8/11/2004 10:11:47 AM|||Nathan Moore|||

President Bush is giving serious consideration to the sales tax plan touted by Dennis Hastert. I daresay nothing but good things can come of this.

One of the benefits of such a tax regime is that you actually get to tax a larger percentage of the black market. Drug dealers, prostitutes, and smugglers generally do not pay income taxes, or no more than necessary to avoid raising red flags. They do, however, have to spend that money at some point, and if there is anything both Republicans and Democrats ought to be able to agree on, it is that those engaged in illicit activities should be taxed just as much as the rest of us.

Well, almost agree on. I just remembered that Democrats tend to get an overwhelmingly higher percentage of the felon vote. Perhaps Kerry/Edwards can run with this idea!

|||109223746748089667|||Supply Siders Unite!8/11/2004 07:18:22 PM|||Gary Farber|||http://www.ncpa.org/edo/bb/2004/20040809bb.htm

Note that Bruce Bartlett is a respected conservative economist. His background is with those wacky leftists, Ron Paul and Jack Kemp, and the Reagan and Bush Administration.

Nothing but good things?

Gary Farber8/12/2004 08:13:23 AM|||Nathan Moore|||Nothing but good things - yes. I am aware of who Bruce Bartlett is, and respect his opinion. His concern is with the level of taxation that would be required to fund the government as it currently exists. I personally have no problem forcing the Congress into a box requiring the sacrifice of some sacred cows. I have an inkling that may be what's going on, as this is certainly a radical idea for a House speaker to embrace.

If the talk of scrapping the IRS, and the expenses, both private and public, that come with it, result in spending cuts, or even a flat tax, it's a good idea.

Regards,
Nathan Moore