Time for TEA and a Fair Tax
Teatime, anyone? I hope you've joined one of the thousands of TEA (Taxed Enough Already) parties or FairTax rallies, which are happening across the country April 15 to protest outrageous government spending, the deepening of our national debt, and the subsequent taxes. This is a nonpartisan time to rally around like-minded citizens and declare that we're tired of the same old political rhetoric and that we want a better way.
I personally encourage all people to voice to their representatives that we need to return to a taxation system similar to the one established by our Founding Fathers. They did not penalize productivity through taxes the way we do today. They had no Internal Revenue Service. They believed in minimal taxation. They did not pay income taxes, which were prohibited by the Constitution. They did not pay export taxes, which also were prohibited by the Constitution. But they did tax imports. The Founders believed in free trade within our own borders and a system of tariffs on imported goods.
That's a system that makes sense to me. It is a system designed to preserve individual liberty and encourage productivity (through no income taxes and no discouragement of domestic production through export taxes) while choosing to keep taxes as painless as possible (through taxes on foreign imports). And it doesn't require an IRS to run it.
The Founders would have been horrified at the bloated federal bureaucracy we have now and the maze of taxes we have to navigate: income taxes, employment taxes, capital gains taxes, estate taxes, corporate taxes, property taxes, Social Security taxes, gas taxes, etc. It was excessive taxation like this that drove the Founders to rebel in the first place.
All of the Founders were opposed to domestic taxes. They regarded high taxes and aggressive tax collectors as tyrannical and always to be guarded against. Patrick Henry warned: "Excisemen may come in multitudes, for the limitation of their numbers no man knows. They may, unless the general government be restrained by a bill of rights or some similar restriction, go into your cellars and rooms and search, ransack and measure everything you eat, drink and wear." (A prophetic statement?)
The IRS wasn't started until nearly 100 years after the Revolutionary War, in 1862 as the Bureau of Internal Revenue. Its creation coincided with the creation of the income tax, which it was designed to collect. Both were the work of President Abraham Lincoln and Congress, who saw them as necessary to pay for Civil War expenses.
It is interesting to note, however, that the income tax law expired 10 years later, was revived in 1894, and then was ruled by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional in 1895. Yet in 1913, it became law through the 16th Amendment. Ever since then, the income tax has deprived families of their rightful earnings, restricted our liberties, and deprived our economy of money that could have been invested in productive enterprises.
Today the IRS is the No. 1 enemy of your pocketbook. Who doesn't fear an IRS audit? It's the only federal agency that considers you guilty until proven innocent. It can't be overhauled or even reformed (Congress' attempts have failed).
The best answer is to abolish the IRS, sweep away the present tax code, and implement FairTax's plan, which lives up to its name. As Mike Huckabee says, "Wouldn't it be nice if April 15 were just another sunny spring day?" (Mike himself will be hosting a FairTax rally in Columbia, S.C.)
FairTax's plan would do away with all taxes and would put in their place a single consumptive (fair) tax, which right now is the closest practical proposal to the taxation system favored by the Founders. With the fair tax, the harder you worked and the more money you made the better off you and our economy would be. You would pay taxes only when you bought something, which means that you could control how much you'd be taxed and that you never would be penalized for working hard.
It's time we had a system through which people didn't have to figure out ways to cheat in order to save their money. Again, as Huckabee says: "The fair tax is a completely transparent tax system. It doesn't increase taxes. It's revenue-neutral. But here's what it will do: It will bring business back to the United States that is leaving our shores because our tax laws make it impossible for an American-based business to compete. … The fair tax was designed by economists from Harvard and Stanford and some of the leading think tanks across the country."
There are also trillions of dollars hiding in offshore accounts. With the fair tax, the people with their money offshore could bring it back to invest here, which would give a huge boost to our economy. It's the biggest stimulation package there is. As the FairTax Web site says, "Think of it as the World's Biggest Economic Jumper Cables."
If the Founding Fathers were here today, I believe they would support the fair tax. As James Madison said, "Taxes on consumption are always least burdensome because they are least felt and are borne, too, by those who are both willing and able to pay them; that of all taxes on consumption, those on foreign commerce are most compatible with the genius and policy of free states."
We don't need more tax reform. We need a tax revolution! And FairTax's plan would provide it. If we all jumped on the bandwagon and demanded our representatives implement such a taxation system, we could restore our nation economically and make the financially impossible become possible again.
Friends, we must keep fighting. Join your nearest TEA party or FairTax rally, and bring your cell phone, too, so that you can call Congress and the president to share why you've gathered together. (The phone number for representatives and senators is 202-224-3121, and the president's is 202-456-1414.)
If you haven't found the nearest location for a TEA party or FairTax rally, go to http://www.TeaPartyDay.com or http://www.FairTax.org. Invite your friends, too. And don't forget to bring copies of this article or another one that explains the fair tax so others can be educated, as well. Why wait? Forward it now to everyone you know, and let's get the party rolling!
To find out more about Chuck Norris and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2009 CHUCK NORRIS
DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.
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4 Comments | Post Comment
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Oppression rings a bell when Taxpayers think of Barack Obama, Barney
Frank, Pelosi, Reid, Waters, Geithner, Rangel,Clintons (just to name a few)! This
bunch of radical and socialist idiots are bankrupting America, as we speak,
and it seems only a few folks are getting it and are beginning to hold "Tea
Party gatherings!" This should tell you something, right? It's obvious,
people, who have a job at present, are totally fed up and the ONLY CHANGE
THEY WANT TO SEE IS 'FAIR TAX', 'SMALLER GOVERNMENT', 'SMALLER SALARIES AND
RETIREMENTS FOR POLITICIANS', and to 'LEAVE THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS ALONE' as this
Democratic latest crazy hype "we're going to redistribute wealth" (so they
can furnish more social,welfare and insurance programs to the illegitimates)
is only going to make America into a third world country! I'm quoting from a
cartoon - "They come from far away, commit crimes, and cost Government
(We, the Taxpayers) a lot of money - but enough about Congress" the phrase
being used by Politicians "Do as I say, not as I do" make Americans wonder if
it's time to move abroad? We've heard the speeches from politicians "We'll stop
Nafta, Cafta, create jobs, cut taxes, balance the budget, reduce drug
costs, cut insurance costs, fix Social Security and WORK for Taxpayers!" Yeah,
Right! It's a proven fact, you're not taking care of anyone but your
greedy selves! Who's idea was it to supply Taxpayers' money for the rebuilding of
anything that's not on American soil? Even rebuilding on American soil,
Taxpayers need to hold the checkbooks! Politicians can't be trusted to
make decisions that affect America on any level! Politicians have no
Credibility! It's so sad to think we've gotten to this level in America! Incidentally,
it's been proven politicians can't balance their own checkbooks, so why
are Taxpayers allowing them to balance America's budget? Daily we read 'budget
squeeze' and see where the Politicians aren't paying their own taxes or
bank notes. This should tell Taxpayers that it's time to clean house on every
level of government. Their statements "I'll give you what you want, if I
get what I want for my pet projects" has to end! This type behavior has gotten
us so far in debt using bonds, grants, incentives, non-profit organizations,
schools, social and welfare programs as wagers! America has gone backwards
and the moral decay is being displayed in society daily! America we have a
critical problem!
Comment: #1
Posted by: Shirley deLong
Tue Apr 14, 2009 8:37 AM
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Thanks for these insights, Chuck (and your added comments, Shirley). I think I can see why you folks over there call the IRS the Infernal Revenue Service (we'd probably substitute 'Ripoff' for 'Revenue'). One commentator also sounding a timely warning is your own Lynn Stuter, from NewswithViews.com. Her article When Will America Have Had Enough? may be worth circulating as a resource at any TEA gatherings, for an overview of Obama's presidency thus far. One thing she has revealed is that since coming to office, Obama "has signed into law legislation that will, in one year, put this nation $1.8 trillion further into the hole, bearing in mind that the total deficit spending of the Bush Administration, in eight years, was $400 billion!" That's in just 77 days. No telling what he might do in the next 77. I sure hope you folks can raise up some more Minutemen. Uncle Sam needs them as never before, since the War of Independence.
Comment: #2
Posted by: Alan O'Reilly
Fri Apr 17, 2009 9:06 AM
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Dear Chuck Norris, and Alan O'Reilly, I just sent in a new post. You'll enjoy this one.
Comment: #3
Posted by: Shirley deLong
Tue Apr 21, 2009 3:30 PM
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THIS IS 'THE WAY THINGS ARE REALLY HAPPENING' AND WILL NEVER BE BETTER, UNTIL SALARIES AND RETIREMENTS ARE CUT TO $12,000.00 YEARLY AND BEGIN RUNNING GOVERNMENT LIKE A BUSINESS! NOW, OBAMA, WANTS ALL HIS POLITICAL CRIMINALS TO 'SEEK $100 MILLIONS IN GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCIES! YEAH, RIGHT, THEY'RE STAYING UP NIGHTS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH MORE THEY CAN STEAL BEFORE AMERICA IS TOTALLY UNDER!
UNFORTUNATELY, OBAMA THINKS BY 'SHAKING AND EXTENDING HIS HAND & TELLING CHAVEZ & CASTRO' = 'I'M NOT TALKING JUST TO BE TALKING' IS GOING TO MAKE THESE DICTATORS LOVE HIM AND AMERICA, HE'S OH SO MISTAKEN. THESE PEOPLE MAIM, RAPE AND KILL THEIR OWN KIN, AND HE THINKS THEY'LL SPARE HIM - GIVE ME A BREAK!
ABSOLUTELY NONE OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS (INCLUDING THE 61 MILLION SOUTHERN GUILFORD JUST BUILT FOR ALL THE NON-TAX PAYERS'), SOCIAL AND WELFARE PROGRAMS AREN'T WORKING! NEVER HAVE! NEVER WILL!
And now we're back to comments I've been reading about "Why you ain't"; 'where you is'; 'where he work'; 'who's your baby daddy?' Can you imagine all this is being said on national TV, daily, and politicians say "this is our future and we're going to protect them!" TAXPAYERS are saying "your radical and socialist changes are more than we can stand; therefore, look for the Tea Parties to increase and your pay to come to a screeching halt!
The following was sent to me and I'm sending it along!
=================================================================================
There was a Pied Piper who said,
“We live in the greatest country in the world. Help me change it!”
*And the people said, “Change is good!”
Then he said, “We are going to tax the rich fat-cats,”…*And the people said “Sock it to them!”
“and redistribute their wealth.”
*And the people said, “Show me the money!”
And then he said, “Redistribution of wealth is good for everybody”
*And Joe the plumber said, are you kidding me?”
And Joe's personal records were hacked and publicized.
*And one lone reporter asked, “Isn't that Marxist policy?”
And she was banished from the kingdom!
Then someone asked, “With no foreign relations experience, how will you deal with radical terrorists?”
And the Pied Piper said, “Simple. I'll sit down and talk with them and show them how nice we really are and they'll forget that they ever wanted to kill us all!”
Then the Pied Piper said, “I'll give 95% of you lower taxes.”
*And one, lone voice said, “But 40% of us don't pay ANY taxes.”
So the Pied Piper said, “Then I'll give you some of the taxes the fat-cats pay!”
*And the people said, “Show me the money!”
Then the Pied Piper said, “I'll tax your Capital Gains when you sell your homes!”
*And the people yawned and the slumping housing market collapsed.
And he said, “I'll mandate employer- funded health care for EVERY worker and raise the minimum wage.”
*And the people said, “Gim'me some of that!”
Then he said, “I'll penalize employers who ship jobs overseas.”
*And the people said, “Where's my rebate check?”
Then the Pied Piper actually said, “I'll bankrupt the coal industry and electricity rates will skyrocket!”
*And the people said, “Coal is dirty, coal is evil, no more coal! But we don't care for that part about higher electric rates.”
So the Pied Piper said, “Not to worry. If your rebate isn't enough to cover your expenses, we'll bail you out. Just sign up with ACORN and your troubles are over!” Then he said, “Illegal immigrants feel scorned and slighted. Let's grant them amnesty, Social Security, free education, free lunches, free medical care, bi-lingual signs and guaranteed housing.”
*And the people said, “Ole`! Bravo!” And they made him King!
And so it came to pass that employers, facing spiraling costs and ever-higher taxes, raised their prices and laid off workers. Others simply gave up and went out of business and the economy slowed even further. Then the Pied Piper said, “I am the Messiah and I'm here to save you! We'll just print more money so everyone will have enough!” But our foreign trading partners said, “Wait a minute. Your dollar isn't worth what it was. You'll have to pay more.”
*And the people said, “Wait a minute. That's not fair!”
And the world said, “Neither are these other, idiotic programs you've embraced. You've become a Socialist state and a second-rate power. Now you'll play by ourrules!”
*And the people said, “What have we done?”
But it was too late.
If you think this is a fairy tale, open your eyes and ears. It's happening RIGHT NOW!
Did you know the president's name is really an acronym…
One Big Astounding Mistake America
Comment: #4
Posted by: Shirley deLong
Tue Apr 21, 2009 3:33 PM
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