Fair Tax Rally to be held in Atlanta. I'm going to attend.

[flashdebadge]

The fair tax plan introduced by John Linder (a repub) and talk radio host Neal Boortz will be holding the rally in Atlanta during the month of May. Although my first thought is "what am I thinking? This is a repub plan." I've heard pro's and con's on this plan here at DU. With some being quite supportive of the idea. With so many people having different views, I've decided to hear about this plan first hand. I'll report back with my findings. Is anyone else in the area considering attending?

[nickinSTL]

1. Is this just another name for a flat tax?

What are the details?

[flashdebadge]

3. I think it's similar. But I'm not exactly sure.

[papau]

4. This final GOP screw the poor/middleclas tax plan - a 60% sales tax!

They even use a 33% tax restated as 24.8% by saying tax percentage should be calculated by dividing total bill by tax portion.

So buy $100, pay tax of 33%, pay total tax plus item of $133, then call tax percentage 33/133 - or 24.8%! :-)

Also say Sales tax replaces income tax - but keep income tax called PAYROLL or SOC SECURITY tax as that one has a wage cap that helps the rich.

Then claim you only need twenty some percent as the tax, without mentioning you are cutting the government down to just the Pentagon and Interstate roads - you are not financing the current budget.

Luxury tax in the 90's proved the rich can excape ANY sales tax.

Is Tax is heaven for the rich - enjoy the event!

:-)

[TheFarseer]

5. Fair tax is different

Fair tax is more or less a national sales tax. It is FULL of fuzzy math. They say there would be a "prebate" so people can afford food etc. I have always wondered what would be taxable and the lengths that people would go to avoid paying this tax (i.e. a black market or a barter system) Also, proponents say the tax rate would be around 24% but detractors say as high as 60%. OK, you're pretty much up to speed now.

[CottonBear]

9. The poor and middle class spend a greater % on things than the wealthy.

The wealthy spend less on things and services in relation to their income. The fair tax is anything but.

[Speck Tater]

8. My understanding of it is that it could be a good thing IF...

As I understand it, it is a flat national sales tax on non-necessities. Groceries would NOT be taxed, medical costs and drugs would NOT be taxed, except for vanity proceedures like breast implants or face lifts, which would be taxed.

By examining the spending habits of the poor, the middle class, and the rich, it could be determined which items are taxable and which are not. A poor family could buy all the basic necessisites of life and never pay a penny in national sales tax while someone buying a 50-foot yacht would be taxed on that purchase. Perhaps a basic, fuel-efficient vehicle would have no tax, or minimal tax while a Hummer would be more heavily taxed. In other words, the first X number of dollars of a vehicle would be tax exempt and anything over that would be taxed at the flat rate.

By completely replacing the income tax with such a tax system people would no longer have to file tax returns and they would get 100% of their pay check, and the poorest families would end up paying no taxes at all.

Done right, I think it could work to everyone's advantage. Unless you work for H&R Block, in which case you'd have to find a new job.

[TheFarseer]

12. I don't see how that would work

How the hell are we going to replace all the revenue from income tax by taxing yachts new cars? Who in the world would buy a new car if a used car is not subject to the tax? We'd have a country just like Cuba, people driving around 50 year old cars. You couldn't tax gas because that wouldn't be fair. You couldn't tax eating out or restaurants and fast food in particular would be totally ruined with people switching to frozen food etc. Sales of TV's and refrigerators would be way down. People would try to find them at garage sales and so forth. Then the tax has to be raised to replace revenue from people buying used and this would just never work! I think estimates assume current buying patterns stay the same and that is totally unrealistic.

[trotsky]

16. You are exactly right.

Any consumption-based tax has the instant result of discouraging consumption. Instant recession, and ongoing hesitation to commit to any large purchases. Bad news for a consumer-based economy like ours.

[RubyDuby in GA]

2. If I don't drop this baby by then, I will

But I'll be doing op research for Allan Burns, the Democrat running against John Linder for Georgia's 7th District. www.allanburns.com

I've had Mr. Burns out to speak at my county party meeting and I can tell you he's got a good head on his shoulders.

In all actuality, Linder and Boortz's plan will increase taxes, but I guess they negate to mention that. Funny. :shrug:

[napi21]

6. NOPE! I've ead and heard enough about this monster plan

to understand just how bad it is!

If you haven't, just google fair tax plan and start reading.

The other thing you might want to keep in mind is that these folks claim they can cover all taxes that are currently paid, with a 25% sales tax on everything. Does that even BEGIN to make sense to you?

[CottonBear]

7. I woulds run, not walk, away from the unfair tax plan.

The only plan that Boortz and Linder have is to tax the working class and middle class and eliminate taxes on investments.

The "fair tax" is anything but fair. It is a plan to increase taxes on the working poor, working class and middle class so that the wealthy investor classes can pay no taxes.
:grr:

John Linder is not to ever, ever be trusted not is Boortz. Linder is the worst kind of Georgia Republican.

[KyuzoGator]

10. I'm another DUer in favor of the Fair Tax.

It gives citizens the power to cut funding for an irresponsible, overspending government. And it gives the government motivation to encourage economic growth and development.

I like the idea of being able to regulate my taxation.

[daa]

11. The Fed did a study

and holders of assets are losers. Old people that have saved for retirement will see the value of their funds drop. They have been taxed on the earnings and now they would be taxed when they spend, so anybody that saved would get hit twice.

How much of a tax are you willing to pay on gas? Doctor visits? Prescriptions? House?

Linder and Stooge say 23% and they are lying. Their way it is actually 30% and that probably wouldn't be high enough.

This is another republican BS scheme to soak the little guy.

[Finder]

13. I am for it...with some additional qualifiers.

There are many progressives and dems who are looking at it carefully. The plan proposes giving prebates to everyone to cover tax on essentials. I will be interested in hearing your feedback.

[nickinSTL]

14. Fair tax?

Here's a fair tax...50% tax on ALL income by people making $1 million or more.

Good f*ing luck getting that to work, though.

[trotsky]

15. Shifting the tax burden to the poorest.

Who spends most of their income? The poor and middle class. They end up with the highest effective tax rate.

The richest mofos, even if they buy new cars and yachts, won't come close to spending all their income, so their effective tax rate goes down - WAY down.

Just another giveaway to the rich at the expense of the rest of us.

[daa]

17. For example

The poor spend all of their income and the wealthy save most. When they put the luxury tax on yachts, the yacht industry in Maine went bust and the rich went to Bermuda to buy their Yachts.

The rich can beat it and the poor can't.

If they put all the exemptions on that some of you are talking about the rate would be 60%.

Already studies show that at 30% (Linder's version of 23%) avoidance is a problem.

Follow the money people.

[ProfessorGAC]

18. If Neal Boortz Support Fair Tax, It Has To Be A Horrible Idea

Besides, i've read through that proposal (over a year ago) and it sure doesn't look that "fair" to me. And, it claims to be revenue neutral, but there is no data to support that, and the numbers don't work out.

The Professor

[ProfessorGAC]

19. Dupe Post

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