Posted on 11/06/2002 1:39:57 PM PST by Tree of Liberty
Neil Cavuto just interviewed Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr., the director of the OMB, and Neil let it be known that he's hearing rumblings that Pres. Bush is considering a total re-write of the tax code and that SecTreas O'Neill is strongly pushing a national retail sales tax!
I guess I could agree to "whatever mechanism possible" to get this sold, but speaking for myself I would much rather receive a flat $200 per-month, per-person "basic necessities" rebate and decide for myself what my "basic necessities" are, than let some politician decide what sorts of food and housing constitute my "basic necessities" (and next thing you know, clothing, and next thing you know, medical care, etc.... exemptions and loopholes as far as the eye can see).
For this reason, I strongly support the HR 2525 "Fair Tax" proposal over the exemption-and-loopholes "Alan Keyes Tax" variety, and I hope that HR 2525 is the Bill which actually goes forward.
Incidentally, assuming a 30% Sales Tax rate, with a $200 monthly rebate, persons earning less than $8000 per year would be living essentially Tax Free, and persons earning less than $17,000 per year would be paying less in Sales Tax than they are now under Payroll and Income Taxes. The Middle Class and Affluent will likely see little tax advantage (as the rebate is dependent on household size, Singles and smaller households might pay slightly more, large households might pay slightly less), but I am confident we'll make it back in Time-and-Effort savings.
Yeah...that's like the difficulties of collecting income taxes from illegal-drug dealers. In fact, there's not much difference, is there?
Only the seller is liable for remitting the tax, and held accountable as to the goods he sells.
There in lay the disincentive to cheat. The seller takes all the risks of selling at a tax free price to you. He doesn't know when it is worth your effort to turn him in for not remitting sales tax from your purchase of goods from him.
That reminds me of one of Bob Dole's jokes: Dole was referring to his going-away speech to the U.S. Senate. "I said, 'Now let me tax your memory.' And Ted Kennedy jumped up and said, 'Why didn't I think of that!?'"
It's based on HHS poverty levels.
My wish list (as far as taxes are concerned):
1) Repeal the estate (death), marriage, payroll, and capital gains taxes.
2) Institute a national retail sales tax.
3) Trash the progressive income tax, and institute a flat 5% federal income tax (no write-offs). If the retail sales tax is deemed sufficient to pay for the essentials, abolish the income tax altogether).
4) Abolish the IRS.
There are others, but I'm too tired to think about it.
Of course, for this to work, most social/welfare programs will have to be scrapped, as well as ALL foreign aid.
But that IS the plan. It's HR2525 and it's in congress right now. Do a thomas-loc search on hr2525. It is there now- exactly as written.
I am afraid you are incorrect. I quote Article 1, Section 8 of the United States Constitution:
"Section 8. The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, imposts and excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;..."
The Miriam Webster Dictionary defines excise as "an internal tax levied on the manufacture, sale, or consumption of a commodity."
Thus as long as a national sales tax is uniform throughout the country, it is Constitutional.
Personally, I think that all of these items should be included -- It would lower the overall rate. Real Estate sales (residential only, not even counting Commercial) constitute something like $1.2 Trillion dollars in annual transaction value. The inclusion of these items in the NRST schedule could potentially reduce the base rate from 30% to more like 20%, IMHO.
And it's not like houses won't sell, either. Banks will just include the Tax in the Total Mortgage amount (c'mon, almost nobody pays Cash for a house, the critics are just being silly) because Banks don't like to be in violation of the Law. And people will still BUY houses, because with no Income Tax, they can afford the Sales Tax.
It's not like most people are gonna "flip" their house in 3 months and lose the Tax they paid; the average residency in a home purchase is something like 7 years.
But that's a quibble on my part. I think that Home Sales should be included; I think that I am right about this; but I support HR 2525 whether or not it includes Home Sales in the tax schedule.
You make it sound like we don't already have a black market or tax evasion.
That's not very good logic. If an ammendment can't override the original text what would be the point of ammending?
If an ammendment allows something that was disallowed in the originnal text then the ammendment rules. There does not need to be specific language to remove the original words.
Nor do they discuss how this will eliminate drunk-driving by bald headed men. (as a dear friend used to say).
There is no tracking of anything except gross receipts, palmer. No itemization, no listing of anything except GROSS RECIEPTS.
What's the paranoid bullet thing?
look closer....your pay check will increase 7.65% due to no more ss deduction....add another 15-20% in income tax deductions and your already at 22 -28% increase in take home pay. I own a business with 20 employees and i can GUARANTEE retail prices will fall as well. See.....I match that 7.65% SS deduction not to mention corporate income taxes my business pays. Sure businesses would try to keep the windfall but a free market will guarantee that prices will level out below where they are now......
You will be FAR BETTER OFF with the NSRT.....
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