[sheltonmac]

"The Founder's method of taxing consumption began with an external tax on imports at our water's edge, and was extended to reach internal consumption only if external taxation were found insufficient."

One of the questions I have labored over concerning a national sales tax is this: if it is constitutional, and if Congress already has the power to tax anything it wants, why isn't there a national sales tax on everything already? I think the author's point, that our focus should be on external taxation, deserves some serious examination.

[Nick Danger]

especially when a national revenue could be had by requiring foreign nations to pay for the privilege of doing business on American's soil!

Oh, right. The tax wasn't passed on to American consumers in the price of the goods, it was paid by Magic Foreigners! How wonderful!

This is the third article I've run into tonight that was so full of canal water that I had to stop reading, lest my brain be fried by all the moron particles emanating from the screen.

[c-b 1]

This is a good article, however it addresses the symptom, not the problem. As much as I am against the Unconstitutional Income Tax. Trading it off for whatever form of sales tax is no more than re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. The problem is out of control spending.

The intent of the founders was that the people would control the government by the amount of money they allowed the government to have. With the implementation of the Income Tax, and all the hidden taxes, we allow the government to take our money, and use it to control us. Until the populace understands this nothing will change.

[tubebender]

Where will this Tax be Assessed. As the goods leave the factory (excise tax) or at the consumption level. I can see a car dealer collecting several million dollars and skipping to the South Seas. Will every collector have to be bonded and who pays for the bond...

[R. Scott]

From here
“The first test of the strength of the government founded on the new Constitution was made in Pennsylvania, in 1794, by a rebellion against the payment of the excise tax. But for the energy of the central authorities, this revolt might have risen to dangerous proportions. Seven years before, a revolt in Massachusetts against the payment of State taxes had been suppressed by the local militia. Now the strength of the government of the Union was put to a similar test. The first attempt to collect internal taxes by act of Congress was through a law, passed in 1791, which imposed a tax on distilled spirits. This law at once became unpopular, especially with the Democratic party. The collection of the tax was evaded, and the law was finally openly defied, in western Pennsylvania. A rebellion was inaugurated, which called for the first exercise of Federal authority. A large military force from the neighboring States was called out by the President for its suppression.”

[dixie sass]

Ding dong, Avon calling...

[Final Authority]

There will be a steady stream of so-called FairTax supporters copying and pasteing evidence that their tax is best but of late they have backed off on one important detail I think. For many the idea of a sales tax is to eliminate the IRS but the FairTax plan intends to re-imberse "taxpayers" monthly to keep progressivity alive. The only way this would work is if everybody who wants a monthly check would have to prove they made money and spent it. Who wouldn't want a check? Who could afford to opt out of the system? Only the very rich is who or still, the criminal earner is the answer. There would have to be a government entity collecting this data, subject to fraud, and to pay the checks. The monthly checks would make everybody tied to the government as the liberals always hoped for with programs like social security and the information collected by the government would have to be verified and audited. It seems to me that the government tax collecting body would have to be even larger than it is now.

The big question for me however is that, why would congress scrap the income tax entirely? Americans living abroad still would have to be taxed and since they aren't spending in the USA they would have an income tax imposed. Liberals would soon see that even with a monthly check the sales tax wouldn't be progressive enough without imposing an additional income tax on the rich in society. For many of us if you want to know who the rich is just look in the mirror.

The ultimate solution is to go back to the US Constitution and tax Americans only for those federal functions that are the prime mission of the federal government. That is to facilitate commerce (roads, courts, FDA, USDA, etc.) and for national defence from enemies foreign and domestic. If states wish to tax for social programs in addition to the things states do that is fine. Redistribution of income from those who produce to those who sit on their butts is not a constitutional mission of the federal government. But how else can one buy votes?

[B. A. Conservative]

There is considerable BS in this treatise, in particular with regard to the following:
" The Act imposed taxes, not on American constituents, but on "goods wares and merchandise" imported into our Country by foreign nations, and not one dime was raised under the Act by any internal taxes. Internal taxes were frowned upon by the Founder's especially when a national revenue could be had by requiring foreign nations to pay for the privilege of doing business on American's soil!

"The national sales tax idea would do ill to our nation as it is an internal system of taxation which ultimately increases the cost of goods manufactured on American soil; burdens the American Citizen in its collection; and, is to be paid BY the farmer, mechanic, laborer, etc. who will continue to see the intrusion of the "tax gatherer of the United States" if such a system is adopted!"

Reality is exactly the opposite of what the author would have you believe. In the first case, it is not foreigners who pay the tax, it is the purchaser of the imports-all Americans. In the second instance, the number one tourist money attraction in the world is the United States. More money is spent in America by tourists than in any other country. A sales tax would extract a lot of foreign capital. In addition, all illegal aliens would be paying taxes on every nickel they spend while illegally in our country.

And I can't let the authors comments on NAFTA or other free trade proposals go unchallenged. Free trade lowers the cost of living for everyone. All barriers to free trade increase the cost of living for everyone for the unfair benefits of a few. If American workers can't compete in the labor market for certain kinds of jobs, then those jobs are better done by others and American workers need to find jobs whose pay suits them better. And if our manufacturing skills cannot make our labor force more productive to compete then we need to be looking at ourselves with askance and not at Chinese workers. What makes America work, is building a better mouse trap, building those better mouse traps cheaper, and selling more of them. If we can't compete on that basis, then maybe we should spend more time figuring out why we can't, not how to keep someone else from building or selling mouse traps. This is the perfect example of having your head in the wrong place.

We definitely need to scrap the income tax code and reform how and how much tax we collect in America. But the real key to fixing America is to end the political class in Washington and our state capitals. If the United States is to survive, we must have TERM LIMITS.

[jeremiah]

If there were a tax on external sources, such as imports, it would relieve the burden on the US citizen directly, and help make business more profitable to remain within the States. Of course products would cost more, but the pressure to compete in pricing would keep costs lower, as would the lower cost of doing business here because of lack of taxing on employees etc.

[liberalnot]

it's so-o-o much fun having the federal police state snoop in your private life, let's continue the present tax system. (/s)

[The_Eaglet]

bump for later review

[Fledermaus]

If any of you national sales tax supporters really sit and think hard, do you really want Congress playing the game of what should be taxed and what shouldn't?

If you think the income tax code is convoluted mess, just let Congress get their hands on creating laws about sales taxes. Every single product, ingredient, etc. will be scrutinized and USED for political purposes.

If you can't see that, you are blind. NOW will demand feminine hygeine products be except (it's not their fault they have monthly visits); NAACP will demand tax breaks...naw, even I won't go there! lol (but they would argue about hair care and facial hair products, they do now).

Heck, the AFL-CIO would demand an exemption to beer if it cause the price of a case to hit $30.

I'm sorry, I don't want 535 House and Senate members and their staffs, along with the other two branches, getting into sales taxes.

[The_Eaglet]

"...a national revenue must be obtained; but the system must be such a one, that, while it secures the object of revenue it shall not be oppressive to our constituents."

We have gone a long way from this to states where we need to work months just to be able to pay taxes.