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August 26, 2005

The "Fair Tax" Redux...

Digging around into the details of the Linder-Boortz Fair Tax (sic) plan/scheme/bandwagon I found this criticism at the American Constitutional Research Service blog. To wit:

"Contrary to what the proponents of the Fair Tax claim it will do, the unadulterated truth is, the Fair Tax proposal would expand the number of tax gathers in the United States to include individual tradesmen and entrepreneurs, and, even ordinary working people engaged in self employment, forcing them to "register" with folks in government in order to pursue a livelihood [ see SEC. 502. REGISTRATION], and would require these poor souls, along with America's businesses, to become a modern-day regiment of enlisted tax gathers for the federal government, increasing the number of tax gathers throughout the United States to an all time high, and compelling them to maintain burdensome and inquisitorial records and reports under a penalty of perjury, just as is now done under the existing IRS Code."

I don't see any way around this problem either myself. Perhaps the proponents will enlighten us? And further:

"The Fair Tax would, if adopted, give birth to a new tax raising code to satisfy the wants and fancies of tyrants in government___ all the above to be implemented under the pretext of the "Fair Tax Reform", a reform which promises to abolish the IRS and income taxation, but in substance and truth will only tighten the iron fist of government around the people's productivity, and demand the less fortunate people in our society to shamefully kneel to the iron fist of government to receive their monthly government check___ a family consumption allowance which cleverly creates a new army of voters dependent upon folks in government for their subsistence. Were we not warned by Hamilton in Federalist Paper 79 that 'A POWER OVER A MAN's SUBSISTENCE AMOUNTS TO A POWER OVER HIS WILL'? "

As we have observed in the two hundred some years of the current American republic "paper" guarantees of freedom and respect for rights are easily subverted over time by political machinations made possible by "interpretations" of various courts.

The next time you buy tires or pay your telephone bill, please note the federal excise tax on both these items that was added eighty years ago (as a temporary tax) to fund World War I. When the income tax was passed in 1913, some wanted a cap limiting it to 5% for the "rich" and to 2% for everyone else. It was felt by proponents that this wasn't necessary because people would never stand for it being any higher. History shows us all how that worked out.

Atomistic as it may be to some, user fee style taxes are the only morally just and (somewhat) controllable form of taxation.

-Ali Massoud

Posted by Ali Massoud at August 26, 2005 12:34 PM

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