Sharon Ash's statement ignores the fact that though the "IRS" may vanish in mae only, there WILL have to be an audit agency at the federal level that insures proper collection of sales taxes, and that may consume just as many resources as the IRS currently uses.

I really like the fair tax in principal and I really don't think it's all that regressive, assuming certain vital things like most health care (trips to the dentist etc...) are exempt. If it reduces consumption, that's a GOOD THING. We're obscene materialists and I'm all for less spending on crap. The problem with the tax is mainly that it will cause a massive black market - don't underestimate that. Talk about the need to build a wall on the borders. People will be smuggling everything imaginable into the country to save 30%!

I'm simultaneously intrigued and skeptical of the Fair Tax. A friend of mine (who supports it) wrote a pretty good review of it and there is some good, fairly high-level back and forth in the comments. Check it out here: http://www.triplepundit.com/pages/p romote-sustainability-by-reth-002510.php

Why the attack on Huckabee? Other candidates like the Fair Tax...where are they mentioned in the article? Even Democrat candidate Mike Gravel supports it. I don't see him name. This is just another attempt to bring down the good name of Governor Mike Huckabee. www.vetsformike.com

How noble of you idiotic sheep, to want to pay more in taxes, so that the wealthy can pay less! I salute you. Because that is exactly what this Trojan Horse is all about. What position do you all prefer when the wealthy elite are reaming your bunghole - bent over a chair or freestyle? Morons. Huckabee needs to read his New Testament, particularly the Book of Acts, which talks about "taking from each according to their ability and giving to those based on their need". He is the biggest phony Christian since, well, George W. Bush!

I didn't say that used items were taxed. What i implied was that everything will somehow become a "used item" - ie - people will play shenenegins to avoid the tax, which will incite the government to get involved and either try to tax used items or get on people's backs big-time about what they buy and sell.

This article is full of false statements. This is the easy overview of the FairTax proposal that is already before congress and is picking up steam with the media attention that Gov. Mike Huckabee has been giving to it. I will give a couple of reasons why it is imperative that this proposal passes. The tax system as we know it has only been in existence since 1913. It used to be against the constitution but our government pushed it through the states to ratify the constitution and make it legal. The government made a good case for an income tax saying that only the rich people would be taxed. Sadly that was wrong because rich people don’t pay taxes they just make you pay more for their product or get a good lawyer to put their funds places that will not be taxed. The FairTax. Abolishes the IRS – The IRS will no longer be around to audit you and take your property. Implements a 23% nationwide federal sales tax on things that you buy or pay for – Because of all the corporate taxes there is an estimated 27% - 31% imbedded taxes on everything that you buy. Because we live in a capitalistic (competitive) society when those imbedded taxes are gone the cost of the product will drop by that much. For Example: If you bought a loaf of bread right now for $1.00 and paid a local tax of 6% you would pay $1.06 for that loaf of bread. Now if the FairTax is put in place that loaf of bread would drop from $1.00 to $0.73 you would then have a 23% Federal Tax and a 6% Local tax your total would be $0.95 that is including your local tax-------you pay less. Gives a Pre-bate on all taxes up to the Poverty level for all U.S. citizens. For Example: If the poverty level for 4 people is $10000.00 a year then that family would receive $191.66 a month even if they don’t need it. No more Income tax, Social Security tax, Medicare tax. What you make before taxes is what you bring home. The only time you will get taxed is when you buy something. No more taxes on dividends, no more taxes on retirements, etc. I do not have any affiliations with the FairTax people other than that I support this plan. If there are any inaccuracies in what I have told I apologize in advance because there was none intended. The best option to find out more about the FairTax is to go to www.fairtax.org , pick up the book at your local bookstore or there is some information on www.mikehuckabee.com

This is a far better researched piece than most recent reports in the press despite Mr. Karavounis' skepticism. He did, however, fail to account for the transformational change on low and moderate income Americans of also eliminating the highly regressive FICA payroll tax under the FairTax. Either 7.65% or 15.3% (for the self employed)comes off the first dollar earned up to $97,500 of annual earnings. Most low and moderate income taxpayers pay far more under this regressive tax than under the income tax system. Elimination of this tax is the missing element in this analysis that makes the FairTax far more progressive than the current system. We believe at FairTax.org that this proposal, unlike all other tax proposals, does not pit income groups against each other. It may be hard to accept because we have been conditioned by our elected officials for years to believe that for one group to gain another must lose, but in the FairTax there are advantages across the income spectrum. Essentially, those with more money to spend, pay more taxes under the FairTax and existing wealth is taxed when spent--unlike the current system. That the wealthy may pay a smaller percentage of total wealth in taxes than others has no real import if every other income group has so much more left for themselves after taxes. The plain fact of the matter is, the wealthy today are able to "game" the income tax system with tax lobbyists and tax lawyers to escape a fair share--a benefit not usually enjoyed by average Americans. The FairTax eliminates both politics and tax lobbyists from the federal tax system because there are no loopholes, gimmicks or arcane provisions that now serve to primarily benefit the very wealthy. Instead, the prebate has the greatest effect on one's annual tax burden the closer one is to the poverty line. While Nico is correct that some taxes will be paid for spending over the poverty line, the annual tax burden paid only grows significantly the further one is from that point. The income tax code stopped being about the national economy and the well being of taxpayers decades ago. Today it is a politics and profit driven system that makes Members of Congress powerful, tax lobbyists rich and tax experts in demand in Washington, DC. We believe that the FairTax has the unusual potential to unite the left, right and center against the self dealing of Washington. In our view it would a nice change for once, healthy for the nation and a great benefit to every taxpayer. Both this and the end of the huge cottage industry that exists to lobby, research and manipulate the income tax system is, of course, a huge threat to those in Washington, DC and they have gone to great lengths recently to distort the issue. The more the public learns about the actual details of the idea, however, the more the public embraces the FairTax and seen through these distortions. For the FairTax to ever see enactment both Democrats and Republican citizens will have to join together to overcome the vested self interests of Congress (both parties) and Washington power brokers. This is clearly no small task. Our greatest frustration is that while we have made significant progress "getting through" to Republican presidential candidates (many more than Mike Huckabee) we have been unable, to date, to explain in detail to Democratic front runners why we think the FairTax will save union jobs, stop the movement of wealth offshore, give the poor real upward mobility and let every worker begin to accumulate wealth without penalty by the federal government. So far, only Mike Gravel has listened--and he also supports the FairTax. Details about our national movement to unite the nation against the power elite who profit very nicely from the income tax system can be found at: www.fairtax.org All are welcome.

Your article is inaccurate. The assumptions you make to support your viewpoint are erroneous. Before you write you should research your subject. You have obviously taken your information from previously written discredited sources.

This is only on sales at the retail level. If you buy a loaf of bread at the store and pay a dollar (including the FairTax) you can turn around and sell it to your neighbor for what ever you want to. If he wants to pay you $2.00 for it he can...and you wont be sending in anything to the govt cause you are not a retailer. Or he can go to the store and buy it for a dollar.

As long as there are taxes there will be cheating. The Federal government, under Republicans and Democrats consistently spend about 18 - 22% of GDP. Why not just let the government spend up to 22% ?(Yes, print the money) Where will it come from? The same place as always - the U.S. economy. You save all the aggravation of tax compliance, avoidance, and redirected nonproductive activity. Will it cause inflation? Only for the first year, and then less than you might imagine. With globalization, the extra money will be diluted worldwide. Much of the extra money will go into investments (not considered as inflation) and businesses will still have to compete with overseas companies' prices. You effectivley catch all the cheaters, eliminate the need to borrow (except maybe for a war) and make the U.S. a business tax haven. Maybe best of all, you permantly eliminate the tax issue from the Republicans.

The savings from abolishing the IRS and all that goes with it -- CPAs, tax lawyers, paper shufflers, NTEU -- would be huge. The idea is worthy of serious consideration.

You also completely forgot embedded taxes on EVERY product and service that we buy which would be eliminated with the FairTax! Get it right.

I respectfully suggest that you would do well to get correct facts and speak to Americans for Fair Taxation to understand what the Fair Tax does and does not do. And ubderstand The FairTax.

Prices would only go up maybe for a while. Free trade would set the prices, remember. How quickly we forgot, if cost goes down, price goes down OR profits go up (only for a while). i recommend that you study price elasticity and the effects of free trade on retail pricing strategies.

If we want to debate about the evil of regressive taxes, consider social security. Those who make over about $100K per year only pay social security on the first $100K. (i.e. a person who makes $100 Million would only pay SS on his first .1% of her earnings. Someone who makes $99K pays social security on 100% of her earnings.

Let's attack the real source of waste and fraud in govenrment and lay-off 75% of the Pentagon employees. THAT is where you could really reduce costs and improve governmental efficiency. Those unproductive bastards produce nothing of any value - just death and suffering.....

There is no way that the general public will pay 23 or 30% GST/VAT on top of local sales taxes. It would be political suicide once people realise what fair-tax means for shelf prices. I still see this as a regressive tax (even with prebates), because the poor & middle class spend 100%+ of their income, while the rich may only spend 10% of their income that would be subject to national & local sales tax.

This is a tax increase for the middle class and the working class. This campaign is strictly 3rd world where illiteracy prevails. I was living in Jamaica in 1989 when a campaign for this same type tax was widely advertised with jingoism to go with it advertising how much benefit this new tax will be to those paying it. Why the Democrats don't hop on this huge tax increase is mind boggling. I mean Democrats lose elections by promising tax increases, the Republican shove it up their asses.The Republican campaign on what would be the biggest tax increase in world history and not even a peep from the Democrats. These DLC' consultants have got to go, this is ridiculous.

FAIR TAX is fair - for the rich and the poor. Even criminals - both rich and poor - will not escape taxation. The have to buy, too. No matter how much they black market. And their black markets will be far easier to close in on once we have freed the tied-up resources attempting to enforce the current tax system. By the way, this article is typical of the "false progressive" reporting Mother Jones is doing now whether out of laziness or hidden control (with hidden agendas). Someone should check out their funding and why they recently gave David "left gatekeeper" Corn the Washington DC bureau position - he did yesterday's hit piece on Huckabee. This is shabby journalism that would shame the real Mother Jones.

Any system put in place will have its flaws. But the bottom line is that a simpler system is easier run and therefore cheaper to run. The current system, over a hundred years old, is still so very complicated that most people dread April 15. Like I said, every system has its flaws, but the Fair Tax has got to be better than our current system.

WRONG!!!! When will people do their own research, or at least read the FairTax book before passing along these untruths?? Under the FairTax, an item that currently costs $100 has about $23 of embedded tax. That's CURRENT. Under the FairTax, those taxes are dropped along with ALL payroll and income taxes and replaced with a 23% sales tax, effectively leaving prices the same but you get to keep your whole paycheck. Add to that the pre-bate feature reimbursing anyone who signs on the cost of the basic necessities in life and you have effectively untaxed the poor. I don't know which lobbying group Mr. Karvounis works for, but HR 25 must really have them scared because of all the lies and mistruths being passed about it. Just read the book to get the real facts a to how the program works.

Uh, hello? Am I in an alternate universe or something? I'm a working class American and NOBODY where I work earns 70,000 a year! Guess we must not be 'average Americans', huh? I'm really starting to wonder what the mythological creature known in the media as an 'average American' actually looks like! Do they all live in condos and make 100,000 a year or am I somehow just living in one of the back water abnormalities in the USA where people are doomed to be lower class and even Jesus can't bring you Salvation? This always freaks me out when I read that the 'average American' makes 70 grand a year when everybody I know is just barely getting by with car insurance, rent, medical bills, local taxes, utility bills and every other form of nickel and dime rape this governmental system burdens them with in the name of 'capitalism.' When is reality finally going to dawn on the American people and they realize that Corporations have replaced the Government that they held their trust in and, if you are willing to work for a minimum wage of 52 cents an hour, as they do in China for Wal-Mart, then you have a job. And, if not, then you and your children can starve to death and the Constitution will just be a common joke we all once shared. God, this country needs a Hero!

What no one is saying, and I know this because I was a top tax expert in my state for more than twenty years and I have actually read the entire tax code (one of the few in the country who has), it is ILLEGAL to tax income earned from your labors. The income tax of 1913 was to end one full year following the end of the war. This was a temporary tax to fund the war. When the tax was supposed to expire, the government did what government does best: it ignored the fact that the tax had expired and pretended it was still in effect. Sure enough, the people didn't know enough about the tax enacted in 1913 and continued to pay income tax and that is how we ended up with the current situation. The illegal part of income tax is ONLY on money earned from your direct labor, in other words, your salary or wages for the work you perform. All other taxes, such as on interest income, capital tax gains, and any income other than from your direct labor are still applicable. And here's the real kicker: the government has used the public's continued blind payment of income tax on the "fruits of their labors" to continue a standing military; the taxes you pay on your income derived directly from your labor goes SOLELY to pay for the military and whatever wars are being fought at any given time. That is all it goes for. All the other money spent by government comes from the myriad other "hidden" taxes we all pay plus other taxes paid by only certain groups such as corporations (which, of course, are passed on to the consumer). As for estate tax, or as the republicans like to call it to get people upset, the "death tax", this tax only applies to millionaires, and even then only on estates with a NET value of more than $5 million (this may have risen since I stopped doing taxes). How many people do you know with that kind of net estate? (Net estate means the gross value of the estate minus all the allowed deductions prior to additional deductions allowed in the actual estate tax return.) Usually a net estate of $5mil ends up paying no taxes. Although this tax applies to only a very small percentage of people, I do not think it is a fair tax because the money passing in the estate was taxed when it was originally accumulated so whether you call it estate tax, inheritance tax (which in truth is a separate tax but most people don't know that) or death tax, it is a double taxation. I have never thought it is a legitimate tax. The IRS could be streamlined, and the tax code most certainly could be simplified, and fewer people would be subject to the jurisdiction of the IRS if all people would simply realize that taxation on income derived from your labors is NOT legal and hasn't been for about 90 years. Why hasn't anyone running for political office told you this? Because THEY DON'T KNOW. Even most people working for the IRS don't know because no one has bothered to find out. But someone finally discovered this little piece of information and made an excellent documentary called "America: Freedom to Fascism", which can be bought from or viewed on the website freedomtofascism.com, which also includes information on the privatization of our monetary system (also done in 1913, with minimal if any information being given to the public) and the implementation of the Radio Frequency ID (RFID) which goes into effect May 11, 2008, and which begins the process of ensuring the government can control everything you do, an equivalent of the number tattoos of Jewish people in Hitler's Germany and the showing of papers. This documentary is produced, written and directed by Aaron Russo. It should make everyone mutinously angry at our government. Check it out.

If families that make $70,000 or less spend more than they make, but families that make $150,000 or more spend less than half of their earnings, does this mean that a living wage for the American family is approximately $75,000? Wouldn't a truly socially just economic policy bring wages to that level irrespective of tax methodology?

It has to cover all spending therefore we should charge the fair tax rate on purchases of stocks and bonds as well. Watch the right drop the proposal like the proverbial "hot potato".

I am still developing my opinion on this subject, but I do like the idea of gaining personal (buying) power at the expense of the goverment (taxes). If you take away the embedded tax, and of course have a true free market that has real competition rather than (corporitist price fixing) then it makes sense that a price for goods would stay about the same--- yet I decide how much tax I pay rather than the IRS!

"How noble of you idiotic sheep, to want to pay more in taxes, so that the wealthy can pay less! I salute you. Because that is exactly what this Trojan Horse is all about." You're the idiot being lead around by the wealthy so they can pay less taxes. The wealthy, like John Kerry, have a myriad of ways to hide or reclassify income so as to avoid paying taxes on it - that's how he and his wife managed to pay 1% federal tax on their 50 million in earn income in 2004. With fair tax the Kerry's, Gore's, Edward's and other wealthy hypocrites of the left won't be able to avoid taxes with fancy book keeping and loop-holes. When they buy the private jets, fill them with fuel, build 25,000 square foot mansions and furnish them they'll actually have to pay tax on it instead of being able to use them as tax writes offs and deductions. Nobody's even mentioned the ability the fair tax has to collect taxes on the underground economy... drug dealers, pimps and thieves will have to start paying taxes with Fair Tax as well. No doubt wealthy liberal elitists are petrified at the concept of Fair Tax as they'll finally be held accountable for the decadent lifestyles and have to pay the taxes for the first time as well as lose a source of enormous power over the lives of others.

It's always easier to give someone the shirt off someone else's back. With all do respect, I think you're backwards on this. It seems like you'd rather keep paying the government 15%-25% of your income just to keep the rich from keeping more of their money. Why so much anger toward the wealthy? The rich are not holding you back at all, it's the IRS. Having just taken hours to work all of these numbers with my budget, I'd have an extra $1,000 per month to give, save, invest, spend, etc... Forget the rich, I'd like that $1,000 back please.

Ralston, people already evade taxes. That's never going to change. You'll always have the criminal. And about used goods...frugal people will always be frugal and big spenders will always be big spenders. There's too many people that just can't imagine buying used clothes and the "new car smell" will always tempt the fool.

Randy - you seem like you have a strong need to "own" your assets, right? Do you have an equally strong need to "own" your liabilities? Because you (and every other taxpayer in America) have a liability of several thousands of dollars, due to the overspending of the American govenrment, mostly under the last three Republican presidents - Bush I, Reagan and Bush II (the Dumber). When are you going to pay up???? Don't give me this crap about "It's my money". Well, jerko, "it's your debt, too!!!!" Pay up, creep.

Huckabee, smuckabee, just another right wing Christian who knows squat about government. We don't need another President who talks to God for answers. We need a President who talks to the people for answers. And as far as a fair tax goes in this country, it will never work as long as we have the carpet bagging corporate lobbyists running Washington. Any new tax laws or tax regulations will have the imprint of corporate mauling and the majority of America will end up paying for the new corporate tax language. The simplest way to insure equitable taxation is to have those who can afford to pay more, for the blessings they enjoy and have received in this great country, pay more, while at the same time keeping the promise of our founding fathers to promote domestic tranquility and the blessings of liberty for all by assuring all Americans benefit from the affluence we the people generate. If we want to fix our tax problems lets start with Social Security taxes. Social Security should have no income cap what so ever especially when you realize that the Social Security fund has been raided by the federal government to pay for corporate wars and corporate largess for the last 7 years. And the great tax give aways and favorable lease benefits that oil corporations enjoy at the average taxpayers expense should be revoked and that money put to reducing the tax of the average Joe or at least funding programs to repair this country's infrastructure. Huckabee is a right wing darling because he is a right wing Christian. These right wing Christians are more akin to Judaism than Christianity with the way they not only accepted the invasion of Iraq but pushed for it to rid the world of Hussein. Well, speaking for myself, I have had enough of right wing Christians in government to last me through eternity and if I knew I had to deal with them in any after life I'd take the other place and I wouldn't be surprised if the "other" place was the better place after all.

The two-fold Fair Tax proposal is based on two premises with major shortcomings: (1) Replace the Federal personal income tax, Federal corporate tax, and they payroll tax (Medicare and Social Security) with a 23% sales tax to provide the funding to run the US Government. (2) Providers of goods and services will reduce prices up to 30% offsetting the 30% sales tax applied to new purchases and all services. The problem with item (1) is that the Fair Tax is in effect a 30% tax. The proponents arrive at 23% sales tax rate by saying the $30 tax on a $100 purchase of goods and services is really 30/130, or 23%. In addition, it overlooks the massive tax evasion that will occur as consumers either order goods from abroad, or go to Mexico or Canada to purchase goods, and those who will make “under the table” cash purchases. The problem with item (2) is that providers of goods and services will not reduce prices up to 30% to offset the new sales tax of 30%. Many products, including imported items such as oil, do not have a product price based on the US tax code. In addition, it is intuitively obvious that the vast amount of the tax savings, reduced costs, and increased profits will flow to the bottom line and be passed onto executives and investors, not the customers or employees. The savings and increased profits gained from moving millions of manufacturing, service, and technical jobs that began in the early 1990s to low-cost sweat shops in Asia, China, India, and Mexico, cutting millions of US jobs, and dropping Federal Corporate taxes to 5% to bring back money from overseas entities went directly to the executives and investors and no one else. When the Medicare Advantage HMOs talked the Government into giving them a $7 – $9 Billion dollars more than Medicare spends on Medicare Part A and Part B beneficiaries, most went to executive perks, bonuses, and retirement for the HMO executives (such as the $400-Million Dollar retirement bonus taken by one HMO executive). In addition to eliminating the payroll tax (social security and Medicare), the Federal personal income tax, and the Federal corporate income tax, the Fair Tax proposal in effect also eliminates the system used to report earnings to calculate Social Security benefits and would eliminate the Social Security Trust Fund. They have not mentioned how they would calculate a Social Security benefit since the earned income will no longer be reported. The program is in essence a reverse “Robin Hood scheme” that shifts raising funds to finance the US Government by shifting the raising of tax revenues) from the higher income Americans (top 5%) to the Middle Class and retirees via the proposed (the 30% National Sales Tax). The Fair Tax proposal works directly against the needs and contribution of tens of millions of current retirees and increasing numbers of baby boomer retirees approaching retirement. With no mention or statement of intent that the Social Security program and Medicare will be maintained and no way to determine individual Social Security benefits could be calculated, it’s a safe assumption that the Social Security and Medicare programs will be declared “no longer required” and the Social Security Trust Fund eliminated (no return of the Trillions borrowed, just eliminated). The Fair Tax proposal will enable retirees, most of whom have a Federal Tax obligation of less than 10% and no payroll tax to pay a tax of 30% on all their purchases with an offset for people below the poverty line. Retirees will also pay a 30% tax rate on purchases made with Roth-IRA income which was supposed to be tax free, and a 30% tax on purchases/services made with Social Security income that is currently tax free for many retired individuals and couples, and partially taxed for others. The fun will only be starting. If the Fair Tax is enacted, the proponents will then recommend the following: (1) Eliminate the Social Security Trust Fund (which has loaned Trillions of Dollars to the US Government) and state there is no need to return the Trillions they borrowed and spent. They will propose funding Social Security and Medicare out of the annual Federal budget. (2) Declare the Social Security and Medicare beneficiaries to be "freeloaders sponging off the largesse and charity of the Government" and guilty of a giant entitlement fraud perpetrated upon the hardworking titans of industry, notwithstanding that tens of millions of Americans have prepaid payroll contributions that will sustain current Social Security benefits for another 30-35 years. This was based on the foolish assumption that the US Government will pay back funds borrowed from the Social Security Trust Fund (the Payroll Taxes paid by working Americans and legal resident aliens). Note: If we can pay back funds borrowed from China and Saudi Arabia, we ought to be able to pay back the contributions borrowed from the Social Security Trust Fund (that were received as payroll taxes paid by working American citizens and legal resident aliens. (3) The final step will be to means-test the receipt of Social Security and Medicare to make sure that no one ever receives back benefits they paid for over working careers of 40-50 years or more. (4) Now that they have decimated retirement and health care for tens of millions of retired Americans, they will now subject them to a 30% sales tax for the rest of their lives to continue the charity program for the friends of the Fair Tax and Global Economy (does not include the middle class). American Industry, Members of Congress and the current Administration have participated in the decimation of defined benefit pension plans, eliminated millions of US jobs and run the Federal deficit from approximately 5 Trillions Dollars to well over 9 Trillion Dollars in the name of Global Economy (and a welfare program for their friends). The name of the proposal should be “Your Money is My Money”. The quote that comes to mind on this giant Ponzi scheme, which I believe was made by Joseph Welch at the Congressional Army hearings in the late 1950's regarding Congressman Miller (R-Buffalo, NY), is “HAVE YOU NO SHAME”?

The impact of taxation on people making less then $100,000 and those making more is so enormous that a change in the "how" it's collected would do little to help. With mortgages costing $3000 per month, a 70K job is barely scraping by. The 25% and 28% rates for people in the 30-70K and 70K-100K ranges are a heavy burden for them and for families. It's time to take the pen and wipe out these high minimum taxes ($4000 for the 30K people!) and the quarter of the income taken away by the Federal government. So, Mr. Huckabee, instead of shuffling the deck, how about a new deck. For incomes under $100,000 the tax should be 10% -- period, end of story. As far as loopholes and schemes on the people above $100,000 -- who cares! As I said, this is completely different world. Let them fight among themselves, because at that point its a game of who eats two lobsters and who eats three. But in the true middle class world, the thousands of dollars that could be returned to households is the difference between owning a home without being on the border line of involvency...and not!

Prima Donnas First Ladies of the State: Chancellor: Golan (Goal) Cipel (to Cripple) I Crippled Golan Cipel. Break a Leg, Congratulations, Good Luck, Good Luck, Good Luck, Congratulations Throw Rice-Toast to Adolph Hitlers understudy Czar Michael Chertoff: The Producers of the Opera. We never seen [deleted] like this, He has the whole world in his hands, Their freaking out in foreign lands. The 911 Emmy Osama Award goes to Wolf Blitzer, Situation Room. Awarded for picking up a 1938 Hollywood Contract, a script murdering Non Jews. No Jews or Presidential Candidates were prosicuted for picking up the old Hollywood Contract murdereing non Jews, killing our children for Christmas. Listen to The Phantom of the Opera: 1. Overture 7. Prima Donna 11. Wishing You Were Here Again 10. Masquerade. Israel caused the USA dearly in terms of the costs of the "War on Iran" and in terms of its "hated image" here and around the world. I am demanding immediate monetary relief from all parties to Americans with their sincerest apologies, respect, dignity and integrity unveiled, and the satisfaction I deserve for catastrophic, permanent damages this Israeli operation cost America $900 Trillion Dollars. There are no facts in dispute and as a matter of law, Lawrence De Marco is entitled a default judgment. I deserve for catastrophic, permanent damages this Israeli operation cost America. In God We Trust. Decadence and disillusion pervade, and the spiritual core of the people was decimated by the inquisition. Hollywood Royalty, Senators, News people and Congressmen on live television. Prosecute everyone of them now. Start with Home Land Security Michael Chertoff polygraph to distinguish truthful from deceptive individuals, script readers polygraphed on live television to distinguish truthful from deceptive representatives. Subprime Foreclosures, Swindlers List of Traitors. Normandy, Sicily, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Manhattan, Come and get it wholesale. Inside Traitors: Russia Knew in Advance and Encouraged Russian Citizens, Sell Dollars, Buy “Judas Euros, Cursed as Blood Money, Dammed For All Time, Let Them Eat Euros”. Jesus Mohammed Christ Bloodlines are all God’s Children, named of the Father, Jesus Christ Super Star. ANGELS IN AMERICA Demanding Reward Money Promised to Lawrence De Marco will unveil the perpetrators of 911 forbidden to say my name, Lawrence De Marco. My Reward Money is Past Due. My salary has not yet been paid. No one likes a debtor so its better that my salary be paid. Who would have the balls to send this. OG Honorable United States Military are US FALLEN ANGELS IN AMERICA, Jewish Lightning Murdered. US soldiers are dumb stupid animals who are good for nothing but pawns for our foreign policy. Kissinger. Senator Frank Lautenberg of NJ is knowingly throwing the United States Military under a Amtrak train. We will end euthanasia as the primary means of population control and enhance quality of life matters. The Crucifixion Missal, Jewish Infamy Has Never Been Exceeded: Until Armageddon, and hence, Judas, thou art proved more criminal and unhappier than all; for when repentance should have called thee back to the Lord, and rescued thee from thy headlong fall. Why dost thou distrust the goodness of Him, But O man that nothing could convert, O "spirit going and not returning," thou didst follow thy heart's rage, and, the devil standing at thy right hand, didst turn the wickedness, which thou hadst prepared against the life of all the saints, to thine own destruction, so that, because thy crime had exceeded all measure of punishment, thy wickedness might make thee thine own judge, thy punishment allow thee to be thine own hangman, the rule of law, thine own judge, thy punishment be crucified. Reward Money Promised to Lawrence De Marco is For Lawrence and not for the English Court Jews. We remember the English Jews sending the German Jews to Auschwitz and too America Must Perish. Dear Mrs. Sullivan: We remember your boys. And Now, Its Spring Time for Hitler Around The World. Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, other new fascists, and yes, OUR CONGRESS are not incompetent, they are following the plan precisely: Their job. Destroy America, and that's exactly what they are doing. To empty the US Treasury through a long series of wars from the Civil War to present day, deliberately prolonged, in order to transfer as much of the nation's money as possible to the elite royals sworn to death...... to have deliberate "no win" wars, i.e., Korea, Viet Nam, Iraq, (Iran, Israel, England). Ask a Viet Nam Vet about the "Rules of Engagement". Psychopaths sworn to the death, this is the end. To demoralize the people non-stop through relentless assassinations, black ops, false flags, that never get fully investigated and resolved, Oklahoma City, Waco, Texas, out source, take citizens jobs, pensions, their houses, their savings, to the point they'll be desperate for the government's intervention, even to the point of agreeing to giving up their guns, and martial law. Today's War is not a war against Adolph Hitler. Nor is it a war against the Nazis. It is a war against the Jews systematically killing Non Jews. Baiting and Switching, Israeli Manufactured Osama Terror. Israel caused the USA dearly in terms of the costs of the “War on Iran” and in terms of its “hated image” here and around the world. Limiting choices of Presidential Candidates fast track primaries, media drives players and kill hope.

Fair tax, flat tax. All Huchabuck did for Arkansas was RAISE TAXES.

From Taxfoundation.org the tax freddom date for the last 27 yrs has varied from the 109th to the 126th day, not taking into account leap year and rounding to the nearest 1/10th that is 29.9% to 34.5% by my calculations. This is supposed to cover all Fed and State taxes. Living in Texas with the other tobaccco spit dripping idiots means I'd pay the 23% FST plus the 6.25% SST plus any LST we have which are as much as 2.5% so it'd be pretty much a wash. The biggest difference is I get to decide when I spend my money if I buy new or used goods so initiallly it doesn't sound unreasonable. To eleminate concerns about crossing the border(s) for a better deal, isn't that what US Customs is for. Heavy tarriffs on "imported" finished goods, new or used, might do alot to discourage such activities. Encouraging importation of raw materials could help to bring back our mfg jobs. Producing those materials here might be more expensive and add cost but you'd be helpng out others US CITIZENS earn a decent wage. One thing I wasn't aware of that troubles me from reading all this is that currently no SS taxes are levied on income > $100k. This seems very shortsighted on .gov's part, just think of all the potential revenue that would be gained just from professional sports, movie stars and corporate fat-cats. Oh, but these are all their buddies that benifit from the fleecing of the rest of us working class(less)CITIZENS.

D'oh! The sentence should read: You can't have a civilization WITHOUT taxation. Sorry, gang.

Regarding the comment that "Why would people go to a black market when the price of good under the Fair Tax does NOT increase??!!" The first concern is that there is no way to ensure that the price of goods after subtracting embedded costs and adding the Federal Sales Tax under the Fair Tax does not increase over the existing tax system. The writer makes the assumption that the price of a service or new product under the Fair Tax will have been reduced by the 23% embedded cost and that the application of a 30% tax on the reduced price brings the cost of the new product or service back to its original price. The problem is that although the Federal sales tax of 30% will be applied to the purchase of services and new products, the provider is under no legal requirement to lower the price by 23%. For example, many of the prescripton drugs sold by US Pharmaceutical companies are manufactured overseas with no embedded taxes for payroll taxes (and corporate taxes that evaporate while crossing the ocean) or in Puerto Rico with no US corporate taxes, but Americans pay the highest prices in the world for US pharmaceutical products. The savings went to executives and investors. My second concern is that reliance of black markets if the Fair Tax is implemented. The black market will have little to do with the selling price, but a lot with being able to sell products or services that do not have a 30% Federal sales price and applicable sales tax added to the cost of the service or new product. What do you think most people would do when offered the option of paying $100 in cash for a service call or paying $100 + $30 Federal sales tax + $xx State sales tax because it was paid with a credit card, leaving an audit trail.

Your facts are completely wrong. I would read the book before writing about a subject your are unfamiliar with. I support freedom of speech but a professional has a responsibility to research what he/she writes. This is irresponsible journalism and gives all media a bad reputation.

30/130=23% you don't have to be a math major!

How noble of you idiotic sheep, to want to pay more in taxes, so that the wealthy can pay less! I salute you. Because that is exactly what this Trojan Horse is all about. What position do you all prefer when the wealthy elite are reaming your bunghole - bent over a chair or freestyle? Morons. Huckabee needs to read his New Testament, particularly the Book of Acts, which talks about "taking from each according to their ability and giving to those based on their need". He is the biggest phony Christian since, well, George W. Bush! Posted by:The Conservative DeflatorDecember 13, 2007 10:16:23 AMRespond ^ When are these false "christian" politicians going to understand? Taking care of the elderly, (social security) and the poor is what Jesus taught.Hoarding your money and saying "I earned it" or "everyone should only be responsible for themslves" via investing or other selcted few schemes is selfish and incredibly arrogant). Thanks all you politicians for truly caring about your own welfare and attempting to bring us all down with you.

there are so many things wrong with this article. lets say you are right about the higher taxes- ill ask one question- is it better (lets take into account i dont know maybe the trade deficit and SS problems)to encourage people to save money- or discourage it.

You are an idiot.

I do not care if the national sales tax is 100%. It is WORTH it to Get Rid of the IRS......America's Gestapo! Huckabee supports a SALES tax and NOT a Flat Tax. You can't get rid of the IRS with a flat tax.

Call it what you want, but I want a fair tax. If someone earns $20 million (number used to get into or above 50% bracket), this person will pay $10 million in taxes, the first time. If this person gives $5 million of this money that has already had taxes paid on it to a family member or friend, he is liable for paying gift taxes on that money, which may well be another 50%. This meaning that a total "income" tax of 62.5%. That is not including sales taxes, property taxes, and what ever other tax they can hit us with. I think a fair tax is one that taxes money only once. How ever it is done. One dollar should be taxed once, regardless of how many hands it goes through. I am American, and love it, but when I hear about an old woman losing her home that her husband built, because the home location is "now" in a high class area, and she can't afford property taxes, something is wrong. Again, I don't care what it is called, I want to be taxed on my dollar once.

It's a lot more complicated than either side say. The pro side says it's a 23% tax because $100 is 23% down from $130. The Con side say it's 30% because if something cose $100 now it will cost $130 with the Fair Tax. Both are right and wrong. In reality, the abolition of income, social security and employer taxes will LOWER cost and prices in time. Also, goods coming from U.S. trading partners, that pay no taxes now, will be taxed making the U.S. more competitive. It will give the U.S. the same advantages that now favor our trading partners that have a VAT tax. When the U.S. tries to sell something overseas that VAT gets added making us less competitive. I favor this tax as is gives us jobs, and civil liberties. The fair tax is basically a VAT tax in one lump and IS fair when you look at the total picture.

You got issues... if it doesn't work...we can adjust it ...ok?

I am in large agreement with much of this article. I have long concluded that Huckabee is not serious. Also people who believe the IRS will go away under ANY tax plan are kidding themselves (although some taxes like seigniorage don't require the IRS, they have serious economic consequences if the government comes to rely on it, as Weimar Germany and Argentina under Alfonsín found out). One way in which I disagree is that it is regressive. Theoretically, at least, it would be proportional, because it would reduce everyone's purchasing power by a proportional amount. Sure, the rich can put their money away in bank accounts and investments, but it makes little difference if they cannot consume it without paying the tax.

Karvounis' analysis about the distributive fairness of the tax misleads the reader into thinking that the Fair Tax is regressive, when it's not. It in fact is progressive. For a correct analysis of the progressivity of the Fair Tax (which was named by an outside focus group) see Tuerck, Haughton, Bachman, Sanchez-Penalver and Ngo "A Distribtional Analysis of Adopting the FairTax: A Comparison of the Current Tax System and the FairTax Plan," The Beacon Hill Institute at Suffolk University, February 2007 ~Jim Bennett Summit, NJ

When I read editorials and letters to the editor ranting about how undocumented workers (illegal aliens) don’t have to pay any taxes, I wonder how that can be. When they go to the grocery store or drug store or even the thrift shop to purchase food, drugs, and clothing, do they not pay the same SALES TAX as “tax-paying” citizens? When they own a home, does the county tax collector let them off the hook? If they rent a home or apartment, do they not pay the landlord enough rent money to pay his PROPERTY TAX? Of course they do. They don’t pay income tax you say? How could they not pay income tax if their employer obeys the law and WITHHOLDS INCOME TAX from their pay? Does not their employer also withhold DISABILITY INSURANCE TAX and SOCIAL SECURITY TAX as he is required to do by law (despite the fact the employee will never be able to collect on them)? And like the rest of us, the IRS lets them off the hook for income taxes if their taxable income falls below certain levels -- $16,900 a year for a married couple. Not many of us could live on that. Sure their kids get a “free” education – just like our kids. And they get free emergency care – just like the rest of us who cannot afford to pay for it. Besides, is it not best for ALL of us to have a better educated, healthier population in this country? So next time you hear someone say the “wetbacks” are getting a free ride, ask him if he’d like to trade places with one of them.