Huckabee pitches IRS elimination

[Terri]

By UPI Staff
United Press International
May 29, 2007

WASHINGTON (UPI) -- Mike Huckabee, a GOP candidate for U.S. president, Sunday pushed his idea of replacing the federal tax system with a 23 percent "consumption tax."

The former Arkansas governor said on "Fox News Sunday" the current tax system "is not only burdensome, but extremely expensive."

"You get rid of income tax, you get rid of all of the withholding, you get rid of corporate taxes completely, totally," he said. "You replace it with a 23 percent consumption tax. It will bring business back to the United States that's leaving our shores because our tax laws make it impossible for an American-based business to compete."

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[McGrats]

I don't know about others, but it seems to me that tax reform is not very high on most lists at the present time. Immigration reform is number one, two, and three.

I might add, I listened to the program and wasn't terribly impressed with Huckabee. But that's me!

Go Fred, Go!

Can someone explain why the CATO Institute and others evaluated
his leadership and found him wanting on economic matters?

I agree with McGrats that Fred Thompson is the most appealing candidate from both a conservative and pragmatic electability perspective.

A story about his recent appearance in CT contained this funny Reaganesque bit:

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He arrived at 6:10 p.m., smiling when asked if he could take a few questions.

"Nope," he said with a broad smile. He paused at the door and said, "I'm 10 minutes late, and I haven't been to the bathroom yet."

On his way out the door, he was asked about the chances he would run for president.

He replied: "About the same."
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Can you hear that gentle drawl and see that soft smile?

Fred Thompson refused to play the game for the goofy media types
and I am certain that they smiled despite themselves!

He is a gifted communicator who appears to have the "Reagan teflon".
It is probable that should the Dems or their sycophants in the media
attack him they will hurt themselves with the voters.

dmc

[realist]

Huckabee needs more exposure on this subject. He must make his ideas plain so that even the most uninformed voter understands his rational. I for one would like to hear more about how this would work better than our present system.
The amnesty bill that will be passed seems as tho it will cost us big time, so any way of paying for BIG gov't that is going to improve things should be explored.

[mrsmal]

The Fair Tax is exactly why Huckabee should win. Unfortunately he wont. Thompson also believes in this plan and he has a better chance of being elected. As far as it not being a priority. You are so wrong. One of the biggest tax bases that we can't tap is the illegals. With the fair tax in place they will be paying everytime they purchase something. Your criminal element, drug dealers, prostitutes and the like will also be paying. Read the Fair Tax book by Cong. John Linder and Neal Boortz, the plan is simple and do-able. Those that tell you it isn't, don't have a clue what they're talking about. Read the book and pass it on to others. It's an eye-opener and as someone who was a bookkeeper for years, it WILL work.

[STEELMAN]

This sounds like a good idea to me. I'm sure there's more to it to be known about.

"Those that tell you it isn't, don't have a clue what they're talking about ... and as someone who was a bookkeeper for years, it WILL work." (mrsmal)

It is not rocket science and has been around as a concept since at
least the 70's.

Very simply put it is a consumption tax - you freely choose to consume
and you negotiate the price you are willing to pay with full knowledge
of the tax.

Problems:

1. People are used to a more "invisible" income tax and though many
of us live with current sales taxes to be hit in the face with a 20+%
sales tax every single time we make a purchase will be a tough
adjustment.

2. It is not IF but how much more will the grey market for products
expand to serve those who want to dodge the very high sales tax
(same as the under-the-table economy that now exists to avoid
income taxes).

3. Massive resistance from tax attorneys, tax accountants, and all of
the other vested interests in their source of income as more
important than the best interest of the economy and of our nation.

4. Huckabee lacks the charisma and political clout to make something
as radical as this happen -- it will only happen if led by a Reaganesque
President who can talk over the heads of the media and Democrats
and vested interests to the people. That man is Fred Thompson.

dmc

[celticwoman]

I can't believe there is still anyone who does not know about the FairTax. My husband and I have been involved and promoting this for years. As small business owners this system would be a boon to our business. The current system is destroying us.

Those who want to know more (and even those who would prefer not to) need to go to www.fairtax.org. It's a great website and very informative.

As for the gray market, you won't believe the money that we're missing from the underground economy, and a lot of that money is spent on big-ticket items. The monkey would be off the backs of those whose income is visible and who can't afford to hire someone to find all the loopholes in the current system AND THERE ARE MANY.

There is way to much to tell about the FairTax to mention more here. www.fairtax.org will answer any question you have and some you never thought of. It's a FAR better system than what we have now or anything else that's being proposed. It gets rid of the IRS, its power and the fact that it costs most of what we pay just to sustain the behemoth. The IRS has become the lowest form of animal life. It exists simply to make more of itself.

[83ragtop50]

So what is the threshhold before one starts paying the "Fair Tax"? Surely our benevolent federal government would insist on continuing to carry those that are unwilling to work to earn a living. Note I said unwilling to work, not unable to work.

As long as the government can pull those kinds of strings there will continue to be strings to be pulled on taxes.

Having said that, I would very much like to see our flawed and abused tax code abolished. However, I have little hope of seeing it happen because it provides Congress with immense power. I cannot foresee that self-serving group giving up that power just because it would be the best for the country.

There was a Representative from Texas who tried for years to get traction for his desire to throw out the current tax code and the accompanying cesspool called the IRS. I believe his name was Bill Archer. I do not see Huckabee having any more clout that Archer had and Archer got absolutely nowhere.

Anyone about ready to throw a modern day tea party? I sure have little to no representation in D.C..

[McGrats]

Celticwoman and others are right when saying the flat tax idea has been around for years. I personally worked on Dick Armey and Billy Tauzin's "Can The Tax" campaign many years ago. But as I said in my opening post, tax reform is simply not on most voters' radar screens right now.

The main topics I'm hearing all have to do with immigration. And Americans are increasingly Pi**ed with the 'pub senators who are trying to sell us out lock, stock, and barrel! They are especially mad at the liberal pub's backing the current monster because it gives the dumbo's a chance to claim it's bi-partisan.

Fred Thompson will whip these wayward nitwits in line!

Go Fred, Go!