Republican Presidential Mike Huckabee has announced his support for a 23% National Sales Tax which would eliminate the filing of individual income tax returns for Americans.Huckabee calls it the Fair Tax, "...what we would do with the Fair Tax is eliminate all taxes on productivity which would mean you could earn anything you want...you would not be penalized for saving, earning, for having capital gains, making an investment..."
To ease the burden on lower income Americans, proponents want to give "pre-bate" cash payments to cover the sales tax on spending up to the federal poverty level---this year a couple with 2 children would have received $525.00 a month according to the organization Fairtax.org
Huckabee told a crowd gathered in South Carolina in May, "...I have a dream that one day in this country...April 15 will just be another beautiful day..."
Critics call it a Crackpot Plan and that anyone that supports it should not be taken seriously. Others say that the tax would largely benefit the wealthy who save the largest share of their income and that 23% is far too low to maintain government expenditures at current levels.
When Ronald Reagan was President, he proposed a Flat Tax Plan in which Americans could calculate their Income Taxes on a post card.
The Democrats in Congress which enjoy the Power of the Purse last month voted to over-ride a Presidential veto which was the first veto override in Bush's 7 year Presidency and only the 107th time Congress has successfully voted to override a Presidential Veto in the nations history. Congress delivered a $23 Billion Dollar water resource measure to fund beach and Florida Everglades Restoration---the measure also authorizes $30 Million Dollars to reduce nitrogen flowing from the Washington areas Blue Plains sewage treatment plant and $30 Million Dollars for Chesapeake Oyster Restoration.
While wasteful government spending is a pet peeve of many Americans Congress loves pork barrel spending---in the 2008 Agriculture and Defense Bills in the House of Representatives under the Leadership of Nancy Pelosi, D-CA contained 410 Earmarks worth just under $300 Million Dollars the Senate version under the Leadership of Harry Reid, D-NV contained 332 Earmarks worth more than $300 Million Dollars. Of these, they include: $246,000 for Asparagus Technology; $200,000 to fund research and development of technologies to reduce production costs; $2,000,000 for the Charles Rangel Center for Public Service at City College New York; $200,000 for the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy in Las Vegas, NV; $1.5 Million Dollars for the AFL/CIO , Working for America Institute, Washington, DC; $100,000 to develop a walking tour of Boydton, VA; $300,000 to renovate the Bhul Farm, Sharon, PA; $150,000 for Rodent Control on the Aleutian Islands. Oh my!
There is a need for both sweeping tax reform that would simplify the tax code and leadership that actually believes in reigning in the orgy wasteful federal spending.
