A Misleading Rasmussen Poll On A National Sales Tax

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Permalink Reply by Nancy L. Gatchel on May 29, 2009 at 2:01pm

Therein the problem lies. We support a national sales tax in the form HR 25, not in a VAT. There's a ton of misinformation out there supporting the VAT and I fear unsuspecting and unknowing citizens may buy into it, failing to recognize what the VAT will do to us.

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Permalink Reply by Jeff G on May 29, 2009 at 2:22pm

That question is asking "To raise additional money for the government", which is based on the recent discussions in Congress. I don't support a NST or VAT either if it's to raise additional money. If it is to replace the current income tax system, that's a different story. I would expect and hope that few of us would accept both forms of taxation.

They state that "A plurality of Americans would support a national sales tax if it meant getting rid of the federal income tax: 43% favor that trade-off, but 38% are opposed. Pluralities of Republicans and unaffiliateds like the idea, while a plurality of Democrats are against it. Forty-eight percent (48%) say a national sales tax is fairer than an income tax while 26% hold the opposite view. The sales tax is viewed as fairer by 52% of Republicans, 44% of Democrats and 49% of unaffiliateds. " That's not too bad imho.

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Permalink Reply by micheleking on May 29, 2009 at 3:51pm

thanks fellas. I sent them a note. The #'s do look good though, almost 50% across the board.

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Permalink Reply by Deidre Pavlick on May 31, 2009 at 6:27pm

Did anyone see Bulls and Bears on Fox News yesterday (Sat.) morning? They were talking about the VAT and a National Sales Tax and they were equating the two. I was so upset because I would expect more from Fox News. I emailed them and told them they needed to get their facts straight before reporting. It was really more of a round table discussion, but it seemed everyone who spoke was against it, but they were making the VAT and the Fair Tax sound like it was the same thing. To me it seems like the VAT is pretty much what we have now (where tax is added at every step along the way). I may be wrong in that understanding, but I do know it is not the Fair Tax nor is it a good idea. Did anyone else see this on Fox News? What did you think?

I think the best thing about the Fair Tax is the fact that people who do not currently pay any taxes will under this plan (criminals...drug dealers, illegal aliens), and that people just visting will also contribute. That is alot of money we are losing now.

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Permalink Reply by Ken Hoagland on May 31, 2009 at 6:55pm

I am not at all discouraged with the Rasmussen Poll because of the finding that so many support a national sales tax--even undefined with the FairTax's superior elements--if it replaces the income tax. They also did not, of course, define the regressive nature of VAT's, the fact that in Europe it was not created by public pressure but by government fiat or that it hides even more taxes from the citenery so that political pressure for reduced spending does not occur.

But the recent Rasmussen poll shows us that we are closing in on half the US population supporting replacement of the income tax system with a national sales tax. It is a plurality of Independents and Republicans. It also reveals that among Democrats we have far less support. This poll tells us that we are making progress and significantly, where we must devote far more effort--the left. The fact is, the FairTax offers so many advantages to those on the left (and indeed, across the political spectrum) that this poll gives us both welcome news about existing support and our marching orders--talk less to each other and more to fellow citizens who need to learn about the FairTax. Here is the issue that can unite the right and left but it requires extraordinary effort, abandonment of the partisan passions that divide us and patient reasoning to overcome right/left mistrust and polarization.

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Permalink Reply by John Gaver on June 1, 2009 at 3:51am

When you read that article, you can see that they are trying to obfuscate the term "Sales Tax". Sure, down in the body of the article, they do clarify the issue a little bit, though they never really distinguish between the VAT and a true "RETAIL" Sales Tax (FairTax or otherwise).

The result is to mislead uninformed readers into equating the terms "VAT" and "Sales Tax".

I have observed that those who oppose the FairTax, because of it's transparency, often use this obfuscation tactic, to scare the uninformed away from support for the FairTax. Unfortunately, it works all too well, since they often have the major media behind them.

It just means that we have to work all that much harder, to make the difference clear, to everyone.

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Permalink Reply by micheleking on June 2, 2009 at 9:44am

Miss Deidre Pavlick, spent much time looking for "video, story, and blog" for the 5/30 program. Could find nothing. However, I did find a couple of other things that made me mad (not related to reporting skills). I'd like to read the story if possible before I send a rant.

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