Flat Tax Proposals Are Perpetual Fount of False Promises: View

[ShockediSay]

Source: BusinessWeek/Bloomberg

Oct. 25 (Bloomberg) -- Texas Governor Rick Perry is scheduled to unveil a flat tax today, which will bring the number of Republican presidential candidates backing some form of the idea to three and a half.

A 9 percent flat tax is one of the nines in Herman Cain’s 9-9-9 plan. Newt Gingrich supports an optional flat tax, meaning that taxpayers can opt for a flat tax or file their taxes under the current system, which is what Perry has in mind, as well. The half supporter is Mitt Romney, who, characteristically, says he wants a “flatter” tax but has avoided being pinned down.

People want their taxes simpler, fairer and lower. A flat tax promises all three and would deliver on none.

Let’s start with “lower.” Taxes cannot be lower for everyone and still raise the same amount of money. For each dollar your taxes are lower, someone else’s must be a dollar higher. Yes, cutting taxes may cause people to work harder and thus increase government revenue. This hope masquerading as a theory has dominated conservative economic thinking for three decades, despite all evidence to the contrary. If you want to give everyone a tax cut -- under the current system, under a flat tax or under any other arrangement -- all you have to do is lower the tax rate. This has nothing to do with flatness.



Read more: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-10-24/flat-tax-proposals-are-perpetual-fount-of-false-promises-view.html

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Once again we are bombarded by Right Wing Propaganda

[applegrove]

1. I think the gop and their wealthy backers know they cannot get a flat

tax in 2012. They are just putting the meme out there so there will be infrastructure in the brains of all the little people who are voting GOP,against their own best interest, and will continue to do so.

[Donnachaidh]

2. There are lots of clearly stupid people in my area with flat tax bumperstickers

I've used actual facts in discussions with a few, and I'd say 98% of them never bothered to look at the math involved, and how much it would really cost them. They listen to the likes of Limpballs and his doppleganger Neil Boortz. All of them lap up the propaganda like milk from a cat dish.

And you'll see lots of Ron Paul followers who do the exact same thing. :shrug:

[ShockediSay]

3. We have yet to effectively counter the Right Wing Propaganda Machine

When will we ever learn

[Donnachaidh]

4. They've had a concerted 3 decade lead on us

I'm actually quite pleased to see OWS start to shock people into paying attention. Now is the time to push the facts in front of the awakening ones.

[Katashi_itto]

6. That tactic works. Always stay centered and hammer the facts.

RWer keep coming up with different stuff. Anything to knock you off balance. Keep to your points. I win again and again.

[Zyzfyx]

7. Flat taxes have never worked anywhere

Ask the Swedes, the Finns or the Germans.

[Katashi_itto]

8. Yep keep hitting them with real facts and data.

[MedicalAdmin]

5. Tell me about it.

Flat racers are like cockroaches. Show em the light (math) and they scurry into the corners only to emerge later.