I’ve come to the conclusion that the FairTax no longer represents fundamental pro-growth tax reform.
It has taken me awhile to resolve my feelings for the FairTax. Unlike Indy and others, I think the bill would benefit our economy and country greatly. I think it might be one of the few ways out of this mess our congress critters have made with entitlements. I think a consumption tax is a better way to raise revenue than a tax on productivity. I think the FairTax would encourage savings and investment, bring foreign capital to our shores, strengthen the dollar and lower the price of oil.
The problem is that the FairTax promoters and supporters jumped onto the Mike “I’m happy to raise taxes in anyway you want” Huckabee bandwagon. How is it that people who want to lower taxes and improve government would vote for someone who increased the tax burden of his state by 50%?
I began to realize that the FairTax promoters would use any means available to promote their idea and the FairTax supporters would buy it. The FairTax movement stopped being for better public policy and became a cult.
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Ok, If you want your ideas to be taken seriously don’t have your 4th grader draw the cover.
I was expecting to be disappointed by the recommendations from the President’s Tax Reform Panel, but what is leaking out so far is even worse than I expected.
It seems clear that meaningful tax reform is not going to happen with this administration. Significant tax reform will require a bold leader with a concrete plan, not political coward. This is the time for 2008 Presidential nominee hopefuls to break with the administration over fiscal policy. As I pointed out earlier John McCain is beginning to make his moves, and Newt Gingrich is spending more time in Iowa and New Hampshire than he is in Georgia these days.
The problem is legislators don’t win the White House. Governors (and VPs) have won the presidency since JFK was elected 45 years ago. We need a GOP Governor to step away from the pack and take the President and Congress to task for its irresponsible actions over the past 6 years.
Two points:
1) The Fairtax Book is #1 on the New York Times bestseller list!
2) The Da Vinci Code is still number one? I read that book 2.5 years ago!
So Neal Boortz and John Linder’s book will debut as the #1 non-fiction book on the New York Times best seller list. That’s pretty impressive and a testament to the hard work done by Linder, Boortz and others.
However, there is a danger from all this publicity. K-Street hates this bill because they would lose their ability manipulate the tax code for their clients. Democratic operatives don’t like the bill because they lose their ability to use “soak the rich” rhetoric.
But the tremendous outpouring of popular support for the FairTax means that Congress won’t be able to sweep this under the rug in committee. So they will have to defeat this bill via other means.
Expect to see Congress-Critters come out in support of the concept but not the bill. K-Street will develop their own FairTax, one that lobbyists and their Congressional lapdogs can tweak for the benefit of their clients. Class Warfare leftists will demand that “luxury items” get taxed at a higher rate than “necessities”. Expect to see corporate taxes added back into their bill. The prebate, which the Linder FairTax says every American gets, will become income based – only those who make below a certain amount will get the prebate.
The status-quo interests will soon realize they can’t stop the FairTax – so instead they will subvert it, and I think they will win.
I was one of the several hundred who attended Neal Boortz and John Linder’s book rally at the Cobb County Civic center Friday. I’ve got to admit that this book may be one of the best things to happen for the FairTax to date.
The book is #3 on amazon.com (#1 non-fiction), it hit #1 on Barnes and Noble awhile back and may debut on the New York Times best seller list.
It also sounds like there may be plans to organize a FairTax rally on The Mall in DC. If several hundred thousand people show up it would be a powerful sign to congress. One of the people I was eating with suggested renting a bus or motor home and having a FairTax screen put on it.
I got to meet several notable people including Royal, Herman Cain (who I met at a FairTax event in ’02), and Casey Cagle. It gave me a chance to promote the Gwinnett RLC, and made me realize how few Republicans really know what the RLC is. Something to work on.
is honored to host a
FairTax Rally
in celebration of
the long-awaited release:
“The FairTax Book”
by
Neal Boortz
& Rep. John Linder
Join a crowd of FairTax supporters at the Cobb Civic Center in Marietta, GA to celebrate the release of “The FairTax Book.” Doors open at 1:00pm Rally begins at 1:15pm. Books will be available for purchase from Chapter 11 Books. After Neal’s broadcast is concluded, the Civic Center’s doors will be open to free admission so Neal Boortz can devote some quality time to his throngs of fans, autographing copies of “The FairTax Book” for as long as his wrist holds up!
Wow – Boortz and Linder’s FairTax book is ranked higher than the Harry Potter book on Barnes and Noble.
Cool
