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FairTax®’s (FT) Progressive-Socialist Goals
- In Their Own Words
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The following are examples of AFFT (Americans for Fair Taxation) marketing materials and arguments advanced. These examples illustrate the Progressive-Socialist heart of the FairTax (FT). (My comments are noted with "SCE")
1. Under FT “the poor make out like bandits” (SCE: But WE are their victims.)
Source: Neal Boortz, Panel Discussion, Tax Reform Forum held at New College of FL on March 29, 2013. (link) http://watchdogwire.com/florida/2013/03/30/video-buchanan-tax-reform-panel-raises-disturbing-future-without-major-changes/
2. “. . . it would behoove those who care about SOCIAL JUSTICE to think again about this proposal [Fair Tax]. It’s not every day that wealthy Americans, many of them Republicans, propose taxing their wealth,
Source: Laurence J. Kotlikoff (an AFFT-paid economist), “Why the FairTax Will Work,” FairTax.org, January 15, 2008.
3. “Because of the ways in which the FairTax would ENHANCE PROGRESIVITY over the current system, it also has a firm basis for appeal to EGALITARIAN sentiments”. (SCE: Translation - we should all be EQUAL – in outcomes.)
Source: Prosperity under the FairTax by Robert Dell at fairtax.org. http://watchdogwire.com/florida/2013/03/30/video-buchanan-tax-reform-panel-raises-disturbing-future-without-major-changes/
4. “FairTax is more Progressive than Income & P/R Tax”. (SCE: Is “more Progressive” that the Tea Party wants? Proponents, Co-Sponsors ARE Progressives. You ARE what you propose to enact.)
Source: Frequent AFFT claim
5. “Top ten reasons why Democrats should strongly support the FairTax
# 1 FT is FAR MORE PROGRESSIVE than current Income Tax # 3 FT completely UNTAXES THE POOR # 6 FT is the only plan to TARGET AND TAX EXISTING WEALTH”
Source: FairTax.org
6. #FairTax eliminates loopholes for the EVIL RICH and it UNTAXES the poor. What more could a Democrat ask for in a tax plan? (SCE: Class warfare is alive and well among FairTaxers)
Source: Tweet from FairTax Nation 11/8/13 for members to re-Tweet.
7. “The FairTax may be more Progressive than the current system, but if so, only because it replaces (SCE: in part) payroll taxes…. the MOST REGRESSIVE of all taxes today.” (SCE: FairTax needs to be Progressive because payroll taxes are not Progressive – how’s that for bootstrapping?)
Source: Jim Bennett, AFFT Secy and Board member (a lawyer), commenting on a Letter to the Editor in East Valley (AZ) Tribune, Nov. 25, 2013.
8. “The Prebate doesn’t cost the government anything. (SCE: it costs taxpayers a lot.) It is money that was collected by MISTAKE, and NEVER BELONGED to the government, Congress, and any department, agency, or bureaucrat. It is YOUR’S from start to finish”. (SCE: MISTAKE? YOURS? – AFFT's emotional appeal to entitlement undermines our adult responsibility
for a share of our nation’s common costs).
Source: fairtax.org: Prebate - Best Explanation.
9. “The FairTax ensures the wealthy pay their FAIR SHARE, while INCREASING THE CAPACITY of the poor to create a better life for themselves.” (SCE: Note AFFT's constant class warfare and vague reference to adding more
welfare.)
Source: AFFT Article, House Ways and Means Committee to Vote on FairTax, The Sonoran news.com, October 2, 2013, Paragraph Titled; The Democrats Should Love the FairTax & Here’s Why.
10. Comparative Effective Tax Rates
Group
Poor
Middle Class
Affluent (Capital)
Affluent (Income)
Flat
15.3%
35.3
20
22.9
Fair
0%
23
23
23
SCE: AFFT shows lower tax burdens for the poor - actually, the poor would
have a NEGATIVE FairTax rate (i.e., even a higher negative than AFFT
shows here) +higher taxes on the affluent).
Source: AFFT FL FairTax.org
11. TAX RATES for the POOR ( the lowest Quintile)
IT + P/R Tax Rates today are 2.5%, but under FT they are -15.8 (SCE: Note that the -15.8% understates the real tax give-away to the poor. The real negative rate is much higher because the -15.8% “assumes” that the Prebate merely compensates the poor for any FT they pay, but as I demonstrated in (link) FT INCREASES WELFARE, the Prebate deliberately over-compensates
the poor resulting in an even higher negative FT rate.) Source: Steve Curtis, FT Director, OHIO and AFFT Vice President
12. Tax Rates for the Poor
FT rate for a poor family spending (in 2013) $15,510 is -15.8% and if
spending $31,020 it is -0-. (SCE: Note that those negative rates should be shown as being much higher negative rates because they “assume” that the Prebate merely compensates the poor for any FT they pay, but as I demonstrated in (link) "FT is MORE WELFARE", the Prebate deliberately
over-compensates the poor for any FT paid, thereby resulting in an even
higher negative FT rate.)
Source: AFFT FL FairTax.org
13. The FairTax would be MORE Progressive than the Income Tax PRIOR to the Reagan tax reductions (i.e., at 92% top marginal federal tax rates).
Source: Jim Bennett, AFFT Secy & Board member, commenting on the article, Restoring pre-WWII Tax Rates Would Reduce the Rewards of Greed, posted 7/18/14. http://www.postbulletin.com/opinion/letters/restoring-post-world- war-ii-tax-rates-would-reduce-rewards/article_f0a2d33a-ed72-574d-b1c3- da79d49d4949.html
CONCLUSION:
The FairTax merchants are exposing their Progressive-Socialist politics to you – you do need to read what they are saying to understand what they are up to. While they tout their Progressive-Socialism, they continue to hide the facts of how the FairTax actually accomplishes its political goals – see my Paper, The FairTax INCREASES WELFARE.
FairTax®’s (FT) Progressive-Socialist Goals
- In Their Own Words
Download/Print
The following are examples of AFFT (Americans for Fair Taxation) marketing materials and arguments advanced. These examples illustrate the Progressive-Socialist heart of the FairTax (FT). (My comments are noted with "SCE")
1. Under FT “the poor make out like bandits” (SCE: But WE are their victims.)
Source: Neal Boortz, Panel Discussion, Tax Reform Forum held at New College of FL on March 29, 2013. (link) http://watchdogwire.com/florida/2013/03/30/video-buchanan-tax-reform-panel-raises-disturbing-future-without-major-changes/
2. “. . . it would behoove those who care about SOCIAL JUSTICE to think again about this proposal [Fair Tax]. It’s not every day that wealthy Americans, many of them Republicans, propose taxing their wealth,
Source: Laurence J. Kotlikoff (an AFFT-paid economist), “Why the FairTax Will Work,” FairTax.org, January 15, 2008.
3. “Because of the ways in which the FairTax would ENHANCE PROGRESIVITY over the current system, it also has a firm basis for appeal to EGALITARIAN sentiments”. (SCE: Translation - we should all be EQUAL – in outcomes.)
Source: Prosperity under the FairTax by Robert Dell at fairtax.org. http://watchdogwire.com/florida/2013/03/30/video-buchanan-tax-reform-panel-raises-disturbing-future-without-major-changes/
4. “FairTax is more Progressive than Income & P/R Tax”. (SCE: Is “more Progressive” that the Tea Party wants? Proponents, Co-Sponsors ARE Progressives. You ARE what you propose to enact.)
Source: Frequent AFFT claim
5. “Top ten reasons why Democrats should strongly support the FairTax
# 1 FT is FAR MORE PROGRESSIVE than current Income Tax # 3 FT completely UNTAXES THE POOR # 6 FT is the only plan to TARGET AND TAX EXISTING WEALTH”
Source: FairTax.org
6. #FairTax eliminates loopholes for the EVIL RICH and it UNTAXES the poor. What more could a Democrat ask for in a tax plan? (SCE: Class warfare is alive and well among FairTaxers)
Source: Tweet from FairTax Nation 11/8/13 for members to re-Tweet.
7. “The FairTax may be more Progressive than the current system, but if so, only because it replaces (SCE: in part) payroll taxes…. the MOST REGRESSIVE of all taxes today.” (SCE: FairTax needs to be Progressive because payroll taxes are not Progressive – how’s that for bootstrapping?)
Source: Jim Bennett, AFFT Secy and Board member (a lawyer), commenting on a Letter to the Editor in East Valley (AZ) Tribune, Nov. 25, 2013.
8. “The Prebate doesn’t cost the government anything. (SCE: it costs taxpayers a lot.) It is money that was collected by MISTAKE, and NEVER BELONGED to the government, Congress, and any department, agency, or bureaucrat. It is YOUR’S from start to finish”. (SCE: MISTAKE? YOURS? – AFFT's emotional appeal to entitlement undermines our adult responsibility
for a share of our nation’s common costs).
Source: fairtax.org: Prebate - Best Explanation.
9. “The FairTax ensures the wealthy pay their FAIR SHARE, while INCREASING THE CAPACITY of the poor to create a better life for themselves.” (SCE: Note AFFT's constant class warfare and vague reference to adding more
welfare.)
Source: AFFT Article, House Ways and Means Committee to Vote on FairTax, The Sonoran news.com, October 2, 2013, Paragraph Titled; The Democrats Should Love the FairTax & Here’s Why.
10. Comparative Effective Tax Rates
Group
Poor
Middle Class
Affluent (Capital)
Affluent (Income)
Flat
15.3%
35.3
20
22.9
Fair
0%
23
23
23
SCE: AFFT shows lower tax burdens for the poor - actually, the poor would
have a NEGATIVE FairTax rate (i.e., even a higher negative than AFFT
shows here) +higher taxes on the affluent).
Source: AFFT FL FairTax.org
11. TAX RATES for the POOR ( the lowest Quintile)
IT + P/R Tax Rates today are 2.5%, but under FT they are -15.8 (SCE: Note that the -15.8% understates the real tax give-away to the poor. The real negative rate is much higher because the -15.8% “assumes” that the Prebate merely compensates the poor for any FT they pay, but as I demonstrated in (link) FT INCREASES WELFARE, the Prebate deliberately over-compensates
the poor resulting in a an even higher negative FT rate.) Source: Steve Curtis, FT Director, OHIO and AFFT Vice President
12. Tax Rates for the Poor
FT rate for a poor family spending (in 2013) $15,510 is -15.8% and if
spending $31,020 it is -0-. (SCE: Note that those negative rates should be shown as being much higher negative rates because they “assume” that the Prebate merely compensates the poor for any FT they pay, but as I demonstrated in (link) "FT is MORE WELFARE", the Prebate deliberately
over-compensates the poor for any FT paid, thereby resulting in an even
higher negative FT rate.)
Source: AFFT FL FairTax.org
13. The FairTax would be MORE Progressive than the Income Tax PRIOR to the Reagan tax reductions (i.e., at 92% top marginal federal tax rates).
Source: Jim Bennett, AFFT Secy & Board member, commenting on the article, Restoring pre-WWII Tax Rates Would Reduce the Rewards of Greed, posted 7/18/14. http://www.postbulletin.com/opinion/letters/restoring-post-world- war-ii-tax-rates-would-reduce-rewards/article_f0a2d33a-ed72-574d-b1c3- da79d49d4949.html
CONCLUSION:
The FairTax merchants are exposing their Progressive-Socialist politics to you – you do need to read what they are saying to understand what they are up to. While they tout their Progressive-Socialism, they continue to hide the facts of how the FairTax actually accomplishes its political goals – see my Paper, The FairTax INCREASES WELFARE.
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