A National Sales Tax: The Time is Now

Written by Nader Ghali


"If you elect me, Senator Katherine Laforge, as your next president, my National Sales Tax will give you back true equity inrepparttar share of taxes you pay. You will no longer berepparttar 125858 utilitarian taxpayer forrepparttar 125859 elite." "Hulagu's Web - chapter 10"

The heroine in "Hulagu's Web" is a true believer in Frank Chodorov's compelling view that income tax isrepparttar 125860 root of all evil. Why, under our current National Income Tax system, do billions in real income earned by criminal endeavors,repparttar 125861 underground economy and illegal aliens go totally untaxed? Why arerepparttar 125862 complexities of our tax code so onerous that onlyrepparttar 125863 wealthy can affordrepparttar 125864 resources, knowledge and ability to truly access expert advice on how to legally minimize their taxes? The answer to these questions is thatrepparttar 125865 everyday wage earner with his passiveness, unquestioned acceptance, and fear ofrepparttar 125866 taxation process has become politically impotent. His naïve trust inrepparttar 125867 wisdom of his elective officials has made himrepparttar 125868 elite's utilitarian taxpayer. It's time to moverepparttar 125869 proposal to implement a National Sales Tax out ofrepparttar 125870 realm of political theatre and into reality. The idea bobs up and down during key election years but continues to meet stiff resistance insiderepparttar 125871 corridors of power. Clearly a vast lobby of Washington's politicians, lawyers and accountants with special interests seem intent on declaring such a proposal "dead on arrival" before giving it a fair hearing. However, soon that may change. No less an authority than Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan has recently endorsed a National Sales Tax. While Mr. Greenspan has been known to easily roil financial markets by his cryptic oracles onrepparttar 125872 state ofrepparttar 125873 economy, his stance on a National Sales Tax rings resoundingly clear. Speaking beforerepparttar 125874 President's Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform, Mr. Greenspan said he believed that a consumption tax—such as a National Sales Tax—could spur economic growth. One of his most important arguments was that a consumption tax could lead to increased savings. The reason for this is obvious. If, instead of taxing income,repparttar 125875 government taxes spending—then consumers will think twice about what they spend their money on. Greenspan made it clear that completely eliminatingrepparttar 125876 current income tax with a consumption tax would meet with tremendous opposition and involve a great deal of complex transitional issues. It's also clear thatrepparttar 125877 loopholes inrepparttar 125878 current, convoluted tax system continue to benefitrepparttar 125879 elite and industries.The proposal for a National Sales Tax is part ofrepparttar 125880 President's push for a complete overhaul ofrepparttar 125881 tax system, a pledge he made in his re-election campaign. It's clear that no idea is offrepparttar 125882 table, and this one certainly has a long pedigree. Mr. Greenspan noted thatrepparttar 125883 National Sales Tax was considered back in 1986, but reformers instead choserepparttar 125884 more politically cautious approach of working to "overhaul"repparttar 125885 current system instead. So much for "overhauling"—the current tax code is substantially more complicated and confusing now than it was then. The National Retail Sales Tax Alliance, which supportsrepparttar 125886 complete abolition of our current income tax system, gives some key figures that illustrate how complexrepparttar 125887 system has become. They point out that inrepparttar 125888 year 2000,repparttar 125889 1040 form alone was 70 lines long, with 117 pages of instructions. Americans spend nearly two hundred billion dollars a year in filing their taxes. The current push for an "overhaul" should do more than simply tiptoe aroundrepparttar 125890 elephant inrepparttar 125891 living room. It should strike a dagger intorepparttar 125892 heart of this burdensome behemoth once and for all. The current tax system has made liars out of many otherwise decent, hard-working Americans, while providing endless shelters and loopholes forrepparttar 125893 elite and wealthy. A National Sales Tax is a more equitable proposal, and would bring in greater revenue streams. Everyone who buys goods or services would pay taxes. Unlikerepparttar 125894 current system where illegal aliens can dodge their taxes by carrying on business underrepparttar 125895 table, nobody would be exempt from a National Sales Tax. This includes everyone fromrepparttar 125896 honest workers to hardened criminals or drug traffickers. Withrepparttar 125897 acceptance of a National Sales Tax, endless man-hours and millions of dollars otherwise spent in "audits" would be saved. The chance of property confiscation for improperly paying taxes or going to prison for tax fraud would be alleviated or at least greatly reduced. A National Sales Tax will bring many denizens back into our society as productive members and true citizens of our country.

It still doesn’t pay to be gay

Written by by Kurt St. Angelo


It still doesn’t pay to be gay by Kurt St. Angelo

From my legal perspective, I seerepparttar issue of gay marriages or civil unions as one of civil rights.

The federal government’s civil rights laws prohibit discrimination against people based on race, age, or gender. So how can state legislatures legally discriminate against a class of people – homosexual couples – based onrepparttar 125857 sameness of their gender?

Having raised this question for intellectual purposes only, I’ve got to admit that I’m not a big fan of civil rights, and I don’t defend them. In spite of their egalitarian motivations, they are a misnomer.

Civil rights are neither civil nor rights. They are privileges bestowed by government on one group of people, which always come atrepparttar 125858 expense ofrepparttar 125859 equal rights of others.

Marriage privileges are civil rights. Both government and business give married people perks thatrepparttar 125860 rest of us don’t get and that we largely subsidize. Licensed married people get preferential tax rates, better employee benefits and legal protections. Advocates of gay marriages or civil unions want these privileges of marriage extended to gay couples.

I can’t say that I do … and it’s not because I’m against anyone’s sexual preferences. I don’t want government bestowing more privileges upon anyone.

Heck, if gay couples get civil-marriage rights, there will be one fewer disfavored class of people to subsidizerepparttar 125861 taxes and insurance rates of married heterosexuals. How fair will that be on singles like me and ordinary cohabitants?

It’s one thing to exercise our natural rights to marry under God. It’s another to force others who are unlicensed to subsidize our behavior, hetero or otherwise.

We would be best to dismantle special interest privileges, not add to them. Besides, I wouldn’t wish government privileges upon anybody. They come with too much government servitude and accountability.

Marriage licenses grantrepparttar 125862 state power to divide marital assets according torepparttar 125863 whims ofrepparttar 125864 General Assembly. I don’t understand why gay couples would want their relationship subject to our state legislators.

Ultimately I’d like to see all licensed people freed from their unnecessary commitments to government. This would include not only licensed married people, but also licensed attorneys, doctors, electricians and sports trainers.

The government can no more certifyrepparttar 125865 quality of doctors or lawyers through licensing than it canrepparttar 125866 quality of marriages or civil unions.

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