Supporters of the South Carolina “Fair Tax” are the Charlie Browns of South Carolina politics. Every year their favored legislation is introduced with overwhelming legislative support (in fact one year a majority of the S.C. House of Representatives sponsored their bill) – and yet every year the legislation goes absolutely nowhere.
Case in point? The S.C. House ways and means subcommittee meeting held this week in Columbia, S.C. on this year’s “Fair Tax” legislation – H. 3116.
Seriously … look how enthused those lawmakers are (above).
But before we talk process … let’s look at what the “Fair Tax” does first. Basically, it’s a massive tax shift which replaces all individual and corporate income taxes with a vastly-increased sales tax – spreading the tax burden around to more people and (ostensibly) encouraging economic growth by providing an incentive for savings and investment.
As we’ve stated on numerous occasions, we love the income tax elimination component of the”Fair Tax” plan – we’re just not sold on the premise that you have to replace all of that lost revenue with tax hikes elsewhere. Why can’t we cut our oversized, inefficient government instead? And then let the rest of the cut be “paid for” with economic growth?
Anyway, “Fair Tax” supporters are rabid … but they’re also incredibly gullible.
Which brings us back to this week’s “big” hearing …
The “Fair Tax” bill was introduced in the S.C. General Assembly way back on January 8 – the first day of the 2013 legislative session. That same day, it was referred to the ways and means committee. What’s happened to the bill since then? Nothing … absolutely nothing.
After thousands of ceremonial introductions (i.e. more “pressing business”), lawmakers waited five months just to give the bill a subcommittee hearing. That’s one month after a critical crossover deadline, which means unless the law can generate two-thirds majorities in both chambers it is dead for the year. Again.
Contrast that legislative lethargy to the light speed at which aircraft manufacturing Boeing’s latest $120 million taxpayer-funded handout sailed through both chambers of the legislature and across the governor’s desk.
Instructive, isn’t it?
Yet every year, “Fair Tax” supporters swallow the whole “we’re with you, we’re really really with you” line of bull from “Republican” state lawmakers … who every year sign up en masse (once again) to “sponsor” a bill they know is going to do nothing but gather mothballs.
Again … we don’t support the “Fair Tax.” Tax shifts never work. We support broad-based individual income tax relief “paid for” via government cuts and economic growth.
But the extent to which supporters of this bill are made fools of over and over and over is truly sad …
Oh well … maybe next year right?
H. 3116
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43 comments
Dude: We’ve got the most Corrupt Presidential Administration of the last three or four generations destroying our country and taking our freedom and rights…And your Ignorant @$$ is whining about some kook-ball, pipe dream tax plan…
Get you head out your @$$, idiot….You claim to be some sort of political analyst, but you told us there is no difference between Obama and Romney…six months later the unemployment rate is STILL astronomical, ObamaCare is a BOMB getting ready to explode all over us, gas prices are ridiculously high and America is spiritually SICK, thanks to Obama…
With Dumb@$$#$ like FITS trying to pose as an authority, is it any wonder we’re in the horrible shape we’re in???…
Big T(urd), how about suck the business end of a .44 Magnum!! You would be much happier if you did!!
TAVIS SMILEY (26 May 2013): The Washington Office that led this investigation which resulted in the tapping of these phone records, that was done by the Washington office and the Department of Justice headed by a black man and then Eric Holder, the Attorney to whom this brother reports is a black man and the President is a black man. I don’t have a language to describe how it makes me feel Doc in this process the primary culprits are three black men, the brother that ran the office, Eric Holder the AG to whom he reports and Barack Obama of course the first African American President celebrated as such. How is it your mind that three black men can be involved in this kind of violation with everyone of them giving speeches from time to time I’m talking about Dr. King being there hero and being a great American, they know what King was put through by these very same offices. How is it that they have the temerity to engage in that same kind of activity?
CORNEL WEST: I think it shows that we black people as magnificent beautiful and great as we can be we have no monopoly on integrity no monopoly on honesty and no monopoly on decency.
Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/nb-staff/2013/05/28/smiley-and-west-how-could-three-black-men-commit-crimes-against-america#ixzz2UkD6Qcdi
Well, write your on blog you pos.
they look like a congenial bunch….
they look like a congenial bunch….
Fantastic write up Will.
Fantastic write up Will.
Biggest bunch of idiots on the planet. I see the bumper stickers almost daily and say, look at that dumbass!!
I don’t buy into it. But they’re not dumbasses. They’re doing something. WTF have you done lately?
Have a Great Day!! :) There won’t be many left with the Demlicans and Republicrats in charge.
Frank Pytel
Biggest bunch of idiots on the planet. I see the bumper stickers almost daily and say, look at that dumbass!!
I don’t buy into it. But they’re not dumbasses. They’re doing something. WTF have you done lately?
Have a Great Day!! :) There won’t be many left with the Demlicans and Republicrats in charge.
Frank Pytel
Interesting that FITS (rightly) criticizes Republicans for political posturing. So, surprise! Both parties pose for the cameras. Both are hypocrites. That takes us back to the birth of democracy, in Greece, where political posturing was created.
“Shorty Stavrinakis” is second from the right, working on a paper airplane.
The two guys flanking him look ready to explode.
The lady in green enjoys the farce, and the lady in white wants to leave at intermission.
Interesting that FITS (rightly) criticizes Republicans for political posturing. So, surprise! Both parties pose for the cameras. Both are hypocrites. That takes us back to the birth of democracy, in Greece, where political posturing was created.
“Shorty Stavrinakis” is second from the right, working on a paper airplane.
The two guys flanking him look ready to explode.
The lady in green enjoys the farce, and the lady in white wants to leave at intermission.
“Anyway, “Fair Tax” supporters are rabid … but they’re also incredibly gullible.”
Yes. Yes they are. I’ve had more than one tell me to “read the book”. Does anyone honestly think the public is going to support a tax plan that requires reading a book to understand it? Americans understand “tax the rich they can afford it.” and not much else.
“read the book”
LMAO! Spot on. They are tax policy’s version of the Mormon’s coming to your door.
Most don’t even want to argue with them, they just want to slam the door in their faces.
“Anyway, “Fair Tax” supporters are rabid … but they’re also incredibly gullible.”
Yes. Yes they are. I’ve had more than one tell me to “read the book”. Does anyone honestly think the public is going to support a tax plan that requires reading a book to understand it? Americans understand “tax the rich they can afford it.” and not much else.
“read the book”
LMAO! Spot on. They are tax policy’s version of the Mormon’s coming to your door.
Most don’t even want to argue with them, they just want to slam the door in their faces.
Yeah, sure FITS, it’s all the Republicans fault…
You ever hear of the Sequester? Do you have ANY idea what it is, and what Obama and the democrats said about it?….you idiot…
Ummm, this is at the State level, no sequester here (replaces STATE corporate and personal income taxes with STATE sales tax).
I’m just saying we have A LOT bigger problems that need IMMEDIATE attention before the Fair Tax will ever make its way to the forefront…
And blaming the GOP is just Ignorant…
We have to Squash Obama-Care and save this country from the Disaster since Nov. 2008. Until that is addressed, the Fair Tax is secondary. To think different is silly…
Actually, the best and easiest way to stop the federal gov’t is to starve it to death. I wish the people would rise up and stop paying taxes altogether. Tell our employers, we won’t show up for work if they do the payroll tax. You would see how fast Washington would pay attention. Poor Michelle would have to wear last years fashion.
I appreciate the good intentions of the “Fair Tax” people, but I really cannot get into it that much. You see, our politicians, and the ones who own them, are very manipulative souls. If/when it benefits them enough, they will figure a way to skew the process so that certain items which will benefit them the most will not be taxed, or taxed at a lower rate. They may even introduce spoilers into the mix such as a swipe card which will give select, certain, people a bypass on the sales taxes. Can anyone NOT see this happening? Ostensibly, it will be done to help seniors, the handicapped, the poor, etc, but will be perverted to benefit certain classes of people such as Legislators, Congressmen, etc.
I appreciate the good intentions of the “Fair Tax” people, but I really cannot get into it that much. You see, our politicians, and the ones who own them, are very manipulative souls. If/when it benefits them enough, they will figure a way to skew the process so that certain items which will benefit them the most will not be taxed, or taxed at a lower rate. They may even introduce spoilers into the mix such as a swipe card which will give select, certain, people a bypass on the sales taxes. Can anyone NOT see this happening? Ostensibly, it will be done to help seniors, the handicapped, the poor, etc, but will be perverted to benefit certain classes of people such as Legislators, Congressmen, etc.
The Fair Tax is remarkably simple. The book is needed because so many red herrings were thrown in the pathway. Here it is:
If you sell a product on an originating level – first to have or make – that first sale is taxed at 19%. The first seller pays the tax, which is folded into the price to the buyer, and the item is never taxed, again. There are NO other federal taxes. period.
Now there are those who claim this is regressive and will hurt the poor and yadda yadda yadda, but since our poor have cars and color TVs and Obamaphones and health care on demand at any hospital (even before Obamacare) and free food and free housing, I’m not crying a whole lot. But even Boortz and some others have talked about a rebate system for these folks, so even the slackers get their pound of flesh.
Plus this repeals the 16th amendment and eliminates the IRS completely. You take home your WHOLE paycheck. But alas, it takes too much power from the politicians so it will NEVER pass!
See, its the rebate system that keeps me up night. Think of the gov’t administration needed to cut, process those checks and then find lost checks, Audit the system to make sure there is no fraud, (yeah, right). Any time the gov’t is “sending” my money back to me, there is guaranteed MASSIVE corruption. What’s wrong with a 10% tithe to the gov’t on every penny coming in your door. Its good enough for God……
Yes, and that’s why I don’t like that part. If it makes liberals feel creepy that their voters are getting cheated, just adjust the free food part upwards, accordingly. That still allows for the ending of the IRS. So yes, don’t do that. In the end, to whom do we owe equity in the system?
I would be ok if the Fair Tax allowed for NO tax on food products that don’t have to be manufactured like veges, fruit, dairy and meat. It would force a healthier natural diet, farmers would be given a break and then NO rebate checks. Unfortunately, to many fair taxers, its more of a religion than a policy that can be tweaked or improved and they won’t here of it.
The Fair Tax is like Baseball. There’s no crying in baseball and NO TWEAKING in the Fair Tax. EVERYBODY PAYS. The producers still wind up paying the tax. They are still the ones who have to decide whether they want to make a profit by passing along the cost to their customers or go out of business.
The Fair Tax is not a religion. Religion doesn’t work on paper, unless you can PROVE that the existential can be transcendental, which you can’t (although I have actually experienced it). The Fair Tax works and works on paper. Get a bunch of your friends together and act it out as a game over an evening. You will be amazed at how simple it is and how ALL of you benefit.
As for the poor. got to Somalia to find some, because there are NO real poor people in America unless they are poor by choice, insane, or being cheated or abused, and no tax system can help them.
However, your statement DOES show why there is a need for a book to explain something that ought to be simple on the face of it (it took me one short paragraph above.) We have been brought up in a learning system that is so obtuse and ignorant, we do not understand true capitalism.
BTW, I LOVE your icon! We have a 14 yr old Black Lab and she is dear to us. If you want a friend, don’t just get a dog, get a Lab!
The Fair Tax is remarkably simple. The book is needed because so many red herrings were thrown in the pathway. Here it is:
If you sell a product on an originating level – first to have or make – that first sale is taxed at 19%. The first seller pays the tax, which is folded into the price to the buyer, and the item is never taxed, again. There are NO other federal taxes. period.
Now there are those who claim this is regressive and will hurt the poor and yadda yadda yadda, but since our poor have cars and color TVs and Obamaphones and health care on demand at any hospital (even before Obamacare) and free food and free housing, I’m not crying a whole lot. But even Boortz and some others have talked about a rebate system for these folks, so even the slackers get their pound of flesh.
Plus this repeals the 16th amendment and eliminates the IRS completely. You take home your WHOLE paycheck. But alas, it takes too much power from the politicians so it will NEVER pass!
See, its the rebate system that keeps me up night. Think of the gov’t administration needed to cut, process those checks and then find lost checks, Audit the system to make sure there is no fraud, (yeah, right). Any time the gov’t is “sending” my money back to me, there is guaranteed MASSIVE corruption. What’s wrong with a 10% tithe to the gov’t on every penny coming in your door. Its good enough for God……
Yes, and that’s why I don’t like that part. If it makes liberals feel creepy that their voters are getting cheated, just adjust the free food part upwards, accordingly. That still allows for the ending of the IRS. So yes, don’t do that. In the end, to whom do we owe equity in the system?
I would be ok if the Fair Tax allowed for NO tax on food products that don’t have to be manufactured like veges, fruit, dairy and meat. It would force a healthier natural diet, farmers would be given a break and then NO rebate checks. Unfortunately, to many fair taxers, its more of a religion than a policy that can be tweaked or improved and they won’t here of it.
The Fair Tax is like Baseball. There’s no crying in baseball and NO TWEAKING in the Fair Tax. EVERYBODY PAYS. The producers still wind up paying the tax. They are still the ones who have to decide whether they want to make a profit by passing along the cost to their customers or go out of business.
The Fair Tax is not a religion. Religion doesn’t work on paper, unless you can PROVE that the existential can be transcendental, which you can’t (although I have actually experienced it). The Fair Tax works and works on paper. Get a bunch of your friends together and act it out as a game over an evening. You will be amazed at how simple it is and how ALL of you benefit.
As for the poor. go to Somalia to find some, because there are NO real poor people in America unless they are poor by choice, insane, or being cheated or abused, and no tax system can help them.
However, your statement DOES show why there is a need for a book to explain something that ought to be simple on the face of it (it took me one short paragraph above.) We have been brought up in a learning system that is so obtuse and ignorant, we do not understand true capitalism.
BTW, I LOVE your icon! We have a 14 yr old Black Lab and she is dear to us. If you want a friend, don’t just get a dog, get a Lab!
Leon looks like his Land Rover’s ’bout to be repo’ed. Someone find him a whoopee cushion.
Leon looks like his Land Rover’s ’bout to be repo’ed. Someone find him a whoopee cushion.