[concerned about politics]

A consumer tax is the answer. First, the more you consume - the more you pay. Second, the drug dealers and pimps would finally have to pay like everyone else. Third, and most important, the welfare dependents would also have to pay. If they had to pay, they'd think twice about voting for new social programs and additional government jobs and pensions. THEY'D also be paying for it - or at least believe they are. They'd be voting themselves LESS money every time the democrats win instead!
If EVERYONE had to pay, higher taxes would become a campaign killer!

[TribalPrincess2U]

As long as it’s not VAT. That is scary.

[MrB]

That’s the NRST.

With the NRST, the citizen is in charge of how much he pays in taxes by his consumption choices.

With the present system, with its unequal application due to special exemptions and deductions, the politicians have the power.

They aren’t going to give this up easily.

[piytar]

I’d LOVE the idea of a consumption tax, but ONLY paired with a Constitutional amendment banning income taxes.

Otherwise, in 10 years (if not less), we’ll have BOTH our Byzantine income taxes at similar rates as now AND a consumption tax at some ridiculous percentage — and what’s left of our economy will tank, creating an even more massive dependent socialist welfare class and inevitably a marxist state along with all the loss of freedom, death, “re-education,” etc. that goes with that.

[Myrddin]

Second, the drug dealers and pimps would finally have to pay like everyone else.

Why would criminals suddenly choose to be upstanding citizens? A consumer tax is an invitation to create a black market to move goods without paying the consumer tax. How do you police that? Lots of new government officials prying into private business to make certain they are being collected.