These - together with a scour of FairTax.org - make a compelling case to get off the fence.

Keep in mind, the country’s economic system is on the way down because politicians are not being held accountable for spending. This is due, in large part, because citizens really don’t see the AMOUNT OF TAXES that are being exacted from the fruits of their labor. IT IS CRUCIAL THAT THIS IS CORRECTED, AND SOON.

FINALLY, you’ve been given substantial information above. No one expects you to do ANYTHING on blind faith. (The trouble I find in the blogging world is that bloggers get entrenched in their position - and if they own the blog, their position is much more resilient to change, which is why I don’t have a blog and post at others’ blogs.)

Ian, as I have said before I appreciate your comments. I don’t get many commentors, and I would be happy to see you leave comments in the future. I love having dialogs with people, and exchanges like these are important because as people we have the opportunity to grow.

The only position I am entrenched in is that of the importance of Science, Math, Logic, and Reasoning. Using any combo of those 4 brings issues like the FairTax to a new level of understanding. This is important because if our government went to a FairTax system we need to be damn sure it will benefit us, and that it is implemented correctly.

One method of doing this is to come up with every possible question there is with the system and answer them. The questions myself and others have posed elsewhere are important questions that need to be answered.

Blindly accepting something without asking questions is what leads to fundamentalism and the creation of a belief structure. This is what breeds Conspiracy theories and leads to believing in such theories. I am not necessarily saying this is what you do, but rather you should be careful because this is not the message you want to send out to others. I speak of this only because I used to believe in such theories and have some understanding of why and how people believe such things.

I like FairTax, but I will not support it till we have solutions to the answers being posed. The reason for this is I would be wasting time supporting something that will never have a shot because no one supporting the movement will take the time to come up with solutions. I just think there are some major issues to be worked out before we could move over to such a system.

And instead of spreading the message of the FairTax system, I think time would be better spent to answer questions or pose questions and seek solutions through dialog. Like this one.

The problem with questions that cannot be answered is that our government will not move forward unless there is an answer to those questions. Which is why I think asking the questions does more for helping FairTax than “Spreading the Word” does.

LOOPHOLES: Why do you think the rich are NOT supporting Gravel? Why do you think FICA taxes are based on “earned income” and hit most wages from workers, but from which most rich escape? And, who do you think is sheltered by foundations?

FairTax captures current earnings - AND past-accumulations of money - when they are spent, and regardless of whom does the spending: the earner, or the inheritor.

TAX RATE: If the embedded cost of business taxes is 22% of current retail prices (avg, across-the-board), and embedded taxes will be removed under FairTax - that FairTax portion of new prices being 23%, where’s the problem?

The transition expected is about a year. In that time, the U.S. will become a tax-free zone for business, competition will flock here (off shore tax havens return; foreign businesses set up shop here). Families will have more spendable capital (whole paycheck + prebate), and that money will be spent more on goods and services than on interest to some financial service filling the gap between needs and income. Also, more charitable giving will be going on - not because “tax breaks” are lost (most Americans don’t itemize, yet give) but because they’ll possess the fruits of their labor and investment.

“USED” DEFINED: The FairTax plan doesn’t purport to be a “tax avoidance proof” system. One need only review theIRS reports to congress at gao.gov to read about how much income escapes taxation under the current system.

The FairTax is positioned for more efficacious enforcement because there are 90% fewer collection points. Further, states with sales taxes (most) already have strategies to pursue such frauds. Under the current system, ONE person can decide evasion; under the FairTax it will take TWO to evade: seller and buyer.

GDP GROWTH: Of course these are estimates. But the models have been reviewed by several sources. The amount growth is variable. But the direction of growth is unmistakable.

FINALLY, you’ve been given substantial information above. No one expects you to do ANYTHING on blind faith. (The trouble I find in the blogging world is that bloggers get entrenched in their position - and if they own the blog, their position is much more resilient to change, which is why I don’t have a blog and post at others’ blogs.)

I have not seen anyone yet to have a response to the issues I brought up. I replied to your original post Ian, but no answers to my questions were found. And I have yet to read anything that answers my questions. And the problem is, the questions I am raising are the same ones others will raise, and Congress would, if it got that far.

Not having a solution for what is deemed used and what is deemed new is a HUGE issue and a major problem for the FairTax.

As I said, I like the FairTax, but it will never see the light off day unless those supporting it come up with some major solutions, and fast!

What I can do is what I have done, write about it in a fair and just way and analyze it. What I will not do is blindly accept it on the faith of others. Not my style man

youtube(dot)com/watch?v=CW4fa6Z_4Po

Pay close attention to Huckabee and Tancredo.

From the Democrat perspective, only Mike Gravel is levelling with the people (pay attention to what he says at the very end - IT SAYS IT ALL!):

youtube(dot)com/watch?v=ahabyIXtHOE

I reiterate, for YOUR benefit, “The time for sitting around, pontificating, is over. We have NO CHOICE but to ACT: http://snipr.com/scrapthecode ”

This is what YOU can do, Webs . . . right now. Next, you can begin to help spread the message.

I like the idea of a FairTax, but due to the ineptitude of our current system, how slow it moves, and our gov’s inability to try anything new I think we will all just have to put up with what we do now… fill out umpteen forms and curse!

FAIR, loophole free and everyone pays their share

Not completely true. There are loopholes, for instance, the rich could afford to purchase more items overseas instead of within the US. To avoid the high sales tax. Or they could simply sit on their money and hardly pay any taxes. FairTax might create a system in which the rich spend less (they already don’t spend much) and pay less in taxes than they do now. This would be bad for the economy since a lot of tax revenues comes from the rich.

LOW TAX RATE, achieved by broad base with no exclusions

LOW??? 23% is not low. You buy a $1000 TV and would pay an extra $230 in taxes. That’s a lot of money, not really a trivial amount. And I know they really aren’t paying all that much cause the other tax systems have been removed, but still it will throw off people’s budgets in the first few years.

You pay the tax when you buy “at retail” - not “used”

This is one of the problems. How do you keep small Mom and Pop companies from chipping the plastic on items, labeling them used, and them selling them to people without taxes? This creates a huge overhead for the FairTax system.

Also you will likely see more garage sales, and used item stores popping up. Which is good, but I don’t think the FairTax estimates have thought about this. If more people buy used goods, then less taxes will be payed. Eventually you will likely wind up with a system where taxes come from perishable and essential goods. But I think people spend more money on crap they don’t need and this is what the FairTax estimates haven’t taken into account.

NO MORE IRS. NO MORE FILING OF TAX RETURNS by individuals

My favorite. And the reason why FairTax is so appetizing!!

7% - 13% economic growth projected in the first year of the FairTax

Since no one has ever tried a FairTax program, these estimates are fairly worthless. Truth is we have no idea what will happen, only best estimates/guesses. There are a lot of issues that would need to be worked out for the FairTax system to work. If there is one thing Economics have taught us, it is that humans will cheat if they have the opportunity, and if it benefits them.