cult fanaticism. Do you people get together and rehearse these things?
Nope, I have my own thoughts.
And any plan that has prices rise 20-30% or more in real terms is inflationary. That is the FairTax as it is being sold. A unit of Money-- a dollar-- is worth less after than it was before.
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