If there's one thing to like about the Republicans, it's the fact that they support tax reform. In theory, at least. The party hasn't produced any meaningful tax reform in decades, but now there's talk of a revolutionary overhaul that could end taxes on the poor, eliminate the IRS, and greatly simplify taxes for all Americans. It would free up billions of dollars in productivity that are now wasted on filling out tax paperwork, crunching numbers, and arguing with the IRS over how much you already deposited on what date and for what purpose.
The Democrats, for some reason, don't like the national retail sales tax. I think they honestly just don't get the concept, because the national sales tax would eliminate taxes on the poor by sending every low-income wage earner a bonus check each year that covered the sales taxes for basic cost-of-living items like food, clothing and rent. The real tax payers, under this system, would be the big-time spenders: rich people who want to drive $85,000 Hummers or float around on million-dollar yachts.
Under the National Retail Sales Tax (also called the Fair Tax in a slightly different rendition) allows each individual to control how much tax they want to pay by controlling their spending. If you don't like to pay taxes, then you can choose to buy less stuff. If you choose to consume at a high level, however, you're going to pay your fair share of the federal budget.
As readers of this site know, I think the Bush Administration is a political and humanitarian disaster. But if it manages to pass meaningful tax reform, that would at least be one positive thing the administration will have accomplished. It's foolish to automatically disagree with everything the Republicans propose. Smart Americans evaluate each proposal, regardless of which party sponsored it. Sadly, though, I think many well-meaning Democrats are against this tax reform simply because the Republicans are behind it. And that's a bad reason to oppose a good idea.
It's time to stop taxing poor people and start making the wealthy consumers in society pay for their lavish lifestyles. The Fair Tax or National Retail Sales Tax is the way to make that happen. The political party that thought of it first doesn't really matter.
About the author: Mike Adams is an award-winning journalist and holistic nutritionist with a strong interest in personal health, the environment and the power of nature to help us all heal He has authored more than 1,800 articles and dozens of reports, guides and interviews on natural health topics, and he has created several downloadable courses on survival and preparedness, including his widely-downloaded course on personal safety and self-defense. Adams is a trusted, independent journalist who receives no money or promotional fees whatsoever to write about other companies' products. In 2010, Adams launched TV.NaturalNews.com, a natural health video site featuring videos on holistic health and green living. He also launched an online retailer of environmentally-friendly products (BetterLifeGoods.com) and uses a portion of its profits to help fund non-profit endeavors. He's also a veteran of the software technology industry, having founded a personalized mass email software product used to deliver email newsletters to subscribers. Adams volunteers his time to serve as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and pursues hobbies such as martial arts, Capoeira, nature macrophotography and organic gardening. Known on the 'net as 'the Health Ranger,' Adams shares his ethics, mission statements and personal health statistics at www.HealthRanger.org
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Thursday, November 11, 2004
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