What could possibly prevent 9-9-9 from becoming 12-12-12, then 16-16-16 as congress gets to tool with it over the years?
The ballot box.
Next step is to repeal the 17th Amendment.
What is stopping them now? Nothing.
The 999 has more built-in limitations than the current tax system:
It is transparent, so everyone will see what Congress is trying to do if they try to raise rates.
Because everyone is paying, if they try to raise the rates, there will be public outcry. The very though of raising taxes on the poor is like a built in boobytrap.
Cain will ask Congress to put in 2/3 majorit rules to keep from changing rates - if they will is another question. It has been done, historically.
Looking for a guarantee on promises? Talk to God. You won’t find it in human politics.
voters
I haven't made up my mind about 9-9-9, but I don't see anything that keeps our current rates from going up either. Right now, we have tinkering in the background with brackets and such.
You.
ping for later
What is stopping Congress from raising taxes now? Public pressure. That’s how it would be with ANY tax code, including our current code. The threat of government raising taxes is by no means only part of 9-9-9.
The 9-9-9 tax plan is a political disaster. It imposes an mandatory federal 9% tax n individual income without any deduction on almost 50% of the people who pay no federal income tax after they file for all the deductions under the current tax system. Moreover and worst of all the 9% national sales tax is on everything including basic items such as food and cloth because there is no way that his disaster 9-9-9 tax plan can raise revenues similar to what we are getting now unless the 9% sales tax is on every item we purchase.
Congress can increase taxes now. The 47% who do not pay income taxes in the current system gleefully vote in tax-and-spend congressmen.
Under 9-9-9, taxes are less likely to increase for several reasons. The main obstacle to raising the 9-9-9 levels, in my opinion, is that the 47% might like YOUR taxes getting raised, but they will not support politicians who increase taxes on THEM.
Red Herring. There's nothing preventing Congress from raising taxes now.
I believe he intends to have the law passed with a requirement that 2/3 of the Senate must approve any increase. Besides can you imagine the oucry of any increase in the 9 9 9 plan because inherently the plan requires everyones skin in the game... no longer can folks sit on the sidelines and approve of increased taxation in a system that they don’t pay income taxes on in the first place.
Don’t forget how littered the current code is with Welfare to the bottom 20 percent.
“What could possibly prevent 9-9-9 from becoming 12-12-12, then 16-16-16 as congress gets to tool with it over the years?”
Dont let them!
they should pass a “Taxpayer Protection Act” congressional rules and constitutional amendment that requires 2/3rds majority to raise the rates.
I’m trying to figure out the logic of this argument - so we should not attempt to reform the tax system, because Congress could pass increases to the tax rates sometime later? The current tax system or any other proposal for reform of how taxes are collected would not be subject to increases in the rates?
ELECTIONS !!
What prevented FDR from making it 95%? Nada. The Progressives planned Prohibition to destroy the excise tax and usher in the income tax - their ultimate goal. Once we ratified that our fate was sealed. If Cain gets 9-9-9 and the economy soars, it will create a massive political wave to leave it alone. At least until the next bubble.
“What could possibly prevent 9-9-9 from becoming 12-12-12, then 16-16-16 as congress gets to tool with it over the years?”
Already has the tool, sales taxs are an indirect tax unlike the income tax, which required an amendment to make it legal.
Every time they may try to raise 9-9-9 to anything more than 9-9-9 it would effect every American. It would be political suicide to try to raise the rates without severe national need and broad consensus.
The current code divides us and is used to create class warfare and hide loopholes and the like. The 9-9-9 plan unites everyone against the government insofar as the tax code goes. It includes everyone and effects everyone and therefor everyone will have something to say about it.
Some other attributes that benefit 9-9-9 which may have not been calculated are that it claws back “black market” money - drug dealers for example or other “cash businesses” will pay taxes on at least one of those 9’s - consumption - that they never did before. Tourists, businessmen etc coming to the USA, and foreign workers who pay income tax abroad will also now start contributing via consumption tax. I like the idea of German tourists at Disneyworld helping to pay our cost to house NATO bases in Europe. And of course as mentioned 9-9-9 brings every citizen, resident and illegal alien into the system in some way. It is 100% inclusive -more than 100% when you add tourists- instead of the current system which leaves more than 50% out. These 100% will join in the cries any time Congress tried to raise 9-9-9. In fact there would be an ongoing movement to lower 9-9-9 to 7-7-7 as the economy grows and brings in more revenues in future years.
Also, since 9-9-9 eliminates employer payroll tax and other contributions it is fairly plausible that people will get a raise. I know that I would give back the payroll tax I am forced to pay to most of my employees. So people making $15 an hour could get a bump to $16 or $16.50 simply because that $1.50 an hour is money I am paying to Fed Gov simply for the privilege of hiring them in the first place! This would offset any potential risk of a 15% payer paying more under 9-9-9. It would spur growth in the economy I am sure as tax compliance costs drop leaving more money to invest in the economy. Cain has not done a good job explaining this side of things, but he should.