Free Republic

I read a post the other day that a Freeper got from Congressman John Linder, Georgia, stating that he would stand and object to Obama if he doesn't show proof of constitutional eligibility. I emailed Mr. Linder and asked if he did indeed write that email and if he was serious about holding Obama to task on something as serious as this. A few moments ago I received a phone call from Congressman Linder's office confirming that he intends to do exactly that and he is just as intent as us on verifying Obama's eligibility. I told his staffer (very...

Like all the great nations and societies of history the United States is rapidly coming to the end of its existence as a great and powerful country. The shackles of our nearly 70,000 page tax code are making us less and less able to compete in the global economy. Our tax on capital is cutting our businesses off at the knees. Our highest earners have half their income confiscated by the IRS. All of these taxes along with the cost of complying with nearly unfathomable tax regulations put us at a severe disadvantage as competitors in the global economy since...

"Great idea — too bad it's never going to happen." Pretty discouraging words, I would say. In fact, it makes you wonder, "Why even put big ideas out there; what is the point?" Unfortunately, these are the words that I often hear when it comes to talking about my FairTax bill. Ironically, I most often hear them from the folks who follow that comment up with a barrage of questions about the bill and suggestions on how to move the bill along more effectively. It is this phenomenon that strikes me — if it is a great idea, if it...

I was first elected to the Georgia House of Representatives 34 years ago. I have watched this party change for a long time. Some changes have been better than others. Two years after that first election, I went to work on the Reagan campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. I was one of the leaders of that campaign in Georgia, and my friend, Paul Coverdell, led the establishment's efforts to nominate President Ford. It was the typical establishment-versus-interloper campaign. Most of the friends I had made in the party were in the establishment. Most of them thought the nomination of...

A Battlefield for Tax Reform There are a few significant battlefields in the war for tax reform. One of them is Free Republic. What makes the Free Republic battlefield significant is that the debate is at the cutting edge. The debate on Free Republic is the most current and most knowledgeable. It is a year ahead of other significant battlefields (radio talk shows, political town-hall meetings, conversations among neighbors and coworkers.) The trend on Free Republic with respect to tax reform is going to show up in the real world. Free Republic is a tiny segment of the world, albeit...

FAIRTAX BOOK PLUNGES 200% IN THIRD WEEK ON CHART In an unprecedented plunge, the second edition of "The FairTax Book", co-authored by Atlanta radio motor-mouth Neal Boortz and Congressman John Linder, plunged 200% (inclusive) in its third week on the NYT Non-fiction paperback bestseller list from #7 to #14, following a precipitous 233% drop last week from #3 to #7. The Boortz book was beaten handily by a book about the fascinating and always popular topic of punctuation. EATS, SHOOTS & LEAVES, by Lynne Truss. (Gotham, $11.), which moved ahead of "The FairTax Book", recounts the gripping story of an...

FAIRTAX: A Primer Now that the author of the bill, John Linder, admits in his co-authored book "The FairTax Book" that there in no such thing as "Keep 100% of your paycheck, while prices stay the same", let's examine where that leaves the FairTax: WAGES: It has been made clear by many proponents of the FairTax that they are expecting 100% of their current gross pay, and that many employer/employee wage relationships, including those for government workers are controlled by contract. So, we'll assume every wage earner gets to keep 100% of their current gross pay. Everyone can figure out...

American Constitutional Research Service The Fair Tax: attacks federalism, promotes democracy! It’s absolutely amazing that our Republican Party leaders and many political action groups, when it comes to factual information concerning taxation, “conservatism” and “tax reform“, are suspiciously silent to an important provision of our Constitution which the Founding Fathers agreed upon to provide protection against mob rule vote [democracy], a poison which now works to allow the spending of federal revenue without a proportional obligation in filling our national treasury. Republicans and political action groups who support H.R. 25 and promote it as being “conservative tax reform“ ignore how...

Syndicated talk show host Neal Boortz and Congressman John Linder (R-GA) have joined forces to write a book on the FairTax Plan—a proposal to replace the current system of federal income taxes, corporate taxes, Social Security and Medicare taxes, capital gains taxes, gift taxes, and estate taxes with a national sales tax on new goods and services that does not reduce the government's overall tax revenue. They have never been so right and never been so wrong. Former attorney Boortz is the well-known Atlanta-based "libertarian" talk show host who, like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, spends an inordinate amount of...

A "thanks" from John Linder ...

TAX REFORM COMMISSION? YEAH ... RIGHT. The president's so-called tax reform commission telegraphed its intentions several months ago when members stated that they were not going to recommend a full reform of our federal tax system, rather they were going to recommend some incremental reforms. The The FairTax Book hit the book stores and debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times Bestseller's list. Politicians and other Beltway denizens told co-author Congressman John Linder that the success of The FairTax Book was a certain indication that the people of this country were in the mood for wholesale reform. Who...

A change in a tax affects that area of the economy . . . and beyond. Taxes hurt whatever is taxed. Income taxes hurt income (production). Sales taxes hurt sales (consumption). Higher rates have higher effects. After having read "The FairTax Book: Saying Goodbye to the Income Tax and the IRS" by Neal Boortz and Congressman John Linder, I realized that the 'FairTax' proposed by Boortz and Linder would change EVERYTHING. The 'FairTax' is not tax reform, it is tax upheaval. Since it taxes consumption instead of income, consumption WILL fall, and incomes WILL rise. All of the incentives (and...

August 24, 2005 U.S. Representative John Linder 1026 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Phone: 770-232-3005 Fax: 770-232-2909 Copy: Neal Boortz, WSB Radio, Dr. Dale Jorgenson, Harvard University Dear Representative Linder: I wrote to you two days ago regarding what I consider to be serious misrepresentations of the Fair Tax plan contained in your book, “The FairTax Book”. On page 2, you state “Let’s agree up front that this book is about honesty” and I intend to hold you at your word. Since that time, I have been in contact with Dr. Jorgenson in an attempt to clarify his...

FAIRTAX UPDATE There is no doubt that the story of H.R. 25, the FairTax, has been pushed into the background by the Katrina disaster, and perhaps that is as it should be. When hundreds of thousands of people are suffering as they are in the aftermath of Katrina, that is the story. The FairTax is, however, still on the minds of the political class in Washington DC. Congressman Linder tells me that the Republican leadership is more than impressed with the success of The FairTax Book. They have been receiving a steady stream of phone calls, emails, faxes ... and...

bureau's take on: The Fair Tax Bill, Newt in 2008? More....

Dear Editor, I've just read a new best-seller, which I highly recommend to you and your readers: "The Fair Tax Book, Saying Goodbye to the Income Tax and the IRS." The co-authors are "reformed lawyer" and syndicated talk show host Neal Boortz, and Congressman John Linder, R-Ga. Linder is also the principal author/sponsor of The Fair Tax Bill (H.R. 25), currently before Congress. In the interest of brevity (the book is only 180 pages, by the way), I'll quote from the back of the dust jacket. "What the Fair Tax will do for America: eliminate the income tax and the...

NEW YORK (Money magazine) - If you don't care much for talk radio, or you don't live in the South, the name Neal Boortz might not ring a bell. But pay attention: Around 4 million people nationwide catch his radio show. It's No. 1 in Boortz's home market of Atlanta and ranks first or second in numerous smaller cities in red states. His 180-page polemic for radical tax reform, The FairTax Book, made its debut at No. 1 on the New York Times' bestseller list in August. When Boortz came to Jacksonville for a book signing at a downtown hotel...

THE FAIRTAX --- STRAIGHTENING OUT SOME CONFUSION When Congressman Linder and I were busy researching and writing The FairTax Book we knew full well that it would one day become the focal point for those opposed to this tax reform idea. We tried, therefore, to make sure that our numbers and claims were correct and consistent with the research that went into the drafting of HR 25. On review, and after reading the critiques of opponents to the FairTax plan, we have concluded that there is one element of the FairTax that could have been present with more clarity in...

Why Boortz and Linder must be purged Good afternoon, my dear comrades. We have a problem on our hands. It is a very big problem, indeed. A new book has been released that threatens the progress we have made in recent decades to transform the U.S. economy from a capitalist system into one more like the economy of our beloved former Soviet Union. In 1848, our father Karl Marx wrote that “a heavy progressive or graduated income tax” is essential to the sustenance of a communist society. If Boortz and Linder succeed in tearing out the American tax code and...

Home Call-In Income Tax Alternatives C-SPAN, Washington Journal Washington, District of Columbia (United States) ID:188444 - 4 - 08/21/2005 - 0:45 - No Sale Boortz, Neal, Author

NUMBER ONE ---- AGAIN! The word came in yesterday afternoon. The FairTax Book will remain No. 1 on the New York Times Bestseller's List for the second week in a row. Our editor at Regan Books told us yesterday afternoon that it is much harder to make this list the second week than it is the first. Needless to say, we're excited and gratified. Interview requests for Congressman Linder and myself are pouring in, and the crowds at the book signings remain strong. Our greatest hope is that the book generates a buzz and momentum of its own. Across the...

Fair Tax Fans is a group of blogs and websites that support the Fair Tax proposal advanced by Neal Boortz and Congressman John Linder in their best-selling book "The FairTax Book." I am, of course, a supporter of this proposal and in an effort to help spread the word about the Fair Tax, I have started Fair Tax Fans. It is my hope that blogs and websites supportive of the Fair Tax will join Fair Tax Fans and help create support for this reform proposal. Please click on right here for more information.

FairTax Book Neal Boortz and Congressman Linder and the FairTax Book are on a roll. Make it to a rally / booksigining if you can : http://boortz.com/more/appearances.html The FairTax Book will soon debut at number 1 on the NYT Bestseller list. This is worth millions in free advertising. More good advertising will be for us to carry the book with us wherever we go. The more people see that see that book cover the better. If you can't tote it, leave it in the deck of your car's back window. If you don't have the book yet, go to http://www.amazon.com/...

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU !!!! We got the word just as we were arriving at our Gainesville, Florida hotel. The FairTax Book will debut at No. 1 on the New York Times non-fiction bestseller's list. In a word .... unbelievable. Oddly enough, this list won't actually be published until September 21st. Go figure. Last winter I spent week after week doing my radio show, grabbing a sandwich for lunch, and then sitting down in front of the word processor and stacks of research to pound out my portion of this book. Congressman Linder was doing the same thing...

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU !!!!We got the word just as we were arriving at our Gainesville, Florida hotel.  The FairTax Book will debut at No. 1 on the New York Times non-fiction bestseller's list.  In a word .... unbelievable.  Last winter I spent week after week doing my radio show, grabbing a sandwich for lunch, and then sitting down in front of the word processor and stacks of research to pound out my portion of this book.  Congressman Linder was doing the same thing at his home in Washington DC or Atlanta.  We both believe totally in...

Congressman John Linder will be interviewed on the following radio stations tomorrow to discuss the Fair tax: THe Dan Moom Show on Charleston, SC radio from 9:15-9:35 http://www.wscfm.com/on_moon.html The Gary Goldberg Radio show on the Money Matters Financial Network in New York City tomorrow morning (10:40-11:00) http://www.mmfn.net/ Also for information about Congressman Linder and Neal Boortz appearances at the following bookstores click on the link below: http://www.fairtax.org/boortz_book.html

Historians might just view this week and next as the most propitious fortnight for tax reform in some time. First came news earlier this week that a presidential commission looks set to call for the abolition of the Alternative Minimum Tax. Then, next week, the House Ways and Means Committee in Washington will hear another round of testimony as it considers revamping our inefficient, outdated tax system. So we could be at the brink of progress.

The national sales taxBruce Bartlett (back to web version) | Send May 3, 2005 According to columnist Robert Novak, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, is adamant about replacing the entire federal tax system -- payroll and income taxes -- with a 30 percent national retail sales tax (NRST) collected by the states, such as that in H.R. 25, sponsored by Rep. John Linder, R-Ga.  I have written many times before about what a dopy idea I think this is. Following is an effort to summarize the key arguments against it that appear over and over again in the scholarly...

John Linder will be interviewed on Kudlow's show today!

A federal bill that would do away with federal income tax and replace it with a national sales tax has been introduced again in the House of Representative after the same bill failed to get committee consideration in the last Congress. The bill, H.R. 25, is sponsored by Rep. John Linder, R-Ga. Dubbed the "FairTax" proposal, the bill "will repeal all corporate and individual income taxes, payroll taxes, self-employment taxes, capital gains taxes, estate taxes and gift taxes – and replace it with a revenue-neutral personal consumption tax," according to the congressman's website.

Listen on line: http://boortz.com

The House of Representatives could beat Bush to the finish line. Georgia Republican Congressman John Linder, who champions a national sales tax, tells Barron's that the House Ways and Means Committee may schedule hearings on tax reform as early as March. Linder, who has been discussing his plan with his party's congressional leaders, expects the full House to have a menu of options to act upon by August. He thinks the House will move on tax reform before it moves on Social Security reform because tax reform could alleviate the retirement system's funding problems by raising more money. His sales...

Linder leaving Rules Committee, joining Ways and Means JEFFREY McMURRAYAssociated Press WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. John Linder is getting a lofty consolation prize after being passed over as House Rules chairman. Colleagues tapped the Georgia Republican this week for a seat on the House Ways and Means Committee, one of the most coveted House panels, which focuses on tax, trade, tariffs, health care and Social Security. The appointment means Linder is leaving the Rules Committee altogether, likely ending his longtime quest to chair the panel that directs floor debate. Earlier this week, Speaker Dennis Hastert asked Rep. David Dreier, R-Calif.,...

From the FairTax E-mail: Good news for FairTax supporters . . . As reported in a recent AJC article in Georgia, Congressman David Drier has apparently been allowed to stay on past his term as Rules Chairman. You might ask how does this relate to the FairTax and replacing the income tax? The article indicates that Congressman Linder is in line for the position; however Speaker Hastert apparently has bolder and bigger ideas for our champion this session. From the article: "Hastert spokesman John Feehery said the speaker's choice reflected his satisfaction with the job Dreier has done and not...

LINDER SHUT OUT OF COVETED POSITION By BOB KEMPER The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 01/05/05 WASHINGTON — Georgia Rep. John Linder, who for years has prepared for the moment he would take control of the powerful House Rules Committee, has been passed over for the job, congressional officials said Tuesday. House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) granted a waiver to Rep. David Dreier (R-Calif.) late Monday that allows Dreier to serve a fourth two-year term as rules chairman, despite party term limits that would have forced Dreier to step down this year. Linder, a Duluth Republican and the panel's vice chairman,...

The purpose of FreeRepublic.com's multiple message boards is to limit the topics for each board to particular topics. Posting the same message on all the boards defeats the purpose of multiple-boards for special topics. It is very annoying to see the same message on every bulletin board. PLEASE! DO THE READERS A FAVOR. STOP CROSS-POSTING YOUR MESSAGES!

REPRESENTATIVE JOHN LINDER, Republican of Georgia, is a man on a mission. He wants to replace the current tax system - or at least personal income and payroll taxes - with a national sales tax. When he brought this idea to the floor of the House of Representatives a couple of weeks ago, Democrats chided it as a pipe dream. But in August, President Bush called it "the kind of interesting idea that we ought to explore seriously." From a taxpayer's perspective, it may indeed sound like a great idea: no more long instruction booklet to read, no more endless...

Recognizing that our ideal of reducing the size of the Federal Government to that which can be supported by user fees, tariffs and excise taxes is unattainable, at least until the public attitude regarding the proper role of government has been changed, the LPVA has passed a resolution offered by the Tidewater Libertarian Party to support the campaign to institute the FairTax (www.FairTax.org) as an interim step, and educational tool, toward that goal. The FairTax, a national sales tax to replace FICA withholding as well as both individual and corporate income taxes, is intended to be revenue neutral in the...

Linder makes headway with proposed FairTaxCamie young As tax day approaches, John Linder says he’s making some headway on the FairTax plan. The Congressman from Duluth held a press conference with U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss earlier this week to talk about the legislation, which would dismantle the Internal Revenue Service and impose a national sales tax. “The current tax code is ridiculously complex and desperately needs a major overhaul,” Chambliss said. “As April 15 approaches, it’s painfully clear that simply tinkering with the current system is no longer an option. The FairTax is a fairer, simpler tax code that allows...

If you live in Gwinnett County Georgia, or live in the Atlanta area, please come and visit us. Buzz in Lawrencevillewww.GwinnettGOP.org Gwinnett GOP Hosts Family Picnic Released Saturday, July 12, 2003 Press Release Contact: Donna Lewis @ Phone: 678-985-0990 Grayson, GA – On July 19, from Noon-3 PM, The Holly Pavilion at Tribble Mill Park in Grayson, will be the location of a Town Hall–style family picnic sponsored by the Gwinnett County Republican Party. "The purpose of this gathering is to promote the Republican Party throughout School District One", said GOP District One Manager Donna Lewis. Lewis also stated that...

Excerpt:A light but steady flow of voters was reported at several metro Atlanta polling places during the early stages of today's primary election, and at least one precinct was briefly shut down because of confusion over redistricting. Voters have faced massive precinct shifts as a result of this year's once-a-decade redrawing of political district maps. Confusion over the redistricting prompted the precinct at Margaret Harris High School, off North Druid Hills Road in DeKalb County, to suspend voting for about 20 minutes shortly after opening today, said poll manager Maria Arvelo. Arvelo said the precinct had recently been moved from...

Yes, it's here. TGIED. But there's still time to check the mailbox, fax machine and TV for those late sucker punches that began flying last Friday afternoon.The big one, of course, was Gov. Roy Barnes' burst of TV ads aimed at Sonny Perdue, accusing him of helping "a coldblooded cop killer."Perdue said Barnes was trying to hurt him because he's the front-runner in today's GOP vote for governor. Linda Schrenko and Bill Byrne said Barnes was actually trying to help Perdue by improving the state senator's standing among undecideds. That may be over-thinking the situation.But if not, imagine the possibilities...

The office of State Superintendent of Schools is statewide, highly visible, and a potential stepping stone to higher office in Georgia. Plus little-known facts concerning the race between Bob Barr and John Linder in the new 7th Congressional District.A Clear Choice in the GOP Nomination for State Superintendent of Schools(Atlanta, August 18) -- With a day to go before election day, Georgia gun owners have a clear choice in the GOP race for State Superintendent of Schools.State Rep. Mitchell Kaye (R-Marietta), a former House pro-gun leader, is facing State Rep. Kathy Cox (R-Peachtree City), an otherwise undistinguished politician backed by...

LAWRENCEVILLE — A new poll of 7th Congressional District voters shows a virtual dead heat in the race between incumbent Republicans Bob Barr and John Linder. According to a survey commissioned by the Gwinnett Daily Post and conducted this week involving 400 likely Republican primary voters, Barr has a slight lead over Linder, but not enough to push him over a 5 percent margin of error. Results from across the entire district show voters back Barr by 45 percent over Linder with 42 percent. Undecided respondents account for 13 percent. J. Bradford Coker, managing director of Mason-Dixon Polling & Research...

Push turns to shove in Barr-Linder race By DOUG NURSE Atlanta Journal-Constitution Staff Writer The Bob Barr-John Linder race has gotten cartoonish. A video clip circulating Monday shows a protester dressed as Yosemite Sam in a crowd listening to Barr speak in Canton Saturday. The costumed man, John Harris, 35, of Marietta was making light of a recent Barr mishap -- a gun that accidentally fired at a supporter's home. Harris wore an oversized foam cowboy hat and a button with the words, "Bob Barr's Official Gun Safety Trainer." Harris is approached by man in a light blue shirt identified...

In his debate with primary opponent Bob Barr, GA Republican Representative John Linder characterized himself as a "Reagan Republican," whereas he implied that his opponent is more of a "slash-and-burn" version of a "Buchanan Republican." Linder said that he, like Reagan, would find a "pony" inside a barn of manure, whereas the Buchanan point-of-view would be to blame someone for not cleaning out the barn. The one-hour debate was carried over GA public TV and C-SPAN. I thought that Barr outperformed Linder. I would like to hear comments from others who may have seen the exchange. Barr seemed able to...

Sitting on one end of a sofa in his small Capitol hideaway with his arms folded tightly across his chest, Rep. John Linder (R-Ga.) couldn’t look more uncomfortable.He’s discussing the upcoming election pitting him against his Republican colleague Bob Barr. And to show how different they are, he is asked what words come to mind when he hears the name of Bill Clinton.“Former president,” says Linder, softly and abruptly. THOMAS BUTLER Rep. Bob Barr (R-Ga.) Linder, a five-term lawmaker who was one of former Speaker Newt Gingrich’s (Ga.) most trusted lieutenants in the Republican Revolution of 1994, calls Clinton...