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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.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
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.
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