Thursday, April 30, 2009

My Article in The American Spectator on the Fair Tax Movement

Posted by Jack Hunter on Thu, Apr 30, 2009 at 7:34 AM

Despite the Fair Tax's shortcomings as policy, politically it has brought together a coalition of conservative, largely middle-class activists looking for radical solutions to big government and its most detested public symbol, the Internal Revenue Service. I've never met a Fair Tax supporter who wouldn't prefer not to be taxed at all, whether on income or consumption. Said Charleston Fair Tax activist John Steinberger of his cause, "It's a good first step." Admits Vance, an ardent Fair Tax opponent, “It is the most radical tax reform plan, bar none.”

The Fair Tax’s radicalism is key. The tea party protesters seemed to genuinely desire a radical change in the way our government conducts its business, not simply minor reforms or more business-as-usual.

Read "Not Fair Weather Friends" at The American Spectator

Topics: National Politics
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The Fair Tax is economic insanity that actually will punish the middle class more than any group in society. It's hard to understand why middle class people would be in favor of it. If they just want a change, they should be in favor of a flat tax which at least makes economic sense.

As for the Tea Party, judging by my local Tea Party the media seemed to really misjudge the event. The Tea Party protestors here were Ron Paul supporters and members of the Libertarian Party, and they were just as negative about the GOP as they were about Obama. In other places the Tea Party may have been Republican dominated and sponsored, but here that was not the case. I've heard from other people that many Tea Party attendees aren't necessarily Republicans but just angry about business as usual in hard times. And they have a right to be.

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Posted by DDMAU on May 2, 2009 at 10:17 PM

As a middle class taxpayer who has studied pretty extensively the economic ramifications of the FairTax, I fail to see how I, or any other class of citizen, will be "punished" by the FairTax. Quite the contrary, as a business owner, I am often punished by the current code and it's infinite complexity.
I find more often than not that people who think the FairTax is a bad idea are often simply misinformed or misunderstand what it does, how it does it, and the rolling effect of positive change it will have on our country and economy.
I'm willing to have a discussion on this if anyone choses to participate, but I do ask that you first read more about the bill via the primary source of information at FairTax.org so we can skip past the waste of time arguments like "it will tax the poor too much".
To briefly comment on some points from your article:
The FairTax rate is 30% as an exclusive rate, but 23% as in inclusive rate...which is how it's packaged. Both rates yield the same actual payment to the government, but by spending $100 and the company sending $23 to the collection agency, I just feel the 23% rate is the more accurate description.
As for price drops, I agree with the Laffer assesment that believes current matched withholding taxes will be given to wage earners rather than used to lower prices. That would result in a more likely price drop of 12%, rather than the 22% often quoted by supporters. However, due to the increased take home pay, spending power will remain roughly equal to today.
Plenty of other points to make, but there's a brief start.
Thanks.
~Christian Hine, Fort Mill, SC

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Posted by cphine on May 31, 2009 at 6:15 PM

Oh, I also find it funny how you appear to criticize people who are "anti all taxation" in this article, but then you turn to the Mises institute for info supporting your claim against the fairtax. The Austrian school of economics is the anti all tax group, so whose side are you actually on?
And there is nothing preventing the federal government from instituting a sales tax on top of the current income tax as we stand now. Therefore, the argument that we shouldn't pass a sales tax for fear we would end up with both is a logical fallacy in that the same set of circumstances exist now.

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Posted by cphine on May 31, 2009 at 6:22 PM
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