All of us will get a monthly rebate that will reimburse us for taxes on purchases up to the poverty line, so that we're not taxed on necessities. That means people below the poverty line won't be taxed at all. We'll be taxed on what we decide to buy, not what we happen to earn. We won't be taxed on what we choose to save or the interest those savings earn. The tax will apply only to new goods, so we can reduce our taxes further by buying a used car or computer.This segment is from Mike Huckabee’s campaign website, a portion of his “FairTax” tax reform plan. I read this surprised and impress. It seems like a more than reasonable attempt to revert to a constitutional taxation process. Excise taxes, or what is commonly called consumption tax, is what the constitution outlines as a fair way to tax. Only the earnings one spends is taxed says the founders.
I read it again, “All of us will get a monthly rebate.” At this point I was inevitably forced to squirm with a joyful disbelief. It must be a dream, one of the most electable Republican candidates, a favorite of conservatives nation-wide, wants to give me money. Hell, I was almost convinced to cast a Huckabee vote just then!
For fun I read it again and saw this, “All of us will get a monthly rebate that will reimburse us for taxes on purchases up to the poverty line, so that we're not taxed on necessities.”
That's great! It's like one of those half awake/half asleep post martini consumption dreams, something more real then fake, like a Salvador Dali painting inspired by jazz; I was almost inspired to dance… almost.
Then the big wave of disappointment hit me, something I have not felt since I became aware of my social security number; the government will have to know a lot about me to give me this money. I like getting money. I also like my privacy . How will they know what I buy in order to give me a rebate? This sounds more like a give/take scenario where the taking is bigger than the giving. Let me explain.
I will get some money back. Probably not enough to matter, but the government will know what groceries I buy, what electronics I need for school, where I purchase underwear (how often) and then pay me diddles for the control gained through knowledge. This sounds like a tax plan complimentary to the Real ID Act. It will not just lure but pay us to accept it, to love it, to smile with a giggle behind our teeth waiting for the next tax season.
Real ID Hits the News
The simple but sad truth is this, if we have the Real ID accompanied by the FairTax, the government will always know -because they have some pretty kick-ass databases- how much money we have, where we are, what we buy and who we buy it with. This encroachment on personal privacy is an extreme abuse of power. For this reason (though, not this reason alone), I cannot vote for Governor Mike Huckabee.Ron Paul on the Real ID
If you are not convinced about what constitutional taxation really is, if you think your income should be dibbed up to the government then you need to watch this.
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