A flat tax is not fair to everyone. Those without incomes do not pay any tax.
A flat tax still requires a large intrusive bureaucracy to verify reported incomes and compliance.
Why should the government know how much we make? Why should the government get first crack at our paycheck?
Right now we do have two tax structures. We pay the income tax AND we pay the imbedded cost of the tax on business. The total tax paid won't change significantly, but we will be able to see what government really costs. Revealing the cost is the first step in reigning it in.
With the vote to pass the FairTax, the income tax is voted out. It is a separate process to repeal the 16th Amendment. Answer this for me. After legislation is passed and the FairTax is enacted and you start getting your entire paycheck, will you sit on the sofa and just curse Congress if the don't act to undo the 16th? Will you just huddle under the covers if your state doesn't vote to repeal the 16th?
Or will you join us with pitchfork in hand demanding that they act? Did you see what happened in Pennsylvania over the last few months?
In the dark of night, without debate the State Legislature voted themselves a pay raise that ranged from 16% to 54%. This was on top of a recent 10% hike in the PA Income Tax and a hike of over 6% in the budget. They've done it in the past and the anger has always subsided within a few weeks. Well, not this time. The anger grew as the Internet, talk radio, and the old media pounded the story every day. What also helped were the incredibly stupid remarks by the legislators themselves.
Finally, four months later, just after the fall election, they voted to repeal the increase and that vote was almost unanimous because they were afraid of losing their jobs. In that election in November, we tossed a Supreme Court justice for the first time in our history just because the Chief Justice was involved in the scheme up to his eyeballs, but he wasn't up for retention. The 2nd judge up for retention barely kept her job. Normally, retention votes are in the 70% range. She got 54%. That was what really got the attention of the legislators. There are more challengers to incumbents than ever before. There are retirements in record numbers because these guys do not want to face the voters again.
We exercised our power here in PA. We can do it to keep the change in tax plans too. Don't forget that Myers withdrew after pressure from conservatives. We have the power. We just need to realize it and use it.
Well, not this time. ...we tossed a Supreme Court justice
People back East in Western New York, Eire county, are livid, hammering the county legislature for trying to raise the county sales tax by 1/2 of one percent. The county Commissioner had an approval rating of just 9%. It wouldn't seem possible that it could go any lower. Recently his approval rating reached a measly 5%. Not a snowball's chance in he!! that he'll be reelected.
We have the power. We just need to realize it and use it.
I heard a similar scenario happened in Wisconsin dealing with the state sales tax. I think the visible goods and services would remain about the same with only minimal swing up or down.