Political Wrinkles House of Representatives
Session: 2007
Debate: 1
Introduced: 12/20/2007
Vote: 1/20/08
Issue: Fair Tax
Focus Question: Will the Fair Tax work for America?

Some Research Links
Americans For Fair Taxation: FairTax.org
FairTax - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
FactCheck.org: Unspinning the FairTax
GovTrack: H.R. 25 [109th]: Text of Legislation
S. 1025: Fair Tax Act of 2007 (GovTrack.us)

***Disclaimer***

Let's have a debate over the Fair Tax. Taking the next month, we should examine the issue and determine the merits of the policy. At the end of our debate period we can all post our vote, showing how the crew here at Political Wrinkles views the Fair Tax as a whole. When you vote, please include the major factors that persuaded you to decide in the manner you did. Have Fun!

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Good idea...

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"You get the respect that you give" - cnredd

This should prove to be interesting...

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"Destiny must be shaped and not left to mere chance."..Spencer Collins

The book debunking all the BS people use to discredit the fair tax comes out in Feb

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"Most people can't think, most of the remainder won't think, the small fraction who do think mostly can't do it very well. The extremely tiny fraction who think regularly, accurately, creatively and without self delusion---In the long run these are the only people that count."Robert Heinlein

My view is we will never get a flat tax or the like because the politicians use it as a catch all for addressing issues they don't really want to face. Like the cost of education and healthcare. Don't fix it just give tax breaks.

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Talking about music is like dancing about architecture

Let's get this started...

Instead of just saying this will never happen let us try to hash out if it's a good plan or not.

At this point I simply don't know. I've always ben a fan of the flat tax. Of course that's still an income tax. None of us like income taxes but I guess maybe we're all just used to paying them at this point.

I like the idea of keeping my entire paycheck. Well, would we really be keeping the whole thing? The Fair Tax is just a federal tax. That does nothing to eliminate your state & local income taxes who also have a sales tax as well. The idea that a Fair Tax would tax illegal activity, especially illegal immigrants, probably isn't what we really want to do because it only strengthens the arguement to give legal status or government assistance to said illegals. They would become tax payers at that point. As for the illegal activity...do we really want to legitimize it simply by taxing it instead of fighting the illegal activity? By fighting it we would be eliminating a portion of the tax base. The government isn't about to do that. Plus the idea that there would be some sort of sales tax rebate already suggests a progressive tax in which class warfare would be as prevalant as it is today.

I still lean towards a flat income tax.
here's my idea...
Of course my view is rather simplistic but I just don't see the Fair Tax as a workable option.

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http://thecourier.typepad.com/rightonthemark/

"To educate a man in mind but not in morals is to educate a menace to society." --- Theodore Roosevelt

I would like to start with the assumption that no tax is 'fair'. Unlike consumer action, there is generally not a direct measurable link between contribution and return. That being said, we are all aware that taxes are a necessary evil. We as a mobile society require investments we don't often realize are being made. How do we pay for these investments? Well it's generally true that those who benefit from taxes most (welfare, social security, etc) contribute the least. It's also generally true that those who are the most taxed utilize the public infrastructure more than those at the bottom of the economic totem poll. It's these two statements that support a continuation of the graduated tax system. Those with more can pay more. Socialists would maintain that those who earn more have the obligation to contribute more to society as it's society that allows them to earn as much as they do.

I don't see this analysis as completely wrong.

Currently I am in favor of a graduated tax system, but I'm for a complete overhaul of the tax system. Instead of these generalized taxes that give the Congress oodles of discretionary spending, we should have specific taxes that are for certain purposes only and make it a federal offense to divert funds from these specific purposes. We should only have LIMITED discretionary spending.

I think that a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget would be a good idea with the sole provision that warfare is exempt from the spending and that the congress will have to impose a special war tax or war bond for paying these debts.

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The problem with my idea is clear however. Large corporations will hate the concept of job costing that includes expenses for road, rail, sea, and air infrastructure though this would be more 'fair' than the current system.

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I'm not ignoring the subject and I will weigh in on the Fair Tax in January..

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"Destiny must be shaped and not left to mere chance."..Spencer Collins

The honorable Mr. Collins already has his mind made up? lol Thanks for the update Spencer!

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