2008 Platform Issues
The Fair versus flat tax is a battle already raging amongst republicans (I have not heard anything out of the left really). you can check it out HERE. Personally, I am a fan of the fair tax where you are taxed on what you buy. The flat tax seems alright but the basis is that you aren’t taxed on the first x,000 dollars and taxed 30% on that over it. In other words a person making 35k a year pays tax on 5k while a person making 90k a year pays tax on 60k, so you make more money you pay more money.
May 9th, 2006 at 1:15 am
I don’t care how they get my money, I just want them to spend a lot less.
May 10th, 2006 at 10:59 pm
It really, truly, depends on how the rules are laid out. A flat tax can be devistating to those earning the least if it does not exclude the true items for well-being (not just types of food). At the same time, the whole “make more money then pay more money” concept can quickly go out of whack, as far as the invisible hand is concerned. Think about it: How many ways can you think of to show that a janitor/tradeworker/other non-skilled laborer could actually come out ahead of a doctor/engineer/accountant, etc. I know it doesn’t sound like it could happen, but there are other costs involved that need to be taken into account, at least in the total calculations. Student loans, commuting costs, even housing/rental options all tend to go against the skilled laborer. In a flat/fair system, there are no deductions, so there is no way to account for these costs of working.
And yes, I am making a blanket statement.