Sales of Boortz book spike as interest in fair tax increases

Atlanta Journal-Constitution ^ | 8-20-2005 | Matt Kempner

[Turbopilot]

For the AJC, a remarkably fair and non-hostile article on Neal Boortz and the FairTax (the article includes a sidebar detailing the specifics of the plan). It doesn't matter to me how many copies of the book Boortz and Linder sell, but I do encourage all Freepers to contact your congresspeople and ask that they support the FairTax.

[mmercier]

This type of tax reform is lunacy, we are past the point of no return.

Anyone who thinks we will replace the income tax with a national sales tax is living in an alternate universe.

Allowing the government to even write this legislation simply guarantees that we will have both income and national sales taxes.

They never give anything back, never ever in a million years will the income tax be removed.

[Turbopilot]

Actually, check out the bill. The FairTax bill not only implements the FairTax, it also eliminates income, SS, estate, corporate, capital gains, etc. taxes, ends the IRS, and introduces a resolution to repeal the 16th Amendment, ensuring no income tax could again be raised in the future. They've got that issue covered :-)

[DeeOhGee]

I like the idea of the fair tax, and find little with the proposal to argue with, and nothing major at that. My only concern is what provisions are there to ensure the tax rate doesn't jump when the fedgov continues to spend like a drunken sailor?

[GSlob]

One would need to really think through the tax system transition specifics: right now, there are essentially two types of money existing side by side: money taxable in the future (think 401k and IRAs, and also the current pre-tax income, although it is taxed at the present) - "money A" for brevity - and money already taxed and because of it no longer taxable in the future [except at a relatively minor sales tax rate when spent] - regular savings and Roths [call them "money B"].
While it would not make any difference how the money A is taxed - as an income tax when withdrawn, or as a large sales tax of a VAT type, subjecting the money B to large consumption tax would clearly amount to the double taxation. Thus one might have to upindex all the money B accounts at the transition time by the amount of projected VAT, or limit oneself to flat tax systems.

[skinkinthegrass]

Thanks, for the post....FWIW, Neal is a much better radio talk show host than Sean 'Humdrum' Hannity...Rush is still Tops, but Neal is NO slouch. :D

[mmercier]

I promise you if enabling legislation for a national sales tax is ever drafted and passed all promised tax eliminations before the fact will fall away like rain off of a duck.

The income tax is going no where ever, this is just the method by which enough public support can be gathered to permit the drafting of a national sales tax legislation.

There is a push on to get a national sales tax, and if enough people are foolish enough to fall for the bait and switch routine we will have both taxes.

The sad Irony of this is that the Republican party of limited government and lower taxes must be the one to pull this trickery off; it will be the largest single tax increase and the largest expansion of government in recorded history.

Just like Nixon, the anticommunist McCarthite, opening up trade with Communist China. Only those opposed to a thing can fool their supporters into accepting that very thing.

[Turbopilot]

I like the idea of the fair tax, and find little with the proposal to argue with, and nothing major at that. My only concern is what provisions are there to ensure the tax rate doesn't jump when the fedgov continues to spend like a drunken sailor?

The limitation on the rate is imposed by the fact that whatever tax is imposed applies equally to everyone at all times. No more "richest 1%" rhetoric, or "only taxing rich businesses", or taxing marriage, or family estates - if the government wants to raise the FairTax, they have to raise it on everybody, which won't be popular with politicians who want to win elections.

[CTOCS]

Neal a racist?

IIRC, Royal is black and they've been friends for years.

[DeeOhGee]

Oh I understand that, completely, and endorse it without reservation. But a government that cannot control its spending is doomed, not matter how much tax revenues are raised, or how. A simple rate applied across the board simply means that the fed can raise the rate across the board and is not a curb on spending.

[Turbopilot]

We're not discussing any national sales tax, we're discussing the FairTax. The FairTax includes the elimination of the IRS and all other tax structures, as well as a resolution to repeal the 16th Amendment to prevent such taxes in the future. I assure you that virtually no FairTax supporter would support a different national sales tax that didn't provide for the elimination of other taxes.

You have an important point, but your point is regarding some fictional national sales tax that no one has proposed rather than the FairTax bill actually under discussion.

[Turbopilot]

Not a "racist" in the sense that he believes a given race is inherently superior or inferior to any other race.

"Racist" in the sense that if you disagree with a liberal, you're a racist.

[mmercier]

>> We're not discussing any national sales tax, we're discussing the FairTax.

From the link.

WHAT IS THE FAIR TAX?

A proposal to eliminate the current federal income tax structure and replace it with a national sales tax.

[Turbopilot]

WHAT IS THE FAIR TAX? A proposal to eliminate the current federal income tax structure and replace it with a national sales tax.

Exactly. The FairTax has two components: First, eliminating the current tax structure. Second, replacing it with a national sales tax. We're not discussing just one component or the other, we're discussing the combination of the two. Most supporters likewise will only support the combination, so there would be no political support for the sales tax part without the elimination of the current tax structure.

[mmercier]

>> The FairTax has two components: First, eliminating the current tax structure. Second, replacing it with a national sales tax.

The legislation will work out with the enabling sales taxation being passed first, and the income tax elimination being put off indefinitely second.

I find it hard to believe that people will fall for this.

[Turbopilot]

This thread is about the FairTax. If you wish to keep debating the alternative legislation you're referring to, perhaps you could find an article on that legislation and post it?

[Principled]

You sound silly, posting nonsense.

[ovrtaxt]

That's where the average American comes in. If they want to raise the rate, they have to face hordes of PO'd constituents. It works in FL. We have been at 6% forever. If they talked about raising it, people would blow a gasket!

[CTOCS]

Sheesh!

Better sign me up then...

[mmercier]

> You sound silly, posting nonsense.

So we are discussing the "fair tax" bill, the first point of which it the replacement of the current tax structure with a national sales tax; but we are not interested in discussion of the national sales tax.?

I get it now.

Godspeed