[PhilipFreneau]

I have been advocating a national sales tax since 1978. I may be the person who gave the idea to Congressman Bill Archer. To make it pallatable to all, I think there should be a rebate for every man woman and child which people have to apply for to get. This would cover the tax paid for the necessities of life, such as a basic level of clothing, housing, transportation to work or school, etc. (Medical expenses and food should be exempt as they are in Texas.) So that charities don't miss out, a person should be able to assign his rebate to an approved charity, if he does not want to go to the trouble of filing for it. The rebate idea would keep people from saying that the tax is too regressive and taxes the poor an inordinate amount. This would work.

I disagree completely. Any provision for exemptions will eventually lead to the same mess we have now, whereby politicians provide exemptions for votes.

[Pushi]

It will never get done otherwise. The rebates I am talking about will apply to every man, woman, and child equally. The way I look at it if you eliminate by rebate a tax on the necessities of life, the argument can be made that the more you spend, the more tax one pays. One pays taxes according to the benefits he reaps from the society. There are only three things one can do with money--invest it, save it, or spend it. The first two create jobs and/or make money available for others to create jobs. The last creates jobs. Who can argue with that. Cutting off contributions to charity will be strongly opposed too. By letting people assign their rebates, this opposition can be overcome.

[rwfromkansas]

Not unless there is a simple rebate up to the poverty line.