NOTE: This is the fourth installment on my Examining The Issues series.
The issue of taxes is not on my list of non-negotiable issues, up to a point. Although my position is that we need to pass the Fair Tax as soon as humanly possible, I am willing to consider any other proposals a candidate might have, except one that raises tax rates; that is where I draw the line. Any Republican candidate that proposes an increase in tax rates would be better served by switching parties.
Since the Left is a bit challenged by the terminology I will use in this discussion (in other words, they lie), I would point out that there is a very distinct and important difference between raising tax rates and raising tax revenue. When Liberals talk about taxes, it is their hope that people are not aware of this distinction, and they will try to ignore the fact that lowering tax rates in the right way will raise tax revenue. A Republican candidate needs to not only understand this, but be able to clearly convey this concept to the voters.
The reasons I will not consider any type of tax increase are numerous. First, tax increase will hurt the economy, and we certainly don’t need that. The main reason however, is that it is impossible to raise taxes fast enough or high enough to keep up with the spending of Congress, so what is the point? Until Washington is forced to act responsibly with our money, the idea of giving them more of it should not even be considered. The only proper way to increase tax revenue is through increased economic activity. If the government wants more money to spend, it needs to do things that will allow our economy to flourish and create that revenue. Simply raising tax rates is the lazy way and is almost always counter-productive.
A good Republican candidate will have a tax plan that cuts capital gains taxes, eliminates the tax on foreign profits, reduces taxes on individuals (across all income ranges) and simplifies the tax code. A great Republican candidate will have a bold plan that drastically alters the way we fund the federal government and eliminates the IRS as we know it. As I said before I am a staunch supporter of the Fair Tax, but even a flat tax plan would be preferable to keeping what we have now. Regardless of which plan a candidate presents, they must also have a plan to stop the IRS from being used as a political tool of whoever happens to be in the White House. Although it is somewhat of a separate issue, I would also like to hear a candidate promise to fully investigate the actions of the IRS and prosecute those guilty of wrongdoing.
Because of the actions of the Obama administration, the IRS has become a huge issue for many Americans. Unfortunately, it appears that some in the establishment of the GOP have either turned a blind eye to the abuses against Tea Party groups, or even encouraged it. If a candidate is not on fire to fix this problem, it makes me suspicious that he or she would be happy to leave things as they are.
With anger and distrust of the IRS as high as it has probably ever been, this is the perfect time to champion a tax plan that eliminates the IRS in anything resembling its current form. The Fair Tax would reduce the IRS to nothing more than a mail room clerk who deposits checks from each of the state governments into the federal treasury, and another who mails out the monthly prebate checks. If some other tax plan can come anywhere close to achieving the same result, I am more than willing to listen. A candidate who thinks we should continue with the same IRS we have now would have an uphill battle to get my vote.
Taxes are always a big issue in Presidential races, and this year I believe the issue will present some huge opportunities for the GOP if they are bold enough to tackle them rather than just poking at the edges of it like they have done before. I recognize the difficulty of selling America on a plan that makes drastic changes, but a bold leader would be willing to do the hard work, and bold leadership is one thing America desperately needs.
The post Examining The Issues That Matter – Taxes appeared first on Dispatches From The Conservative Underground.