Fair Tax Nation

Replace All Federal Taxes on Income with the Fair Tax Act , HR 25

There is a hot discussion over at FreeRepublic.com regarding a book written by Hugh Hewitt with the same name as the title of this discussion. Much misinformation being spread at the this site. We need to respond.

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Hugh Hewitt? Is that the Club for Growth guy?
I haven't read the book but I'm familiar with it. More misisnformation, be it intentional or due to lack of knowledge of the facts, one can only guess. This "misinforming" of the public makes us work harder to get the truth out.
I saw a discussion of the book on FReerepublic. The FairTax is a threat to those in power. It is one of its biggest advantages. Some of those will be Republicans as well. I do think the 23%/30% thing is on the complicated side and it leads to being easily misrepresented. That is the chief way I've seen FairTax attacked: that WE are trying to be misleading on the effective tax rate.

I don't think it matters. I normally just agree and then explain the difference: I say: Let's define terms - it's a 23% INCLUSIVE tax and a 30% EXCLUSIVE tax. So let's say that it IS a 30% EXCLUSIVE tax. That means that it's a 30% EXCLUSIVE tax MINUS the almost 30% INCLUSIVE taxes that were previously built in with the net effect being that most products will cost you about the same. The bottom line is that the total price of most goods and services will be what they used to be, except, NOW you get to really see how much is tax, AND, you get to keep your whole paycheck.

Revenue neutral for most current taxpayers - and most citizens - means tax relief. The whole point is to bring EVERYBODY to the tax table, instead of focusing the majority of taxation on a minority of citizens.

The FairTax in most cases exchanges corporate taxation for a sales tax. What you keep in your paycheck is a bonus.
People forget that Hewitt was also heavily involved in the real estate industry, and as such has a vested interest in keeping the income tax with its mortgage interest deduction.

Why bother with that deduction when under FairTax it has no meaning, since we no longer tax earning money?
I believe his co-author is a tax accountant professor.
Which means he has a vested interest in preserving an income tax based system as well.
And on top of that, there is the prebate as well.

Let's see... prices remain about the same, income and payroll taxes are no longer withheld from my paycheck, I get a prebate and I don't ever have to worry about the IRS again. Gee, I dunno, let me think about it???

Good post Tim - if you haven't seen it yet, fairtax.org has a good treatment on the 23% vs 30% question on their main page.
Peter in Houston called me a few minutes ago saying Hugh Hewlett is dedicating a couple hours right now to trashing the FairTax during drive time radio.
Hewitt spent a great deal of time talking about his new book on Monday 4/20. The transcript on townhall.com is here

Station KCRS - 550 AM Midland, TX will air all 3 hours of today's show (Tues 4/21) starting at 10pm ET.

Hewitt wrote that Tuesday's (4/21) hour 3 will include a re-run of Monday's (4/20) Fair Tax Fantasy conversation with Adler.

If Hewitt and Adler are serious, they should have a polite debate with Boortz and Linder.
A caller to the Boortz show today said Hewitt challenged Boortz to a debate. Boortz's reply was something like "of course he does, he wants to sell his book". He then wondered aloud if Hewitt would donate all the proceeds to charity like he (Boortz) did.

I'm not optimistic about a debate.
Boortz will come around. Regardless, I'm sure Congressman Linder and AFFT's Ken Hoagland will.
I personally think Hugh Hewitt is a minor player in the world of talk radio when compared to the likes of Boortz, Rush and Hannity. However, I also happen to think he might just actually be doing us a favor by preparing us for the great and grand debate that lies ahead.

What debate is that? The one that begins when the Missouri State Senate passes that state's version of the Fair Tax (assuming they do). Once passed by the senate, it will become a referendum to be voted on by the people of Missouri in the fall of next year. I predict the FairTax will be at the center of much debate between now and the 2010 fall elections; a debate that will be heard across America if not around the world.

All FairTax supporters should be sharpening their debate skills by listening closely to what Mr. Hewitt is saying and taking notes. We should - no, must - be able to point directly to provisions in HR25 that solidly refute the lies and distortions about the FairTax rather than just our usual talking points. We will need to cite the research that has been done and we will want to have those who did the research standing by our side.

The coming debate is one we can ill afford to lose. The future of the FairTax may well be determined by the good citizens of Missouri and we must make sure they know the truth by the time they cast their vote. What Hugh Hewitt is doing now should give us an idea of what lies ahead. It's not going to be pretty.
I told the NJ director of the Fair Tax movement about HH. He contacted him, and HH would not respond. He's a moron. I expect this sort of disinformation from Democrats, but not from those who profess to be Conservatives. I am Libertarian, not conservative. I think that being conservative is too limiting. And it is not a voice for liberty. But it is better than the Democrats.

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