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Cain's Tax Mutiny. New national sales tax on top of the income tax is a political killer
Wall Street Journal ^ | Oct 7, 2011 | WSJ Editorial

Posted on 10/08/2011 4:09:26 PM PDT by Clairity

The real political defect of the Cain plan is that it imposes a new national sales tax while maintaining the income tax. Mr. Cain's rates are seductively low, but the current income tax was introduced in 1913 with a top rate of 7% amid promises that it would never exceed 10%. By 1918 the top rate was 77%.

Part of Mr. Cain's appeal is his willingness to challenge political convention, and he certainly has with his tax proposal. Voters like that he isn't a lifetime politician but a successful business owner who has met a payroll and created jobs. But his endorsement of a sales tax on top of the income tax is a political gamble that would eventually finance an even larger entitlement state. Better to reform the devil we know—the income tax—than to introduce another devil and end up with ever-rising rates of both.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Editorial; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 999; biggovernment; cain; commie; eurovat; hermancain; lie; periwinklelies; perrybotliars; perryclowns; perryromneyvp; pizzaman; rinos4perry; taxes
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To: Lauren BaRecall
Example: how much would I have to pay for a tank of oil with state, city and fed sales tax, plus NY is a cap and trade state? Plus several tanks during the winter? It would be exorbitant! And this is just one item.

You may get lucky. If you're in an Empowerment Zone where the feds get to say you have lower business and personal taxes, you may be better off. As long as you're in an inner city or whatever other locations the current Congresscritters decide are worthy of lower taxes.
181 posted on 10/08/2011 7:40:25 PM PDT by DTxAg (The Presidency is not an entry-level position.)
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To: BarnacleCenturion
If it was a political killer he wouldn’t be leading in the polls.

All that most people responding to polls right now know about the details 9-9-9 Plan is, "It's on my web page".

Ask Perry how fickle high polls can be after the attacks start.

182 posted on 10/08/2011 7:44:23 PM PDT by Polybius (Defeating Obama should be Priority Number One.)
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To: Ranjit

Yeah yeah. Wait til the he finally has to release his fund raising figures. Everyone else has.
But maybe his McCain Clinto/Rodham can do some magic with the numbers.

I mean his last period. Cains Corp made Donations to his campaign. and lo and behold it is listed as an expenditures.

That kind of game playing is unethical at best and outright dishonest at it’s worst.. No thanks. Cain is a Romney clone, just better at blowing smoke up your you know where.


183 posted on 10/08/2011 7:50:17 PM PDT by marty60
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To: PSYCHO-FREEP
I must say, this foolish proposal is exactly why I dropped all support for Cain in March of this year. He repeated this idiotic proposal then, and I could clearly see he was just not able to lead this country in any substantial way.

That is so weird, since Cain didn't announce his candidacy until May 21, 2011. The first GOP debate he participated in was CNN's June 13th one in New Hampshire. He introduced his 9-9-9 plan sometime after that.

184 posted on 10/08/2011 7:50:28 PM PDT by lonevoice (The Fresh Prince of Bill Ayers, impeach we much. We will much about that be committed.)
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To: Reagan Man
General George Washington was the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army of the USA during the Revolutionary War. Like Eisenhower, who was Supreme Allied Commander in WWII, Washington had far reaching executive experience and was a politician by default when he became President.

Nice historical fandango. You're a fancy stepper.

Continental Army of the USA? Really?

politician by default? Really?

I wasn't comparing Cain to Washington except to the extent of your claim that he "has no executive experience in government."

Again I say, neither did Washington unless you believe the military and government are the same.

----

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185 posted on 10/08/2011 7:51:54 PM PDT by JCG
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To: PSYCHO-FREEP
Cain's gross lack of experience will be his undoing. Sooner than later, he has over extended his hand at the table. With all the attention pointed his way, he is sure to blunder and show his inabilities.

Apart from listening to the sound bites he threw out at the debate, how much do most voters really known about Cain and his positions?

His positions do not seem to demonstrate careful study and are all over the place.

======================

Cain, May 5, 2011, Regarding the killing of al-Qaeda terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki

"He should be charged. And since he's an American citizen, he should be tried in our courts," Cain said of al-Awlaki. When asked if he considered it legal for President Obama to order al-Awlaki killed, Cain said, "In his case, no, because he's an American citizen. If he's an American citizen, which is the big difference, then he should be charged, and he should be arrested and brought to justice."

======================

Cain, October, 2011, Regarding the killing of al-Qaeda terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki

"Asked why he had backed off his opposition to the U.S. military's targeting Anwar Awlaki, the al Qaeda terrorist and American citizen who was killed Friday by a drone strike in Yemen, Cain denied that he had ever opposed taking out Awlaki. “I never said that [President Obama] should not have ordered [the killing]. I don’t recall saying that. I think you’ve got some misinformation," Cain said. "Keep in mind that there are a lot of people out there trying to make me sound as if I am indecisive."

186 posted on 10/08/2011 7:52:56 PM PDT by Polybius (Defeating Obama should be Priority Number One.)
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To: xzins
Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying the Congress would ever drop the income tax. I'm just saying they have the power to do so if they want to.

----

Send treats to the troops...
Great because you did it.
www.AnySoldier.com
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187 posted on 10/08/2011 7:55:56 PM PDT by JCG
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To: lonevoice
Oops, the Ides of March hit hard!

Good takedown.

----

Send treats to the troops...
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www.AnySoldier.com
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188 posted on 10/08/2011 8:00:45 PM PDT by JCG
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To: Prokopton; PSYCHO-FREEP
I must say, this foolish proposal is exactly why I dropped all support for Cain in March of this year. He repeated this idiotic proposal then, and I could clearly see he was just not able to lead this country in any substantial way. ..... PSYCHO-FREEP

Well, the only other two potential candidates are both "good ol' boy" Crony Capitalists. I guess the status quo suits you, but most conservatives want a change. .... Prokopton

Prokopton is right, PSYCHO-FREEP.

Dangerous and foolish Change™ is better than no Change™ at all. < /sarc>


189 posted on 10/08/2011 8:01:54 PM PDT by Polybius (Defeating Obama should be Priority Number One.)
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To: JCG; Reagan Man
I was merely replying to your complaint that Cain "has no executive experience in government" by explaining that neither did George Washington.

A Supreme Commander such as George Washington or Dwight Eisenhower has more experience dealing with Government politics and bureaucracy in one day than Herman Cain has had in his entire life.

So does a State Governor.

190 posted on 10/08/2011 8:10:18 PM PDT by Polybius (Defeating Obama should be Priority Number One.)
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To: goat granny

Contrary to what is popularly believed, the 16th Amendment was not passed to enable the income tax. An income tax upon wages and salaries is considered an excise tax and was allowed by the Constitution before the 16th Amendment. What was not allowed was a tax on capital and property which are direct taxes. A Supreme Court ruling declared that taxes on rents and capital gains were taxes on capital and thus also direct taxes. It was considered politically impossible to pass an income tax that would exempt the income of the rich derived from these rents and capital gains, thus the need for the 16th Amendment. If the 16th Amendment were repealed, Donald Trump’s income from real estate and Wall Street deals would be exempt but your income derived from wages and salaries could still be taxed.


191 posted on 10/08/2011 8:11:37 PM PDT by Petrosius
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To: Clairity

I thought this was instead of other taxes...that he would get rid of, say income taxes instead of this. Frankly I’d rather see a flat tax or fair tax but we definitely need a different system than we currently have.

Cindie


192 posted on 10/08/2011 8:12:09 PM PDT by gardencatz (Proud mom US Marine! It can't always be someone else's son.)
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To: Huck

I am certain that many of the Cain supporters do not pay any income tax (yes many on our side do not pay any income tax and not just the people from the other side), but yet Cain plan is going to force them to pay 9% in Federal tax and another 9% in Federal sales tax. They are cheering him like fools because he is giving them the stupid red meat rhetoric that they crave as he has nothing but TALK since he has no record to run on as he was not elected to any office ever. His tax plan is a political killer and it is not conservative at all.


193 posted on 10/08/2011 8:12:09 PM PDT by jgge
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To: Clairity

“People anxious to jump on the Cain bandwagon may want to take a closer look at the man and his planned policies.”

You’re absolutely right. At first blush, adding a national sales tax is a bad idea because once it’s instituted, how can we be sure that it won’t then just increase ad infinitum? Truth be told, we CAN’T be sure.

But then if you think about it for a moment, there is really nothing that would prevent this congress and the President from introducing a 20% national sales tax tomorrow and doubling the income tax rate the day after. And heck, they’d do that just for fun.

Mr. Cain’s 9-9-9 is actually a pretty good plan. It lowers the income tax rate to a point where it doesn’t make a lot of sense to try to avoid it, the sales tax component insures that everyone pays at least some taxes, and the corporate income tax is lowered to the point where it is very competitive with other countries. And again, low enough to make going through a bunch of gyrations to avoid it a sort of hollow exercise.

Naturally, the WSJ is a journal of record for those who benefit from the continuation of the status quo.


194 posted on 10/08/2011 8:14:41 PM PDT by RKBA Democrat
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To: Repeal The 17th

“There can be no national sales tax without a constitutional amendment.”

Really? What prohibits it? How is a sales tax all that different from an excise tax?


195 posted on 10/08/2011 8:16:36 PM PDT by RKBA Democrat
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To: Polybius
Cain,* Washington and Eisenhower all had executive experience. But none of that experience was in government until they were elected president.* (Unless you believe that the military or a pizza business is the government.)

*2012

----

Send treats to the troops...
Great because you did it.
www.AnySoldier.com
(An entirely free service)

196 posted on 10/08/2011 8:19:12 PM PDT by JCG
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To: Polybius
Dangerous and foolish Change™ is better than no Change™ at all. < /sarc>

Well you and PSYCHO-FREEP keep right on supporting the status quo, professional politicians controlling your life. I hope you don't mind that many of us here are working real hard to change this.

197 posted on 10/08/2011 8:19:31 PM PDT by Prokopton
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To: PSYCHO-FREEP

“He is a radio talk show host and political amateur who has never held a Government executive office...”

And those highly experienced politicians with decades of government experience are doing such a wonderful job?


198 posted on 10/08/2011 8:21:24 PM PDT by RKBA Democrat
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To: Oceander

“A national sales tax is such a nonstarter of an idea. The amount of tax evasion and fraud would be orders of magnitude greater than it is now.”

Really? How do you figure? The vast bulk of the states already have and successfully collect sales tax. There are also, by definition, a whole lot fewer people to chase when you’re only chasing businesses to remit a sales tax rather than the hundreds of millions of people who you have to chase for income taxes.


199 posted on 10/08/2011 8:26:35 PM PDT by RKBA Democrat
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To: shield

Hey...did you move your pic? (Perry @ shooting range)


200 posted on 10/08/2011 8:28:21 PM PDT by Outlaw Woman (Do the Research for pete's sake and stop flaming out at Headlines)
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