By ATL008

August 27, 2007 10:24 AM | Link to this

Leave it to the idiot Dems to try and make this crap fly. They are definitely getting desperate as the Fair Tax momentum picks up steam.

By Joeventures

August 27, 2007 10:36 AM | Link to this

@ATL008: Read that again. Bartlett is a Republican. He’s widely known as a supply side “Reaganomics” economist. And the Wall Street Journal isn’t exactly a great bastion of liberal thought.

Who are you calling idiots?

By Anonymous

August 27, 2007 10:47 AM | Link to this

Of course the FairTax and Scientology are related. They’re both fanatical cults!

By Teddy

August 27, 2007 10:53 AM | Link to this

The reason you never heard it before is because it’s not true. Bartlett’s piece on the Fair Tax reminds me of an elementary school book report; hastily written the morning it’s due using theory’s “cleverly deduced” from the contents of the dust cover.

By Carbon Footprint

August 27, 2007 11:22 AM | Link to this

Taxes? I got an uncle who lives in Taxes. What? You’re talking about dollars and cents?

Dollars, Taxes! That’s where my uncle lives!

By James

August 27, 2007 11:26 AM | Link to this

That’s insane. Just because a group thought of a way to get rid of the IRS and replace it with a national sales tax in the 1990’s does not make them the same as the FairTax.org organization. The FairTax has been thoroughly researched by private entities and focus groups. In addition, it is not just a “national sales tax”. There are many aspects of the bill that make it progressive and the ideal system for this country, no matter what group thought of it, independent of the current FairTax organization.

Just because Bartlett is a Republican, doesn’t mean that the Liberals couldn’t run with it to make the idea seem bad. Nonetheless, both major parties have reasons to dislike the bill, as it takes power away. Too bad that the People, no matter what party they belong to are getting shafted as the political parties are trying to make it look like a bad idea.

By Bitter EX democrackkk

August 27, 2007 11:29 AM | Link to this

Yep the establishment just aint sure they want economic freedom for Americans yet, but I suppose they will learn when FAIRTAX becomes the law, the IRS abolished, and folks get to KEEP 100% of their paychecks!

By Jerry

August 27, 2007 11:44 AM | Link to this

“Fair tax” seems like a way to ensure that Leona’s “little people”, those of us who spend our whole paycheck to survive, pay the taxes and those who take in a lot more than they can spend will horde more and more. In a few generations we’ll look like pre-1789 France. Aux armes! Vive la revolution!

By Chuck singer

August 27, 2007 11:47 AM | Link to this

It really is baffling how someone who is supposed to be so smart could get something so wrong. Either Mr. Bartlett has an agenda or he never bothered checking facts. The whole W.S.J. article was a serious piece of fantasy. Very odd.

By Dale Hunter

August 27, 2007 12:10 PM | Link to this

Obviously, Mr Bartlett has never studied the FAIR TAX nor read “THE FAIR TAX BOOK”.

Adding 23 cents to a dollar does not add up to 30 cents. Twenty three cents of tax on a dollar is 23% where I went to school.

Nothing was ever mentioned about the embedded taxes that would reduce the cost of producing American made products by an average of 21%. Think about how much more attractive our products would be abroad with no imbedded taxes. The balance of trade would greatly improve. New houses and automobiles would cost 21% LESS to build and people would have their complete pay check to purchase things.

Nothing was said about eliminateing the $265. BILLION COST to comply with our present out of date impossible to understand tax code. What would it be worth to spread the tax burden over a broader base (all consumers) and requiring tax cheaters to pay taxes. Because those people are not paying taxes now, all honest tax payers are paying 20% more than we should (per IRS Director Charles Rossotti 97-2002 in Money Magazine Dec 2005 pg 38).

If all the underworld, prostitutes, druggers are forced to pay taxes, as the FAIR TAX would, we would have an additional $300 BILLION in tax revenue.

Nothing was mentioned about not requiring taxes up to the poverty level for the poor. They would now get all their pay check to buy the neccessities plus a monthly rebate of taxes up to the poverty level. Compare that to our present system. Talk about progressive.

Also, each business collecting the FAIR TAX would be paid one quarter of one percent to collect the tax as would each state.

Those IRS employee could keep their government jobs to collect revenues as they are received from each state. We all know they do not have enough employees to do the job with our present system.

READ THE FAIR TAX BOOK!!

Dale Hunter

By James Lightfield

August 27, 2007 12:16 PM | Link to this

http://www.CATS.org

Scientology did NOT propose a Fair Tax System, but recommended a system that has a long tradition of fairness, a National Sales Tax.

The CATS website examines the various tax systems and their advantages and disadvantages.

By Katharine

August 27, 2007 12:39 PM | Link to this

The overriding question is whether the federal government deserves the money it gets now. Do Americans want to continue the economic slavery instigated with the unconstitiutional income tax? What value to American voter-citzen-taxpayers get for their money, except an increasingly intrusive government?

Anyone who has read The Fair Tax Book, by pseudo-libertarian Neal Boortz and US Rep John Linder, will see it slides in a new tax on services and does not define when an item becomes “retail” and subject to tax. Furthermore, it proposes a complex rebate scheme for the underprivileged, which would be a bureaucratic and paperwork nightmare no better than the IRS.

The government is desperate for money, in part to fund its illegal wars, and the so-called fair tax is a sleazy move to dive deeper into American pockets under the guise of helping them.

By Craig also

August 27, 2007 12:41 PM | Link to this

I wonder why it is that anytime someone points out all the obvious flaws, the response from the cultists is “read the book!”.

The national sales tax is nothing more than a massive shift in the tax burden to the middle class. Thankfully, there are a few honest and sane Republicans, like Mr. Bartlett, who are willing to say so.

By RJ

August 27, 2007 12:47 PM | Link to this

I have been reading everything I can (pro/con) find about the Fair Tax and right now it appears to be a better option than the present system. While I am concerned about the revenue neutral aspect of replacing the current tax system, its not a deal breaker in my decision making about the matter. If there is lost revenue in transforming the system let the difference be made up in cut backs. There is entirely too much fat in the current budget.

Additionally, property tax burdens along with buldging limitations on what a person can and can not do with his or her property makes ownership unattractive.

By Will Jones

August 27, 2007 1:50 PM | Link to this

“Jerry” is correct. The same faction wants more of the pie so their stooges - who failed to con us with their Immigration Bill to shore up the Catholic Church and destroy the Working Class - are trying to foist off on us the “FAIR TAX” …so the rich don’t have to pay as much and the Lower-middle and below can be placed under tighter controls.

The unconstitutional IRS is the collection agency for the unconstitutional Fed…which serves the fascist plutocracy whose banks it bailed out last week after trillions were lifted from the “getting too rich” Middle Class by off-shoring good jobs and “tanking” the legitimate Internet Revolution with then-TX Governor Bush, telling us when the market was less than 5% off its all-time high that it was “ill” (watch Bush’s interview w/ Jim Lehrer) and the same Roman Catholic BIG OIL crowd who “tanked” Edison and Tesla’s “fool house wiring” “experiment a hundred years ago…..to scoop up the caved in equity.

JFK’s Executive Order 11,100 removed the Vatican-bankers of the Fed from our money supply and issued “US Notes.” Look it up if you’re too young to remember. He compounded his “crime” against Rome and Rockefeller when he ordered us out of their slave plantation of Vietnam with NSAM 263.

Bush’s father (Bushes have fronted for the Vatican-banker Rockefellers for four generations) helped kill Kennedy, with the RC CIA, and the closet-queen-in-chief did 9-11 to profit the same interests…who have yet to bring to justice Pat Tillman’s assassins…but gave him a Silver Star and seven “investigations.”

The People must rectify the situation. For starters, Isakson and Chambliss must be retired…and any other “politicians” who think the People of Georgia can’t see what they’ve been getting away with as Alberto Gonzales crawls back under a rock where he and his crowd belong.

Death for Treason.

By Terryeo

August 27, 2007 2:43 PM | Link to this

“Fair Tax” is a national sales tax, right? No more IRS, no more records for the FBI and CIA to prosecute with, smaller government, less record keeping. I like it but can we expect the government to shrink itself?

By GBC

August 27, 2007 4:54 PM | Link to this

Dale,

Um, did you read the book? Your comment here says no: “Adding 23 cents to a dollar does not add up to 30 cents. Twenty three cents of tax on a dollar is 23% where I went to school.”

Cause when the fair taxers talk about a 23% sales tax they are talking about $0.30 on a dollar, which is 23% OF A $1.30. That is called an inclusive tax and that is the way the fair taxers calculate their 23%. Now, while this method is an accepted way to calculate tax it is more than disingenuous when most people, including yourself, don’t calculate sales tax that way.

By Sal Planet

August 27, 2007 4:55 PM | Link to this

Surprise, surprise! James Lightfield and Terryeo posting on a scientology topic, yet failing once again to tell the real story. This time, about scientology and national sales tax.

By Debbie D

August 28, 2007 9:21 AM | Link to this

People who are afraid of losing power will say just about anything to try to create an illusion designed to control and fool people. Well, for once many of us are too smart to fall for it anymore. Look out power mongers…We see through those lousy attempts to control us. The FairTax is an amazing solution to a very out of control problem. Go FairTax!!!

By Ray McKee

August 28, 2007 11:42 AM | Link to this

Mr. Bartlett’s article in the Wall Street Journal about the Fair Tax is virtually entirely fiction. It appears that neither Mr. Bartlett or the WSJ checked a single one of Mr. Bartlett’s purported facts. This brings into question the numerous financial articles appearing in the WSJ that many people may take as fact in making financial decisions. There is no way that I could ever accept an article in the WSJ as factual. People that subscribe to this newspaper may want to reconsider.

By Guybrush Threepwood

August 28, 2007 11:43 AM | Link to this

David Miscavige, in Freedom Magazine may 31, 1990, wrote an an article called “Freeing the U.S. From the IRS”

In July 3, 1991 issue of USA Today, Scientology placed a full page ad stating “We Believe A Fair Tax Is Worth Fighting For”

By Bronson

August 28, 2007 11:45 AM | Link to this

Just as there are many different ways to construct an income tax, there are many ways one can construct a sales tax. The Church of Scientology had supported a different plan and organization starting in 1990. They had nothing to do with the FairTax plan nor its research.

Bartlett might be a republican who was part of Reaganomics but he has certainly lost his way…most recently when proposing government add a VAT to the current system.

His contention that the rate would have to be much higher can be answered just by reading the recent (2006) study on the rate by Kotlikoff and the Beacon Hill Institute. That can be found in Tax notes (November 2006) or or Dr. Kotlikoff’s website. They provide for keeping government real spending at current levels and contrary to Bartlett’s statement, include the cost of the prebate. Bartlett ignores this study.

The FairTax DOES NOT tax the poor and middle class. The prebate ensures no one pays taxes up to the poverty level. It also provides a much more stable base for funding social security without privatization.

Above that level, it simply moves taxation from the front of your income to the end of your retail consumption.

Whether you understand it or not, ANYTHING that is not deductible today is in fact taxed by the federal government. That includes the food and clothing you buy. If you are in a 25% marginal income tax bracket today, you must earn $148 for every $100 you want to use for groceries (including the employee’s half of payroll taxes).

The FairTax allows you to keep the full $148 and assuming no drop in pretax prices, those same groceries will cost you $130.

Those items such as mortgage interest that are only deductible for the 34% of Americans who itemize today only after filing reports (it is not the poor and middle class who generally itemize) become TAX FREE under the FairTax for 100% of Americans without the filing.

The reason most supporters quote “read the book” is because most of the responses wouldn’t be necessary if some of the detractors would take some time to understand both the current system and the FairTax proposal before posting.

By D Mastromarco

August 28, 2007 12:23 PM | Link to this

Yes, we have heard that Bartlett fallacy before. And here is a letter I send to the Editor of the Washington Times more than 7 years ago after his publication of an earlier version of his article he dusted off for the WSJ.

January 11, 2000

Mary Lou Forbes Commentary Editor The Washington Times 3600 New York Ave., NE Washington, D.C. 20002

Subject: A National Sales Tax Doesn’t Add Up” by Bruce Bartlett, December 29, 1999 NOT AUTHORIZED FOR REPUBLICATION

Dear Ms. Forbes:

By now, you have probably received some letters expressing disappointment with Mr. Bruce Bartlett’s latest article in his crusade against a national sales tax. Many engaged in the difficult fight for true tax reform are simply exasperated, if not embarrassed, by such articles. Rather than add to the criticisms, however, I wanted to write this personal note in the hope that I might explain the perspective of both flat taxers and sales taxers who believe such attacks are counterproductive.

To understand their reaction, a page of political history is instructive. For years, conservatives have posited a VAT is bad U.S. tax policy, because at the time a VAT was being discussed by liberals, conservatives rightly feared that a VAT could be adopted at the same time as the income tax. We called it a “money machine.” About 20 years ago, however, a hybrid VAT — the Hall-Rabushka plan – emerged from conservative intellectual circles. This plan taxed business value added at the business side and labor value added at the labor side. Unlike the European VATs (which are identical in scope), the Hall-Rabushka “subtraction method” VAT became the favored tax plan of Dick Armey, Steve Forbes and other conservatives because it combined political appeal with sound economic support. The elimination of steeply progressive tax rates and tax on savings and investment was simply good policy.

Since vestiges remained from the years of political pummeling conservatives gave the VAT, policy spokesman had to think up another marquis for the debut of the Hall-Rabushka plan. As one conservative thinker told me, “90 percent of the people didn’t know what a VAT is and 10 percent that do, don’t like them.” It was called, “the Flat Tax,” and to this day has been sold as an income tax. Also to this day, many commentators do not understand that the flat tax’s essential DNA, characterizes it as a VAT.

The Washington Times has been the recipient of many articles manifesting this misunderstanding. Some conservative commentators have called for repeal of the 16th

Mary Lou Forbes Page 2 –

Amendment and for the adoption of the “Flat Tax,” which is a bit like spelling “potatoe” to constitutional scholars (since the flat tax is styled as a direct tax and could not be adopted with the repeal of the 16th amendment). In the same article, Mr. Bartlett has called the national sales tax a VAT (which it isn’t), has castigated VATs as evil, has said that national sales taxes have become VATs in Europe (which they didn’t), and then, in the next breadth, clumsily throws his arms around the flat tax (which is a VAT). In his most recent article, he lifts the stock and spirits of liberal economist Bill Gale by quoting him to the effect that the sales tax would have to be imposed at 60 percent, but glaringly fails to recognize that if the two bases are the same, he would also have to impose that rate for the flat tax to be revenue neutral.

In truth, all economists know that the two plans differ, not in economic effect or base, but in administration. Quite simply, the distinction between a VAT and an income tax is that the latter taxes savings and investment multiple times. Both the flat tax and the FairTax are neutral as to savings and investment. Both tax income only once. Both are consumption taxes. Both have nearly the same base. Both would improve the U.S. standard of living. Both are single rate taxes. Neither redistributes wealth. One way of looking at it is that the flat tax taxes value added at each stage in the production process but the national sales tax prefers to tax it when it is added up at the end and eliminate the need to make everyone a taxpayer and collector. Some have even suggested they are the same plan under different names. Certainly, liberals who attack the flat tax are quick to point this out.

The true substantive commonalities between the Flat and FairTaxes does not mean that there are no key political and policy distinctions that could be exploited if one wanted to engage in internecine warfare. If the sales tax supporters wanted to write a Bartlett-type article that was critical of the flat tax they would have much material with which to honestly do so:

• The flat tax will make small firms and farmers pay the tax even if they have no profit. • The flat tax is opposed by many small business groups. • The flat taxers implicitly support big government by disguise even more of the overall tax burden as the current law.
• The flat tax has been around, mostly kicked around, for nearly 20 years. • The flat tax makes everyone a taxpayer and collector; the sales tax exempts 115 million filers from ever having to deal with the IRS. • The flat tax is regressive, but the FairTax would enable everyone to keep his full paycheck.
• The flat tax has not only stalled; it has lost public and Congressional support.
• The FairTax is instantly understood, while even some proponents of the flat tax don’t

Mary Lou Forbes Page 3 –

• understand it.
• The flat tax is indelibly painted with a partisan brush, but the FairTax is bi-partisan. • There are no transition rules developed for the flat tax and they would be very difficult to craft. • The flat tax taxes exports and relieves imports from tax. • The flat tax confuses tax reform with temporary tax reduction and makes both twice as hard.
• The flat tax retains the entire income tax apparatus. It will erode as quickly as you can say, “tax bill.”

They could advance these truthful points without resorting to bigotry. Would Mr. Bartlett find it odd if someone were to assert that the flat tax is supported by the Unification Church or by Scottish Presbyterians for that matter.

However, for the most part, national sales tax supporters have chosen not to attack the flat tax, but rather to accentuate the commonalities between the plans – even when they believe there are real differences. They have in fact enforced a mutual peace against rhetorical attacks on both plans. The reason for this is clear. In the battle for tax reform, most of us recognize that the real enemy is our current system.

Income tax advocates look down upon the articles of Bruce Bartlett with smug chortling. Bruce is doing their work for them. The IRS and the liberals who want an income tax to ensure (1) taxes can be raised without the American people knowing it, and (2) wealth can be redistributed from the middle class to the poor, do not even need to fight us. Were killing ourselves. And Bruce is leading the charge for tax reform “conservacide.” Perhaps Mr. Bartlett believes that the flat tax will help elect Republicans, effect tax reform and provide tax cuts; however, the real effect of Mr. Bartlett’s criticism is to divide conservatives, to delay serious national consideration of tax reform, and to fertilize the roots of the income tax. With every article he writes, conservatives take another step back.

Sincerely,

Dan R. Mastromarco Partner

By Don

August 28, 2007 2:41 PM | Link to this

Hey, any enemy of my enemy is my friend! Could be the Scientology Church knows a bad thing when it sees it?

By Julie

August 28, 2007 3:00 PM | Link to this

What I can’t seem to grasp is why there are so many people in the US that are against the FairTax. Do these people NOT realize that under the FairTax, EVERYONE will pay? This includes drug dealers, pimps, hookers, ILLEGAL ALIENS, etc. I have no idea how much revenue this would generate, but I’ll bet it’s a BUNCH! The choices are: 1. Give the IRS a portion of YOUR paycheck every week and pray for a so-called refund once a year(side note - if it’s your money to begin with, how can it be a refund?) or 2. Get 100% of your paycheck every single week and pay the additional sales tax, if any, on new purchases. This is how several states who have no state income tax do it, why can’t the whole country???

By Julie

August 28, 2007 3:08 PM | Link to this

It makes no sense to me why people would be against the FairTax. Hmmm, let’s see, I can either give the IRS 1/3 of MY paycheck every single week and hope for a refund in April (side note: why should the IRS keep the interest on the money that they have taken from me. If they want to be fair about it, they need to return the refund PLUS the interest it accumulated throughout the year.) or get 100% of MY paycheck, which I work very hard for, and give the government their share through the purchases I make. I know for a fact that this system works - just look at Texas & Florida (just to name 2). Those states HAVE NO STATE INCOME TAX. Why can’t this work for the whole country? I know it can, once all the naysayers are either convinced or silenced.

By Artoo45

August 28, 2007 3:25 PM | Link to this

I’ve studied the cult of Scientology for years and I don’t see their fingerprints on FairTax. None of the usual suspects show up and even if it had been written by L. Ron Hubbard in his own blood, I’d still have to sign on.

By Michele

August 28, 2007 4:06 PM | Link to this

Katharine, you say you read the book, but did you really? Then please explain this “complex rebate scheme for the underprivileged” you mention. The prebate will be available to every family in America that chooses to apply for it. I can get it, you can get it, and so can Warren Buffet or Bill Gates, should they choose to. A simple form will ask for the names and social security numbers of family members, and a check will come every month. How much will the check be? Let’s take that directly from the FairTax website: “The monthly prebate check is calculated by multiplying the annual poverty level spending published each year by the Department of Health and Human Services times the FairTax rate and dividing by twelve. Poverty level spending represents what it costs families of varying household size and composition to buy their necessities.” NO ONE will have to pay tax on the basic necessities of life, unless they choose to do so by not collecting the prebate. The process is not complex, as you would have people believe, nor is it only for the “underprivileged.” And unlike Mr. Bartlett claims, it will not require incredibly complex and intrusive tracking of every American’s income… (Big DUH, that’s what we’re aiming to get RID OF!)

By Anonymous

August 28, 2007 4:08 PM | Link to this

Dear Editor,

The FairTax was developed many years ago, totally independently of any other proposal, group or movement. The FairTax is a product of more than $20 million of advanced economic research, as well as detailed conversations with citizens as to their preferences defining the best possible national tax system. Many groups and individuals have agitated to replace the deeply flawed income tax system apparently including the Church of Scientology. As a founder of Americans For Fair Taxation, I can state categorically, however, that Scientology played no role in the founding, research, or crafting of the legislation giving expression to the FairTax. Mr. Bartlett is equally wrong about many other aspects of the Fair Tax. We are disappointed but hardly surprised by such distortions about the FairTax from the very economist who once opined that the income tax system just needed, a little "tweaking". Leo Linbeck, Chairman and CEO Americans for Fair Taxation

By Craig also

August 28, 2007 4:51 PM | Link to this

Julie thanks for showing the true colors of so many fair tax supporters - “when the naysayers are silenced”.

This scheme will increase the tax burden on the middle class, and create a permanent group of welfare queens - and kings - dependent on the silly “prebate” that we will provide them.

If you want to pay more taxes, while people making over $200,000 annually pay less, go ahead and support it. I don’t want to see my taxes increased. And this is still America, dear, so I’m not about to be “silenced.”

By GodHatesTrash

August 28, 2007 4:54 PM | Link to this

Change all the hookers and moonshiners into tax collectors - that’s over half the people in Georgia - them and the damn flimflam Baptist clergy!

Trash.

By Rob

August 28, 2007 5:06 PM | Link to this

A majority proportion of this nation’s economy is fueled by small business. The mom and pops with the guts to get up in the AM and go out and generate the wealth. Under our present system, they wake up with the underlying paranoia of the “Tax Man”. Each employee they hire must be looked after for the IRS. They have to take time off from their work to keep books, fill out forms and maintain records just in case the IRS wants to take a look-see go to the tax preparer, or CPA ( if they are smart) worry about what new code has been added to the 70,000 word control document. They make tax deposits whether they have the cash flow or not and sometimes have to borrow from the bank to cover those tax deposits to be able to sleep at night.

Isn’t it time we started to reward the small business people for keeping us in jobs. Let’s allow them freedom to pay a full wage for a full days pay. To give us cash of all things without having to tell Uncle Sam that they payed in cash.

The criminal economy needs to be contributing taxes to pay for the services they use. Warren Buffett or other successful person should not be able to hire a tax consultant to work the IRS code and pay less than their fare share. I want to know that the person in front or back of me in the checkout line is not getting any better tax break that I.

There are 12,000,000 + illegal aliens in the US. Let’s allow them the opportunity to participating in supporting our government while reimbursing the system for the services they use.

Our law abiding tax payers spent 5,400,000,000 ( 5.4 billion with a bib B) man-hours just to complete last year’s Federal Tax forms. This is an average each year. If they earned $5.00 (less than the federal minimum now) per hour, that would be an additional $27 billion dollars to be used in starting businesses ventures investing in education for their employees and hiring more workers.

I venture a guess that anyone who opposes the FairTax has not had to generate capitol, provide jobs, or take risk to start a business.

We have a sustained responsibility to our future American children to get rid of the present TAX CODE ( A terrible Instrument for Social Engineering) and I fully believe that the FairTax is the first great step.

The first American Revolution began over ‘tax reform’ It seems like there was lots of Tea in the Boston harbor over that one. The New American Revolution just need our help to petition our congress for change. We The People can make April 15 just another beautiful Spring day.

Professor Bob builder to the FairTax hot air balloon.

By John Blixx

August 28, 2007 7:13 PM | Link to this

The FairTax has a lot of dirty little secrets that never see the light of day because of media bias for the FairTax. For a good look at the FairTax propaganda and the real truth about the FairTax go to fairtaxfraud.com.

John Blixx Spokeman FTF Institute

By Jeff

August 28, 2007 9:57 PM | Link to this

Scientology? who cares ??? if something is a good idea, what difference does it make if the originator had 99 other bad ideas? I really know little about Scientology but I know it’s Tom Cruise’s belief system and I still think he’s done a few great movies. Next thing ya know people will be saying a Catholic could never be President…wait a moment, change that…a Woman will never be President….wait a moment, change that… a Man of color will never…

By Jeff

August 28, 2007 10:10 PM | Link to this

Is that a joke site? You can’t really be serious now, especially spending your time creating a site with zero facts to back up your rants? Come on, take a shot at intelligent debate. The Fair Tax is NOT perfect and it’s not a panacea, but at least argue intelligently about the assumptions of the fair tax, and not the facts.

By sobby

August 28, 2007 10:30 PM | Link to this

Did you know that all the illegal aliens who claim a large number of dependants so they don’t have to pay taxes, would have to pay taxes when they spend their paychecks? Visitors from around the world will have to pay those same taxes when they buy souvenirs to take home.

By Tax EVERYTHING

August 29, 2007 8:29 AM | Link to this

Fact is, the “income tax” is stupefyingly unfair to every American wage-earner, regardless of wealth.

Think about this: everything you touch in this country, without exception, has been taxed, tariffed, excised already. There are so many taxes, hidden and otherwise, that Americans are already spending an inordinate amount of their wages paying the taxes that are hidden inside every good and service that they purchase.

The income tax is, plain and simple, a tool for class warfare. To take something away from someone in order to give it to someone else. So long as lower and middle class Americans can be convinced to hate the people who earn and have more than they do, the income tax will remain untouched. And so long as the income tax remains intact, it’s the lower and middle class American who will be getting the shaft every April 15.

Wake up, America. Look in the mirror. You’re an idiot.

Oh - and that quip about the Fair Tax being invented by Scientology? I don’t care if it’s true, but I doubt that it is. Still - if for some reason Scientology came up with a cure for cancer that worked … would you refuse it because of where it came from? Not if you had cancer …

The Income Tax is cancer.

By Ken Hoagland

August 29, 2007 12:44 PM | Link to this

The FairTax actually eliminates all federal taxes on the poor and gives a middle class family of four $27,000 of federal tax free spending a year. Wealth, when spent, will be taxed at the same rate across the board without distortions by tax lobbyists that always favor the rich. Because millionaires spend more, they will pay more. Twelve to twenty million illegal immigrants become taxpayers—as consumers. Foreign manufacturers will lose the income tax produced price advantage they now have which is moving American jobs and wealth offshore. Because it also eliminates capital gains taxes, the inheritance tax and corporate taxes, however, some think of this as merely a gift to the wealthy. Not so. It, unlike every other tax proposal over the past 50 years, is actually good for every income level.

We have been so conditioned by our leaders to see any gain by one segment of the American population as a loss to another that it can be hard to wrap one’s mind around a tax proposal that helps all. But a public policy issue driven by the public that could unite the left and the right against the broken income tax system would be a very healthy change from politics as usual. In this, John Linder and a few other legislators are bucking the usual class warfare trend. It will fall to the public to bring along the rest of Congress—both Democrats and Republicans—who remain addicted to manipulating the tax code for power and profit.

By Msgnlink

August 30, 2007 9:16 AM | Link to this

If I wrote an article and turned it in without research or making sure that all the information was correct I would have recieved an “F” from my teacher. Mr. Bartlett you have recieved a big “F”. Please engage brain before engaing pen, research and get your facts right. I suggest you read the Book by Neal Boortz and John Linder then you can write with authority on the Fair Tax Program. Remember garbage in is garbage out and your article need to go to the dump!

By Jamie

September 4, 2007 8:39 PM | Link to this

“Fair Tax” is a misnomer, in much the same way “death tax” is. Catchy wording designed to cloud the issue and muddy the water. A flat tax ignores one of the most fundamental tenets of economics: the law of diminishing marginal utility. That’s why we have a progressive tax system.