Subject: A half a stick of gum Comment: Early in President Bush's first term I read a single paragraph in a news article that was a sort of overview of Bush's plans for his presidency. The paragraph said that the president had formed a tax advisory panel that was looking at reforms, among them a national retail sales tax or a flat tax. A complete overhauling of the God awful mess that serves as our present-day tax code. Since first reading that paragraph I have waited eagerly to see what reforms this commission would recommend. I've discussed it with friends and family. I've been excited that we might see meaningful reform that would help reduce the burden on taxpayers and possibly encourage legislators to look for ways to shrink the size and scope of the federal government. What a disappointment. It's like telling a child for a week that you have a huge surprise for him that he's really going to love. Telling the child each day that on Friday he will receive a big surprise. And on Friday the surprise is a half a stick of gum. That's what this proposal is: a half a stick of gum. You've wasted your time, my hopes and, doubtless, many thousands of taxpayer dollars for this half a stick of gum. This panel must have consisted of nothing but college professors. |