Time for a Real Tax Overhaul, Not Simple ‘Reform’
(We should abandon the “Reform” term altogether)
The United States Constitution was established in part to “promote the general welfare.” It is clear to all, or certainly to a majority of citizens that our current Federal tax system does anything but promote the general welfare.
Where is the clamor from the citizenry to demand that the government seriously pursue this objective?
I believe that the time has come for the United States to adopt the FairTax. Not a change to value-added, or a change to a flat tax, but a change to the FairTax. The Fair Tax was introduced some years ago by radio host Neil Boortz and Georgia Congressman John Linder in 2006, in the book The FairTax Book: Saying Goodbye to the Income Tax and the IRS. You can purchase the book and a follow-up book, FairTax: The Truth, here.
The FairTax is fundamentally a national sales tax that would replace all forms of Federal Taxes, including Income and Payroll taxes.
If we collectively demand that Congress adopt the FairTax, goods produced in the United States could be exported with ZERO imbedded taxes, and I believe that this is the most beneficial of the FairTax benefits.
A goal of our government should be to “lift all boats,” and low-cost exports should bring many manufacturing jobs back to the United States. It should be clear to us all that our biggest limitation to promoting the general welfare is the lack of new jobs in this country.
According the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in January 2009, the United States had 81 million “not in the labor force” and 11.6 million “Unemployment”: total of 92.6 million not working, and apparently not looking for work.
In July 2014, the number “Not in labor force” was 92 million, and the “Unemployed” was 9.7 million: at total of 99.7 million not working and apparently not looking for work.
The Obama Administration, whether you approve of the work or not, has overseen an economy that has resulted in 7.1 million fewer people working in the United States. Does anyone wonder how much they are taking from the US Treasury versus how little they must be contributing?
Would we not all be better off if our country had work for these nearly 100 million folks? The FairTax should be given a chance to work, even if the skeptics are noisier than I.
I encourage you to ask your representatives and your colleagues, family members et al to support giving the FairTax a shot at succeeding!
Jim Dick is a California resident, also a lifetime conservative.
