Wingnut watch
Flat earth tax religion
September 9, 2005
Flat Earth Economics
Supply-side economics has been the centerpiece of conservative ideology for three decades. According to this school of thought, the federal government can actually increase revenues by cutting taxes. The supply-side party achieved its most significant victory in 1980 with the election of Ronald Reagan, who had campaigned on a supply-side tax policy platform. Unfortunately for the supporters of this theory (and the rest of the country), Reagan’s tax policy, coupled with large increases in defense spending, exploded the federal deficit, seemingly settling the debate over supply-side economics. While the debate is settled—and in fact, never existed—in serious academic circles, it rages on in conservative think tanks and offices on Capitol Hill. As Paul Krugman argues in Peddling Prosperity, supply-siders are important because they have proven extremely useful to traditional anti-tax right wingers who want to make their draconian tax reforms politically palatable. Thus, a mighty coalition has developed on the right wing with one common goal: tax relief for the rich and powerful.
Although, in general, absurd right wing tax rhetoric is as predictable as the rising of the sun, we get the sense that the movement is particularly energized for the rest of this Congressional session. On the heels of the Social Security privatization failure, conservatives expect President Bush to aggressively pursue another major legislative agenda to save face. And throughout 2005, the Bush Administration has been dropping hints about replacing the Federal Income Tax with a National Sales Tax. This agenda seems remarkably unfeasible politically, but that has never stopped this Administration and its right wing supporters before.
The Heritage Foundation is joining the fight for a flat tax (a little better than a National Sales Tax, but not by much). Visitors to the website are invited to join Steve Forbes on September 14. Forbes will explain the necessity of replacing the progressive income tax with a flat tax:
How a simple 17 percent flat tax will save you time, money, and worry … why the flat tax will eliminate the IRS, its bureaucrats, its paperwork, its nightmares, and its hassles … why the flat tax will create jobs, and bring back ones we’ve lost overseas … how other countries are already reaping the benefits of a flat tax system … how the flat tax will stop special interests getting tax breaks at your expense … how the flat tax will eliminate shady accounting in business (something that our current tax system encourages) … why the Forbes Flat Tax is also a tax cut … and what you can do to make the flat tax a reality. As Steve Forbes shows, the flat tax shouldn’t be a partisan issue – it should be a taxpayer issue.
I wonder if Forbes will explain what the loss of revenue associated with a 17% flat tax will do to our country’s ability to fund a strong defense, social security, Medicare, No Child Left Behind, and disaster relief. Oh, that’s right. There won’t be a loss of revenue.
Heritage is also advocating for the abolition of the estate tax because a majority of Americans are supposedly in favor of it. What impeccable logic. I guess we should leave Iraq, too. The United State is at war indefinitely, our most successful domestic program is in fiscal crisis (according to conservatives) and economic inequality is at its highest point since the 1920s. Should a tax break for Paris Hilton really be the nation’s top priority? See this week's Polianna Estate Tax Debunker!
Heritage Foundation Press Room Policy Blog - Fight MoveOn!
Heritage Foundation Press Room - Flat Tax Revolution: Using a Postcard to Abolish the IRS
Let’s check the homepage of the Association of Concerned Taxpayers to understand why we should support Bush’s class warfare tax policy: http://www.aoctp.org/. That’s about right.
From our friends at the American Policy Center
The Tyranny of the ESA and the Threat of Kelo 2
By Tom DeWeese
The Endangered Species Act (ESA) is the worst, most destructive, and most powerful law ever to come out of Congress (with the possible exception of the federal income tax law). For thirty two years the ESA has robbed property owners of their land; killed jobs; destroyed whole industries, and created a government tyranny that would have had our founding fathers in the trenches, locked and loaded.
Sorry we're late, it sounds like a good party...
Urgent Action Item!
Stop New “Southern Decadence” Celebration
In this time of great mourning and sadness, we are appalled to hear of the celebration of an unofficial “Southern Decadence in Exile” event to be held in downtown Lafayette, La. at 5 p.m. on September 7. The event is often characterized by lewd behavior, wild revelry and public indecency.
According to the organizers’ web site, the revelers will hold a parade or what they call a “crawl” from the Sound Factory at 209 Jefferson St. to Jules Downtown at 533 Jefferson St. the American TFP web site is asking its readers to petition Lafayette city president Joey Durel to stop this “unofficial” five-block parade on the public city streets for the sake of public decency and out of respect to a climate of mourning for the hurricane victims.
-- Action Alert from Tradition, Family and Property (undated)
