Obama Admin. Mulling National Sales Tax: 'Value Added Tax' Has People Screaming To Heck With 'Vat'

WCBS-TV ^ | April 7, 2010 | Marcia Kramer

[2ndDivisionVet]

A taxing development surfaced on Wednesday.

White House economic advisor Paul Volcker is calling for a new national sales tax -- a value added tax or "vat" -- to help close the deficit.

But as CBS 2 HD found out area residents are saying "vat chance."

Talk about starting a tax revolt. Volcker's call for a new national sales tax -- on top of the state and local sales taxes we pay now -- got a loud Bronx cheer from just about everyone.

"That's crazy. That really is crazy. Why would need any more taxes than we already have?" said Kathy Merritt of Watchung, N.J.

"It's a bad idea. New Yorkers are struggling as it is already. We don't need that. We need incentives, breaks, jobs," East New York's Lee Santiago said.

"They're trying to make those of us who have a few bucks poor so everyone will be poor and everyone will be the same," added Charlotte Wein of Midtown.

Here's what the former mayor of Yonkers said when CBS 2 HD into him on the street:

"The Obama administration continues to be extremely out of touch with mainstream America. We're over-taxed so it's just a continuation of his far left, extreme left, agenda and I think it's a disaster for New York and actually the rest of the country, too," John Spencer said.

The new so-called value added tax would come on top of state and local taxes. Economists say the tax would also be imposed on manufacturers and producers.

"You don't need a PhD in economics to figure out that what the producer is going to do is pass this along to the customer," said Ken Goldstein of The Conference Board.

So if the vat is 10 percent, that sweater you pay $31.50 for today would have and additional:

*50 cents in taxes added on by the yarn supplier

*$1 in taxes added on by the manufacturer

*50 cents added on by the wholesaler

*$1.50 added on by the retailer

Now the sweater costs $35 plus state and local sales taxes, which is 8.75 percent in New York City.

One thing that may keep the Obama administration from imposing the tax this year is that every member of Congress is up for election come November. But next year, all bets are off.

Jose Barro, an economist for the Manhattan Institute, told CBS 2 HD that the vat might work if the government agreed to reduce personal income and corporate taxes at the same time.

[katiedidit1]

No, I am bracing for a global tax too.

[GOPJ]

Get the idea? This is how it happens in Europe.

You're right. Also for every extra tax on the middle class, there's new and improved benefits for traditional dem victim groups...

[omega4179]

Since half do not pay income tax, I would consider **replacing** the income tax with a vat or consumption tax.

[GeronL]

VAT is not a sales tax.

[Canedawg]

There is a concerted effort to keep the population dumbed-down, and keep them stuck on celebrity worship. Libtards are conditioned by Hollywood to suspend disbelief and avoid thinking about what the actual truth is about world events.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Dr. Jack Wheeler is editor of ToThePointNews “an online geopolitical intelligence service”. He has had two parallel careers: one in the field of adventure and exploration as the owner of Jack Wheeler Expeditions; the other in the field of political and economic freedom as president of the Freedom Research Foundation. Wheeler’s articles are also published by WebNetDaily. Written by Dr. Jack Wheeler Thursday, 30 April 2009 Paris, France. It is very cool to be a French intel guy. A spectacular meal at a Parisian bistro with $90 entrées and a $200 bottle of Bordeaux? No problem. I’d known this fellow since he got me out of a jam in Sudan years ago. His James Bond days are over, but still, riding a desk for the DGSE – Direction générale de la sécurité extérieure (General Directorate for External Security), France’s military intel agency – in Paris has its decided benefits. One of them is not being infected with Obamamania. “My agency considers him a joke,” he confides. “Every day there is some fresh lunacy that we cannot believe. Mr. Bush would often make us angry. But at this man we just laugh.” “In truth, it also makes us sad,” he continued. “French resentment towards America is strong, so being able to laugh at your country feels good. But it is such a sad and strange thing to see America – America The Great! – do something so crazy as to elect this ridiculous man.” “There are many people in America who think he isn’t a legitimate president as he wasn’t born in the US and isn’t a natural citizen. What do you think?” I asked. He shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. I’ve never had reason to make an inquiry.” “There are a lot of people convinced he is a traitor who hates America and is actively determined to destroy it. Any opinion on that?” He didn’t shrug at this. After a long slow sip of wine, he mused, “I would not go that far. Many of his actions, however, are very puzzling because they are so counter-productive regarding America’s best interests. There seems to be a consistent pattern in that direction.” “What does Sarkozy think of him?” “Nothing but contempt.” After a pause he asked, “And Langley?” “Well, if you thought the war they waged against Bush was intense, it was nothing compared to how they’re going to screw Obama. He has tried to gut them with the ‘torture memo’ release and slashing their budgets. The morale is depressed, sullen, and enraged. You know what a left-wing outfit Langley is. They thought he was their boy and they feel betrayed. All kinds of damaging stuff on him will be appearing via their media friends.” He nodded. “And in Tel Aviv City?” He was referring to the huge underground city complex of Langley’s underneath the US Embassy in the Israeli capital. “That’s an interesting question. You know how vast and deep the relationship is there. Langley is making every effort to overcome the total and massive distrust their Israeli colleagues have for Obama, whom they know is selling them down the Jordan River. So far though this effort is in words. The Israelis are waiting to see what Langley does.” He said nothing. I smiled. “You guys wouldn’t be Langley’s cutout for thwarting BO regarding Israel, would you? I’d never suspect that…” He continued to say nothing, gave me only a slight smile in return, and poured me another glass of wine. “The Bordeaux is good, yes?” I nodded. “You know, the French media worships this man the same as yours in the US. All of this ‘100 days’ talk, it is impossibly stupid. Most anyone in the French elite, the business leaders, Sarko’s people, they all know this. They all think this is some crazy joke of the Americans. But it is a very, very dangerous joke. For 100 days your president has been a laughingstock among the tout le monde of Paris. No one may be laughing 100 days or 10 months from now.” He leaned forward. “The world can go – how do you say – sideways with this man very quickly. No one he has working for him knows what they are doing – possibly excepting Mrs. Clinton – and he certainly does not. All of us in our little community are worried – us, our friends in Berlin, London, Tel Aviv, and Langley too as you say. It is not like the barbarians at the gates. It is every barbarian horde in the world being told there are no gates. The Somalis, Chavez, Iran, Putin, Beijing, the ‘Norks” as you call them, the list is long and it is growing. We are not sure what to do.” It took me a moment to respond. “The best thing that has happened now is Obama making Langley his enemy. They will be cooperating with you more, be more a part of your worried community. Working together, you can undermine his efforts more effectively, block and maybe even repair the damage.” It was my turn to lean forward. “Then again, all together you could be more pro-active. The man is a mystery. Nobody can make public his actual birth certificate, or even the particular hospital he was born in, or his college grades, or how he got into Harvard, or how he made editor of the Harvard Law Review and never wrote a single article for it. It goes on and on. He really is a Zero. I think all of you guys should find all of this out and make it known.” I added, “The quicker the better, before the laughing stops and the real dangers begin.” “What is that phrase you use?” he asked. “Something to consider?” I laughed. “Yes, there is much to consider – and much that you can do. I mean, really, if the Soviet Union could be dismantled, so can this presidency.” It was a beautiful April afternoon in Paris. He walked me back to my hotel. It could be that the times we live in may get even more interesting.

[rogertarp]

I love VAT taxes. It is regressive as hell and gets all the parasites to have to pay!!! They will tell them that they get it back in welfare but they won’t like it and will riot.

[crabpott]

VAT IS CRACK FOR SOCIALISM.

PERIOD.

[GatorGirl]

Good call—I was on a board today with a bunch of liberal tools that insisted Obama “lowered taxes” WTH????

[GatorGirl]

I like it “to Hell with VAT” :-)

[quantim]

I liked the story up until...where the guy who built the boat didn’t leave to create other riches elsewhere and leave the other lazy puke alone to starve to death on the island.

[RedMDer]

VAT is not a sales tax.

I understand it as it increases the cost of the product at each step of the way to become a retail product so at the retail sale the states collect the sales tax income on that increased price and the the Feds get their tax income before that happens.

[GeronL]

The hidden part is what the sheeple will blame on the companies.

[hal ogen]

LIB fools & tools! Stop spending, you idiots! Vote them out! Resist! Resist! Resist! In your heart you know what you need to do.

[RedMDer]

You are right. That's the game plan. Blame the higher cost on the ‘evil’ companies.

[xzins]

Jose Barro, an economist for the Manhattan Institute, told CBS 2 HD that the vat might work if the government agreed to reduce personal income and corporate taxes at the same time.

Any American who'd believe one of our "rape America" congress-critters on that one actually deserves slavery. It's what they'll get, but they'll be among those who actually deserve it.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Well, it’s coming. How else is he gonna be able to pay for the monstrosity of his healtcare reform and all his other commie programs.

[Nachum]

Yep

[vigilo]

These degenerates won’t stop until they have it all. That’s their goal. They’ll take it all and put each one of us on an allowance. “From each according to their ability. To each according to their need [as determined by the elite politicians, of course.]”

[1066AD]

Governments love VAT. They set the rate and the private sector collects the money & delivers it to them.

They also like it because it’s so easy to change the rate upwards, must be really hard to reduce it as that never happens !

France’s VAT is 19 or 20%, UK is around 17 or 18%, but at least they don’t have local sales taxes as far as I know.