Posted on 10/11/2011 8:18:29 PM PDT by Fred
There was one clear winner from Tuesday's Republican presidential debate, based on the simple metrics of name recognition: businessman Herman Cain's "9-9-9 Plan."
Virtually all the candidates at the debate table had something to say about Cain's plan to replace the tax code with three, flat nine-percent federal taxes on consumption, business and income. Cain, once delegated to the remote wings of the debate stage, has enjoyed a surge in the polls ever since he won the straw poll in Orlando, Fla., last month, and at the first debate since he joined former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Texas Gov. Rick Perry in the top tier, Cain and his policy proposals took up more of the debate's time than the ideas floated by any other candidate.
Of course, this isn't to say that any of them praised Cain's idea. Far from it. In fact, everyone who had an opportunity took shots at the plan.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Actually, according to Mr. Cain, the 9-9-9 plan would be designed to go into effect AFTER the existing income tax is scrapped. So there wouldn't be TWO plans going at the same time.
The bold is key for you naysayers. You don't like it because of what congress may do. But you don't tell us what your favorite candidate will do.
Cain is the only one with enough guts to draw a line in the sand. I'll take however many years of 9-9-9 I can get. Congress will be hard pressed to raise the sales tax due to its effect on the economy and it took the democrats years to get the income tax where it is today.
The alternative is to side with the dems. Tax the rich, add a VAT anyway.
Most states with a sales tax do not tax groceries or medicines and those who do, do so at a lower rate than other items. Cain didn't refute the claim about 999 when Bachmann, I think, said it might but there's nothing on his site that specifies that it would do that.
One benefit of 999 is it captures money from the underground economy. Illegals and drug dealers will be paying too.
You are speaking truth.
It is frustrating to see how ingrained the current tax system is in people's brains. They cannot see how it shackles them. Herman Cain needs to stick with it. I hope eventually people will realize that his system will raise taxes for some and reduce them for others. But they will be able to live by their own choices and not the social engineering inflicted on them by our current tax system.
He also supports a Balanced Budget Amendment. The version that went with Cut, Cap & Balance also required a 2/3 majority to raise tax rates. The point is, it can be done.
Cain is a radical tax reformer, which is what we need. Confiscatory taxation is slavery!
The biggest argument against 9-9-9 is that congress could change it to 20-20-20, but they could change it to 100% now. The 9-9-9 plan eliminates the existing [crony] code and adds new obstacles to increasing the rates.
What was the other candidate’s economic plans? I didn’t catch it.
Yeah, but Cain also proposes Caincare where everyone gets to write off their health insurance cost. It’s a little confusing.
I know what you mean. We have to pick a meathead no matter which way we look. :)
Cain is a radical tax reformer, which is what we need.Yes, he is that, and it is what we do need.
He refers to a phrase in the Declaration of Independence, which is in the second paragraph, which reads:
that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government
We've been sorely oppressed by the income tax via the Sixteenth Amendment, February 3, 1913.
What ought to accompany this tax reform is correction of mission creep, along the lines of "giving the EPA an attitude adjustment."
Today the mouthpiece for the state education reform defended the Department of Education because of its work for ADA.
Congress is investigating baseball players and telling us what light bulb we are to use and how our toilets shall be constructed.
There are millions of inessential Federal employees and billions spent on unconstitutional functions.
Cain is unsullied by previous experience.
He doesn't "know enough to know you don't do things this way in Washington."
This epitomizes the Tea Party and the 2010 election: we're mad as hell and we're not going to take it any more.
Howard Beale by Peter Finch in Network (1976).
Anyone falling for the 999 plan has not thought things through very well.... this is not the “Fair Tax” plan.....
I agree with all that, but it’s vague. Perry has very few specifics. How would he get those things accomplished?
999 is an empty chant like O baaaaa maaaa.
Conservatives (with the exception of some in Palin lonely hearts club) don’t do mantras to idols. They are going to listen to the pros and cons on 999. The vetting is just starting. It’s easy to tear down and he’s standing full weight on it. It’s the centerpiece of his economic plan.
Michelle and Perry are both saying they will reduce the scope of the Federal government by reactivating the tenth amendment. Both said they will repeal Obamacare.
Romney - reshuffle the deck chairs on the Titanic.
Perry and Michelle - reactivate the Tenth amendment to reduce the Federal govenerment’s scope of work and influence.
That will help to reduce corruption. Not so much money and power to sell in DC. (It will move to the State houses.)
“That 9% will be recouped of course, the prices of home will inflate, and not because of market value, but because everyone will recoup that tax and pass it to the next buyer. There comes another bubble and one that cannot be corrected, as in the end the value of that home is all TAXES.”
Cain has stated that the tax will only be on new items, not re-sold items. So only the first owner would pay the 9% tax on the house. However, I am concerned that because everyone would scramble for pre-owned housing, the new housing market would go down even further. Not a good thing.
I myself would like to see Cain present his 9-9-9 plan as a way to start the conversation, not the only possible tax reform plan. I think he has a lot of other strings to his bow besides 9-9-9 and I’d like to hear about them, too!
Yeah, just like that time the FAA tax went away and market forces caused airplane tickets to decrease fifty bucks....
Perrys was to increase energy and Santorums was to lower corporate taxes to bring back jobs. I don’t care for the 999 plan. I’m already paying state and local employment tax plus a 6% sales tax. I don’t need to pay more taxes on purchases.
“It will get raised. You cannot deny it. And we will have a NATIONAL SALES TAX on top of it because of Herman Cain.”
Within 10 years we will have a VAT on top of the existing tax structure, unless there is a major reform to the tax code. While the specifics of Mr. Cain’s simplification plan can certainly be debated, I applaud him for forcefully being an advocate for a complete overhaul of the tax code as well as speaking to specifics.
The Democrats adoption of Obamacare should have taught the Republicans to stop tinkering around the edges of the existing system. Be bold and relentless if you want change. Reagan understood this and in his time was successful in getting an overhaul and simplification of the tax system.
With the exception of Cain I see the rest of the Republican field as professional politicians content to work with the existing system. Each will tinker with the system differently but in the end their efforts will be watered down by the Congressional power structure and the bureaucracy, not to mention the legions of lobbyists who will silently work over individual congresscritters. The only way to effect change in Washington is big bold programs the public can understand driven by a President who will take the message directly to the people and will endure whatever onslaught the opposition throws at him/her.
In the modern world it seems each President has a shot at getting on big idea through the maze of Congress and the bureaucracy. Reagan achieved tax code changes. Bush 41 got nothing because he squandered his good will raising taxes plus he was distracted by the Gulf War. Clinton got a tax increase and tried but failed to get health care. Bush 43 got “no child left behind” but failed with Social Security reform. Obama got his health care plan passed plus TARP. Now Obama is reduced to tinkering as the forces of opposition are organized.
In looking at the Republican field I know Cain is geared up to fight for major tax reform. I don’t have a clear picture of what one thing any of the others might fight for and be able to accomplish in that critical first year in office. Unfortunately the majority of American people today are not well educated and are not passionate about the fight between individual liberty and socialist slavery. They are capable of grasping and supporting one big idea. It may be the lack of enthusiasm for the Republican field is the absence of a big idea from each of the other candidates.
To sum it up, we are looking for leaders and most of the field appears to be administrators.
I thought your guy did pretty well last night. But, RINO Romney is always ready to hammer him and Rick never has a retort. Last night: “You have a million uninsured children in your state Governor Perry”. Rick didn’t even ask for time to respond; he let it go. I’d have let the hammer down on the RINO.
A VAT will be the final nail in the coffin. It should be fought to the last breathe.
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