[Protagoras]

There is little hope of the FairTax or any national retail sales tax being recommended by this panel.

The government will never give up it's primary source of power.

[Principled]

Some say its primary source of power is being in office ... ie getting elected....

but I agree one of the main obstacles is that they'll lose power. some folks don't see that... and even think the nrst is a power grab. lol

[phil_will1]

"The government will never give up it's primary source of power."

Incorrect. The ballot box is the PRIMARY source of power. The income tax is a secondary source of power. Your essential point is well taken, however. The politicians will never voluntarily make the largest transfer of power out of Washington back to the people in the history of the republic unless and until the public demands it and the politicians fear for their jobs if they don't support it.