Opposition to the FairTax is bi-partisan in Washington. While most co-sponsors are Republican, those supporting the FairTax represent a minority of Republican Members. Eight years of majority rule by Republicans did not see the FairTax enacted. The majority party in Congress, Democrats, have been even less moved by the potential of the FairTax.
It's human, not ideological. The FairTax takes away from Congress power over the tax code. The ability to grant favors to supplicants-- paid lobbyists representing individuals and companies, other Members of Congress seeking breaks for favored constituents and contributors, themselves. It's a heady business holding so much power over the system that handles so much money.
And, this business of seeking favors is big business in Washington with more than a billion dollars a year spent lobbying for breaks in the tax code. Tax lobbyists are the most successful and powerful lobbyists in Washington. Their ranks are constantly replenished by staffers from the tax writing commitees and ex-Members of Congress. Even a staffer with 8-10 years experience can command a six or seven figure "signing bonus" when they join a "K Steet." tax lobby firm. Retiring or defeated Members of Congress can get a million dollars or more in signing bonuses and highly lucrative fees thereafter. DC pundits dine with them and Washington society celebrates their power and wealth.
With both power and profit motives so pronounced, entirely human officials and staffers are acting in self-interest against the proposal that ends this corruption. Scholars who have built careers around understanding the tax code and even tax reform groups whose membership is based upon railing against the income tax system similarly don't want their "rice bowls" broken. Is it, quite simply, putting personal interests ahead of national interests.
Few members of the public would agree that this lucrative industry that has grown up around the tax code justifies the damage to our economy caused by the income tax system. It's a really attractive system for a very small population of both Republicans and Democrats in Washington, D.C. and a really bad deal for all the rest of us. Power over the tax system and the profits derived from those close to the inner workings of the Congressional Committees are sad examples of real bi-partisan coooperation in Washington--and the distance between what is good for these few and what is good for the nation.
This is exactly why the "merits" of the FairTax falls on deaf ears in Washington and why we have to force such change by recruiting numbers large enough to threaten a more important self-interest of elected officials--their re-elections. It is high time we ripped away the false facade of "public service", supposedly scholarly independence and tax reform hypocrisy that cloaks those protecting the income tax system and attacking the FairTax.
This is what we mean we we talk so much about the FairTax really being a struggle between hometown America and the power elite in Washington, D.C. These elites have created a tax system, "of, by and for..." themselves. We can change it all because the Founding Father's knew perfectly well that all governments take more and more power unto themselves. They built into our Republic the means to take such power back. To win real change for the FairTax all that is required is for citizens to believe in this promise by the Framers of our Constitution and act on this belief, together.
We don't have to advance the candidacy of any individual or party, we have to bring our message of hope and change--real hope and change--to our neighbors, friends, colleagues and family. Once people understand the FairTax and understand the human opposition to it, those candidates who are true to the people--as Mike Huckabee found out in Iowa, Georgia and South Carolina--become the most popular candidates around. The big difference for Huckabee in other states was that we were not there in strength with our FairTax message.
For the pundits, lobbyists and elected officials who have distorted and attacked the FairTax--count your days. For the national talk show hosts who rail against the status quo but screen out our calls and won't lift a finger to help create a better tax system (can you hear us Rush?)--your true disbelief about the power of the people has been noted. For the hypocrites in Washington who talk "tax reform" and quietly work against the FairTax (Earth calling Grover)--count your days. The American people are coming and we mean to take our government back!
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