| Dear Letters Editor: www.fairtax.com says repeal the federal income tax, including capital gains taxes, corporate and self-employment taxes, all payroll taxes including Social Security and Medicare taxes, and all estate and gift taxes and replace them with a 23% sales tax. Libertarians have debated the merits of a national sales tax for years. It will reduce compliance costs (forms, files, etc.), but most have concluded that as long as people think it's OK to steal from one another by way of government, little will change. Expect the 23% to increase to ridiculous levels and beget smugglers and "cheaters," and the larger and more ruthless IRS "necessary" to stop them. When that doesn't work, expect the income tax and its insidious withholding to re-emerge in a "national emergency." www.fairtax.com also intends "a universal rebate equal to the sales tax paid on essential goods and services to ensure that no American pays taxes on necessities." What are essential and necessary --an automobile, stereo, microwave oven, cable TV? American poor have these "necessities" and demand more. As long as theft is a function of need, as long as government enables plunder rather than protect life, liberty and property, then there is no end to theft, regardless of its method. The real solution is to restore the rule of law and eliminate the three-quarters of the federal government that is not authorized by the Constitution. The remainder can run fine on duties or lotteries. www.fairtax.com wants to repeal the 16th amendment to the Constitution that authorized taxation of income. The courts have found that the 16th Amendment --"The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration."-- granted no new taxing powers. It only allowed "progressive" taxation by eliminating the requirement that all direct taxes be in proportion to the population. Sincerely, Bill Holmes, Vice Chair Antelope Valley Libertarian Party P.O. Box 3475 Quartz Hill, California 93586-3475 bill.holmes@avlp.org 661-943-7473 voice/fax http://www.avlp.org |
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