Posts
This is my last post to this blog. All of my time, efforts and energy promoting the Fair Tax will be done at the http://www.ZAPtheIRS.com network. Please join me there. I have a group there with the same name, Democrats for the Fair Tax. I hope you will join it as well. There is an article there about splinter group that influenced this decision greatly. I hope you will read it.
This http://www.ZAPtheIRS.com network is bringing together what all the efforts into one place. It has forums, blogs, groups and much more. It is definitely adding fuel to this grassroots movement. Join us there, you will receive a warm welcome I'm sure. Thanks for reading here.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO
Watch this video and then come back and reply if you have questions and I'll see if I can find you an answer. This is one of the most compelling videos I've seen.
http://zaptheirs.ning.com/video/video/show?id=2408015%3AVideo%3A4099
Please join the zaptheirs network while you are there if you aren't already a member.
http://zaptheirs.ning.com/video/video/show?id=2408015%3AVideo%3A4099
Please join the zaptheirs network while you are there if you aren't already a member.
Friday, December 5, 2008
CANDOR ACCOUNTABILITY FAIRNESS
Candor, accountability and fairness, three words lifted from the Preamble to the 2008 Democratic Party Platform:
A great nation now demands that its leaders abandon the politics of partisan division and find creative solutions to promote the common good. A people that prizes candor, accountability and fairness insist that a government of the people must level with them and champion the interest of all American families.
That is precisely what the Fair Tax would accomplish. It meets the test of candor because it is transparent. Fair Tax supporters are insisting that the bill be passed as written because it provides for no exceptions/no loopholes. It forces accountability also because of its transparency. The only way federal taxes could be increased would be to increase the sales tax. Then the American people would demand of our legislators that they justify it. It is currently unilaterally agreed that spending is out of control, but under the Fair Tax the options would be reduce spending or raise the sales tax. Currently they have other options, such as with every new law passed more pages are added to the monsterous code giving some special interest group a credit or loophole. Would legislators not be afraid of losing their congressional seats if they favored raising the tax over reducing spending? And as for fairness, the Fair Tax is not perfect but it is the fairest proposal out there. There is no such thing as a "perfect" or "completely fair" tax.
You work too hard to not be concerned about how much you give the government and what they use it for. This past election season demonstrated that people can be motivated to get involved. Let me challenge you to do your own research rather that let self-serving politicians tell you what is best for you. The Fair Tax does meet the goals of the Democratic platform. Let's insist they pass it, the sooner the better.
A great nation now demands that its leaders abandon the politics of partisan division and find creative solutions to promote the common good. A people that prizes candor, accountability and fairness insist that a government of the people must level with them and champion the interest of all American families.
That is precisely what the Fair Tax would accomplish. It meets the test of candor because it is transparent. Fair Tax supporters are insisting that the bill be passed as written because it provides for no exceptions/no loopholes. It forces accountability also because of its transparency. The only way federal taxes could be increased would be to increase the sales tax. Then the American people would demand of our legislators that they justify it. It is currently unilaterally agreed that spending is out of control, but under the Fair Tax the options would be reduce spending or raise the sales tax. Currently they have other options, such as with every new law passed more pages are added to the monsterous code giving some special interest group a credit or loophole. Would legislators not be afraid of losing their congressional seats if they favored raising the tax over reducing spending? And as for fairness, the Fair Tax is not perfect but it is the fairest proposal out there. There is no such thing as a "perfect" or "completely fair" tax.
You work too hard to not be concerned about how much you give the government and what they use it for. This past election season demonstrated that people can be motivated to get involved. Let me challenge you to do your own research rather that let self-serving politicians tell you what is best for you. The Fair Tax does meet the goals of the Democratic platform. Let's insist they pass it, the sooner the better.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
PROGRESSIVE VS REGRESSIVE
Mr. Laurence . Kotlikoff is chair of the economics department at Boson University, a Democrat and a leading researcher and advocate for the Fair Tax. In an article published in the Wall Street Journal, March 7, 2005 he writes:
"Democrats need to listen up here. Their view that taxing sales is regressive is just plain wrong. Taxing consumption is effectively the same as taxing wages plus taxing wealth. The logic is simple if you consider the most straightforward way of taxing consumption, namely via a retail sales tax. In this case, when people spend their wags or their assets on goods and services, they pay sales taxes, meaning they end up with less to consume. This is no different from having the wages and wealth taxed, but facing no sales tax...Thus a retail sales tax, with its effective wealth tax component, is highly progressive compared, for example, to taxing just wages."
Our current system thought by many to be progressive is deceiving. With the 10's of thousands of pages in the current code giving exemptions, credits and loopholes to individuals who file the long form and page after page of schedules in effect becomes regressing because the middle class and those falling below the poverty level don't benefit from all the exemptions, credits and loopholes. The Fair Tax provides a highly progressive rebate to each household of their sales tax payments on consumption expenditures up to the poverty line.
So progressive vs regressive-the Fair Tax wins.
"Democrats need to listen up here. Their view that taxing sales is regressive is just plain wrong. Taxing consumption is effectively the same as taxing wages plus taxing wealth. The logic is simple if you consider the most straightforward way of taxing consumption, namely via a retail sales tax. In this case, when people spend their wags or their assets on goods and services, they pay sales taxes, meaning they end up with less to consume. This is no different from having the wages and wealth taxed, but facing no sales tax...Thus a retail sales tax, with its effective wealth tax component, is highly progressive compared, for example, to taxing just wages."
Our current system thought by many to be progressive is deceiving. With the 10's of thousands of pages in the current code giving exemptions, credits and loopholes to individuals who file the long form and page after page of schedules in effect becomes regressing because the middle class and those falling below the poverty level don't benefit from all the exemptions, credits and loopholes. The Fair Tax provides a highly progressive rebate to each household of their sales tax payments on consumption expenditures up to the poverty line.
So progressive vs regressive-the Fair Tax wins.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
WHY?
September 15, 2008 changed the whole presidential campaign. I don't think it changed the outcome. I think Barak Obama's time had come. But what boggles my mind is with the economy trumping all other issues, taxes were discussed at length by both sides and not a single mention of the Fair Tax. WHY?
There is talk of a second stimulus package and as part of it a $1000 check sent to individuals and families with an earned income below a to-be-determined amount. Why not just let us take home our whole paycheck every week? If a $1000 check would put a smile on our face on the way to the bank or favorite department store, just imagine what taking home our whole paycheck would do every week. TALK ABOUT A STIMULUS PACKAGE! And yet it was not mentioned. WHY?
The Atlantic (January/February 2008) commented: The growing trade deficit threatens U.S. living standards and makes the country dangerously vulnerable to economic extortion. With a trade deficit of 1.4 trillion dollars, didn't the candidates think that was a problem directly effecting the economy? I heard both candidates say they would bring jobs back to this country that had been shipped overseas but never did I hear either of them say how they would do that. WHY? I don't think they had a plan, nor even a clue, only rhetorical promises. If we adopted the Fair Tax which would take the 22% hidden taxes out of everything we make don't you think it would make our American made products more competitive on the world market? Wouldn't that bring jobs back home and reverse the jobless numbers? Wouldn't a real plan like that have been better than empty promises? And yet it was not mentioned. WHY?
I have posed several questions here and only one answer. WHY? You got the idea. The Fair Tax is the answer to all the questions posed. They are holding summits, shrugging their shoulders and throwing up their hands in surrender. They are drowning in puzzlement, we've thrown them a lifeline and they are refusing it - that is stubborn (or maybe stupid.)
There is talk of a second stimulus package and as part of it a $1000 check sent to individuals and families with an earned income below a to-be-determined amount. Why not just let us take home our whole paycheck every week? If a $1000 check would put a smile on our face on the way to the bank or favorite department store, just imagine what taking home our whole paycheck would do every week. TALK ABOUT A STIMULUS PACKAGE! And yet it was not mentioned. WHY?
The Atlantic (January/February 2008) commented: The growing trade deficit threatens U.S. living standards and makes the country dangerously vulnerable to economic extortion. With a trade deficit of 1.4 trillion dollars, didn't the candidates think that was a problem directly effecting the economy? I heard both candidates say they would bring jobs back to this country that had been shipped overseas but never did I hear either of them say how they would do that. WHY? I don't think they had a plan, nor even a clue, only rhetorical promises. If we adopted the Fair Tax which would take the 22% hidden taxes out of everything we make don't you think it would make our American made products more competitive on the world market? Wouldn't that bring jobs back home and reverse the jobless numbers? Wouldn't a real plan like that have been better than empty promises? And yet it was not mentioned. WHY?
I have posed several questions here and only one answer. WHY? You got the idea. The Fair Tax is the answer to all the questions posed. They are holding summits, shrugging their shoulders and throwing up their hands in surrender. They are drowning in puzzlement, we've thrown them a lifeline and they are refusing it - that is stubborn (or maybe stupid.)
Friday, November 7, 2008
ONWARD ONWARD
Dan Boren, Ok 2, co-sponsor of the Fair Tax was reelected to his congressional seat. That is good news for us. Bob Conley, Democratic challenger to Lindsey Graham in North Carolina did not win but hopefully he did raise enough awareness to let Senator Graham know that it is an issue many are concerned about and support and hopefully he will return to run again another day. Please contact Mr. Conley and encourage him to stay in the struggle to see the passage of the Fair Tax even though it has to be from a different perspective than he had hoped.
I have waited to post here to try to sort out in my own mind where we are with regard to the upcoming administration. I've read two contrasting views. One is that since so few Democratic elected officials support the Fair Tax that it is a big setback for the movement. The other theory is that since the Democrats control the executive and legislative branches that it will soften their resistance. I will hold my opinion, hope for the later and work as I have for the past 9 years but hopefully with a continued swelling passion.
I often ponder why we are not closer to passage given the length of time the movement has been in existence. But pondering has not resulted in a conclusion. I have to resist the urge to be critical (although sometimes I fail). I think being critical is the first step to discouragement and there is no place in a marathon (which this movement is) for discouragement. It is a killer.
I have waited to post here to try to sort out in my own mind where we are with regard to the upcoming administration. I've read two contrasting views. One is that since so few Democratic elected officials support the Fair Tax that it is a big setback for the movement. The other theory is that since the Democrats control the executive and legislative branches that it will soften their resistance. I will hold my opinion, hope for the later and work as I have for the past 9 years but hopefully with a continued swelling passion.
I often ponder why we are not closer to passage given the length of time the movement has been in existence. But pondering has not resulted in a conclusion. I have to resist the urge to be critical (although sometimes I fail). I think being critical is the first step to discouragement and there is no place in a marathon (which this movement is) for discouragement. It is a killer.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
POST ELECTION
The election will be over in just 5 short days (easy for a non-candidate to say) after 20 long months of campaigning. If things turn out like it seems they will on the national scene this may very well be one of the best times to pick up support for the FairTax within the congress. But it will take some grassroots Democrats getting passionate about it. Laurence J. Kotikoff, professor of economics at Boston University and economic advisor to Democratic presidential hopeful early in the primaries, Mike Gravel, says in a paper written January 15, 2008, "The Fair Tax represents a significant tax reform proposal that deserves to be taken seriously." I couldn't agree more. Given the current economic climate. He goes on to say, "that requires examining the proposal itself." My belief is that is where we have failed most miserably with our Democratic elected officials. We have assumed they would do that on their own instead of trying to educate them. They have resisted reading the Fair Tax books because of their authors (one in particular) are so outspoken and conservative. Let me suggest that you print out this article, it is only 17 pages long and mail it to your representatives pointing out it is written by a Democrat. The article to which I'm referring is located here. Let me know what kind of response you get. Of course wait until the election is over and the climate has cooled (no pun intended).
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