Quote:
Originally posted by sebastian_dangerfield
Wonk, other than people who do what you do losing their jobs, and the hyperrich losing tax breaks, what's the main argument against a flat tax? Why don't liberals want it (other than it would eliminate half their platform of perpetually seeking economic "parity")?
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Never underestimate the power of the two impediments you noted. It's not me or the people like me. It's people like Bill Frist and Dick Armey and Ken Kies who have built up careers on the ability to pass, defeat, or influence legisltation that can make or break businesses. And as for tax breaks for the rich folk, who do you think makes tha campaign contributions those guys run on?
The main objection liberals have is that all the current proposals for a flat tax would exempt capital gains and many would exempt dividend and interest income. If it doesn't tax all receipts, it isn't a flat tax.
Of course, if you go one step further, like I have with my proposal and make the flat tax a negative tax, then you would put almost 70% of Washington and the State governements out of work. How would we cope with all the unemployed bureaucrats who no longer have unemployment, welfare, AFDC, food stamps, social security, etc. to administer?
A true flat tax will never pass because it is too
democratic. It can't be gamed. Nobody gets an advantage. Nobody gets to punish enemies. Nobody can trade tax breaks for votes.
That kind of shit is just un-American.
