Comment: I don't know how the tax system went from a simple system at the beginnings of the country to a total mess today, but a total mess it is. The second best system (although it wouldn't pass Constitutional muster unless it was entirely voluntary) would be a flat tax of 5 to 7% of all tax above $36,000 per year. Those making less than that should not have to pay any tax at all. Those making more than $200,000 would move up to 8%. I don't really understand why the federal government needs a tax at all, unless the mint's money printing presses are broken. If the value of the nation's currency is based on the economic activity of its citizens, certainly there would be a lot more economic activity if the government was not skimming money off the top of the economic activity. And the yearly farce of having the best accountants in the country, ostensible experts, preparing tax shelters, and then having the government disallow the tax shelters as being "illegal" is totally ridiculous. All that kind of activity does is drain off resources from genuine economic activity. The best system would be a national sales tax, because it's entirely Constitutional and would embody the principles that the founders of the country envisioned--that one would pay a voluntary tax based on choice of items bought. If food were taxed, for instance, perhaps the problem of over-weight Americans would diminish, and the general health of the population would improve. Those who could not afford the tax could be given ID cards, just as they now receive food stamps and other government benefits. The income tax, if it is retained at all, should be limited to corporations, partnerships, and those who work for the government at any level--federal, state, or local. I hope you realize that people who do not have economic freedom (and by that I mean freedom to do what you want with your own money without the government breathing down your neck, stealing money from your bank accounts, and asking for monetary "reports" signed under penalty of perjury, or anything else coercive) do not have political freedom, no matter how often they get to vote. Political freedom equates with economic freedom. And if those for whom we vote do not give us economic freedom, what's the use of voting? Thank you for asking for public comment on this issue. It's an excellent way for you to get to know what we think. A year or so ago, I was quite shocked when I read a review of a book written by someone who had been a close aide to President Johnson. In the book, he said that when President Kennedy was assassinated, they all thought that it was the first salvo in a large-scale revolt by the American people. I realized that people in Washington don't even know us, and it saddened me. Sincerely, jgmount@aol.com Jeanne Mount Beverly Hills, California |