Journal redfiche's Journal: I usually can't stand the bitch, but 9
she certainly is of my mind on this issue.
Funny how priorities change from before an election to after.
Funny how priorities change from before an election to after.
Variables don't; constants aren't.
Excellent column. (Score:2)
Re:Excellent column. (Score:1)
Re:Excellent column. (Score:1)
Re:Excellent column. (Score:1)
Someone speaking in favour of taxing the rich... (Score:1)
William's father, Jack Straw, currently earns £125,000 a year. He also happens to be the current Home Secretary (responsible for law & order).
William will be amongst the students leading a protest march to Parliament, organised by the National Union of Students, which is taking place today.
Re:Someone speaking in favour of taxing the rich.. (Score:1)
Re:Someone speaking in favour of taxing the rich.. (Score:2)
It's simple: All consumer goods get taxed once and exactly once. Used goods aren't taxed, supplies and labor that go into producing consumer goods aren't taxed.
It's fair: You get taxed on what you consume. Right now, working harder and getting a pay raise gets you punished by pushing you into a higher tax bracket. Under this system, you pay more taxes when you buy more stuff. Rich people always buy more stuff.
No more IRS. That agency costs way too much (in my mind), and exists mostly to shake people down. Call the IRS Help Line with a tax form problem, and only one in four answers is likely to be correct... but if you do things incorrectly relying on their advice, it's you that has to answer for it.
And the real selling point for me is, under the current system, when the government wants to spend more, Congress can just vote in a tax hike, even when the economy's in a downturn and people need their money. Under this system, the purse-strings are put back in the hands of the people. Tax shelters aren't even worth bothering with.
It just makes sense from every direction I look at it. Unfortunately, sense isn't in high supply in D.C.
Re:Someone speaking in favour of taxing the rich.. (Score:2)
Re:Someone speaking in favour of taxing the rich.. (Score:2)
But there's two good things. One, the biggest supporter of this bill in the House (who happens to be from my state) was re-elected by a good margin last November, which means that this bill's going to be re-introduced. Each time it's been introduced in the past, support has grown.
And the grassroots support for this bill has been rather remarkable, especially considering the relative lack of mainstream news coverage.
Anyhow, this bill does make an effort to cover consumer services. Check out this FAQ question [fairtaxvolunteer.org] on what exactly would be taxed.