Yes, I know it's Lent and we're already in a season of prayer and fasting. But I am pleading with all of you to pray and fast today. Today Virginia, Maryland, and D.C. have primaries.
Huckabee is still in this race, he needs our prayers. It would take a miracle for him to win this thing. But I believe in miracles.
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Maybe this isn't the time or place for a policy question - but I'm interested in your take on this:
Huckabee is one of many politicians that support doing away with the income tax, and replacing it with a sales tax.
Now, I'm a cheapskate and save the vast majority of my pay - this would be awesome for me. But you guys have very legitimate expenses with four kids, and thus would be paying a lot more in tax.
That doesn't seem right.
If I believed income was directly proportional to competence or value of an employee, I might be morally against the income tax. However, experience with my employer prevents me from coming to such conclusions. I've learned it's even worse elsewhere.
Thoughts?
I am more than happy to answer your question.
First of all, yes, we would likely be paying somewhat more in taxes. I believe the fair tax would still be a good choice because of it's overall effect on the economy. I don't believe that income tax is a moral problem. And you are right that income is not necessarily directly proportional to competence. But it is also true that the current system still discourages productivity to a certain extent.
Here are some things I like about the fair tax:
1. It encourages saving and discourages conspicuous consumption.
2. It encourages people to buy used goods,since only new goods are subject to the tax. This would be better for the environment. (I think it would also encourage making higher quality products).
3. It helps to make products manufactured in the US to be competitive, since the hidden corporate taxes on these goods would be eliminated.
Also, for those concerned about the fact that poor people need to spend a higher portion of their income of consumable items. There is a prebate worked into the plan. The government would basically give every person a check every month to offset the costs of the taxes. To a poor family the prebate would basically cover the whole tax burden. To a rich person it would be a drop in the bucket. And as well as offseting the tax burden, it would also help to stimulate the economy.
I hope this was helpful. If you'd like I can try to find a better explanation of how the fair tax works.
If you could explain how curbing spending and consumption helps the economy, I'd really appreciate it.
Also, if the income tax discourages productivity, wouldn't a prebate have an even more pronounced effect?
I just keep seeing this proposal as shifting the tax burden from me to you, and I really don't see how that's fair.
I don't know that curbing consumption is good for the economy,I'm not an economist. But I believe it is good for the country for individuals to look toward the future.
To be perfectly honest, I doubt that Huckabee would be able to get congress to pass the fair tax. That kind of change would be pretty hard to get through.
It's not Huckabee's fiscal policy that causes me to support him, though. I support Mike Huckabee because I believe that he is a genuinely good person. He has similar values to mine. And unlike many republicans, he is interested in doing things that help people not just finances. For too long the democratic party has had all the compassion.
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