Bob Debates Neal Boortz on a Nat'l Sales Tax
Wednesday August 9, 2006. This is show #158.
Summary:
* Eight Objections: Bob gave libertarian talk show host
Neal Boortz these eight objections to the Fair Tax, a National 22% Sales Tax:
1. No Right of Conscription: The government does not have the right to force a businessman to become a tax collector, something that millions rightfully hate. NB Reply: Could not give a defense for this other than, we already do this, we already conscript tax collectors, which Neal later admitted is not a valid defense, and then he said he'd have to look into it.
2. Fraud Enticement to Strangers: A sales tax entices millions of strangers, who briefly meet, to conspire together to defraud the government, fueling a much greater illicit underground economy, because we all buy and sell from a hundred times more people than we employ. NB Reply: Disagreed that the buying and selling relationship will give opportunity to more people to defraud the government than the employment relationship does. (Neal probably misunderstood the point.)
3. Start-up Impediment: A sales tax makes it far more difficult to enter into business, especially for the poor, the young, and those with less business capability. NB Reply: We already have a sales tax.
4. Vastly Greater Transaction Cost: There are a billion sales transactions per day, but vastly fewer income tax transactions, which means it is a far greater burden on the economy to process sales transactions. NB Reply: No, economists disagree with that. (Neal probably misunderstood the point, since it's irrefutably obvious that the cost of processing 400 billion sales tax transactions per year is more that processing perhaps four billion income tax transactions per year.)
5. It’s the UnFair Tax: Paying a 22% sales tax on consumables, etc., is grossly unfair comparing the wealthy to those struggling in the middle class, since those who struggle would be taxed on huge percent of their incomes, which they spend just to survive, whereas Bill Gates might spend only $30 million per year, which means that he would pay tax on only one percent of his income. NB Reply: Unresponsive.
6. Conflict of Economic Interest: Government will obsessively encourage spending and borrowing, rather than increased incomes, saving and investment. NB Reply: Bob, this is your first valid point. All the others have been the most irrelevant and inane objections I've ever heard.
7. To Not Tax the Poor Hurts Them: Since the Fair Tax exempts the poor, they will not have ownership in our society, and cannot walk down the street with their head held high. The poor need to pay the same percent, with a flat income tax, as everyone else, especially to build their own self respect. NB Reply: Yes, handouts do create a sense of dependency with the poor, but I don't think exempting the poor from paying tax will have that same effect.
8. You Don't Need a Sales Tax to Eliminate the IRS: A flat income tax does not require a tax collection agency. People can simply remit their taxes, just as businesses would remit their sales tax revenues. NB Reply: Then you are arguing against all taxation. (Neal misunderstood the point.)
* Immediate Debrief: Bob analyzes his brief sales tax debate with Neal Boortz, and rewrote the Tax Poem from FairTax[url=http://www.fairtax.org/.com[/url].
Today's Resource: Sometimes we Christians need a push forward to grow spiritually. After forty years as a Christian, these
Growth Pack teachings represent Bob's best effort at discipling other Christians to mature in his or her relationship with God!
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