I agree with you that we need to actively consider solutions, not kneejerk reactions to words such as “carbon.”
I wrote upthread that my main concern about this author’s proposal is that the tax would once again be hidden. The point of a national sales tax is to make it OPEN and NOTORIOUS. This is the way to make Congress accountable if and when they do try to raise the rate.
Since everyone would be paying it, and since everyone would be aware of the rate (it’d be right there on every receipt), Congress would have to do a very good job to sell a tax hike to the entire nation at once and get away with it.
I’m also not sure I agree with the author’s view that a national sales tax would be so difficult to implement and cause corruption and so on. Times have changed with how everything is accounted for by computers, with credit cards, etc.
Good grief, California apparently has had no problem tracking Amazon purchases for purposes of imposing state income tax.
Just saying I don’t think “process problems” should be the determining factor in evaluating a bold proposal such as this one at this point. Yes, they matter. But they should lead as to whether the idea itself is worthy of pursuit.
I wrote upthread that my main concern about this author’s proposal is that the tax would once again be hidden. The point of a national sales tax is to make it OPEN and NOTORIOUS. This is the way to make Congress accountable if and when they do try to raise the rate.