Here's the call I got this morning, loosely paraphrased, initially from a live person and then with a recording from Newt.
Newt (paraphrased): "I'm calling business leaders like yourself who understand the way that taxes cripple our economy, to ask for your support in the development a flat tax structure to lower the cost on businesses, create jobs and grow the economy."
Live person: "So can I count on your support?"
Me: "That strikes me as a very simplistic proposal to address a complicated economic problem."
Live person: "So do you prefer the current tax model?"
Me: "I don't see that as a bimodal choice."
Live person: "You know that Newt Gingrich has led a bipartisan movement to get things changed in Washington. In fact, his drill here, drill now campaign focused on getting energy costs down and reached across party lines."
Me: "I'm in the energy industry, and that campaign was written to appeal to people who don't understand our energy system. I fail to see how that would have had any positive impact on our energy system, although I do see how it could gain the votes of the uninformed. The flat tax proposal smells similar."
Live person: "I understand. Would you like to receive an autographed copy of Newt's book?"
Me: "No."
The Republican party's got a long way to go, eh?
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Pangolin Posted 2:09 am
21 Nov 2008
That's what you get for indulging curiosity and not hitting the off switch at the sound of a recorded voice.
Put the Carbon Back
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GreyFlcn Posted 4:22 am
21 Nov 2008
Assuming they included PayRoll Tax, Income Tax, and (indexed for inflation) Capital Gains Tax, all into one pot, and then did a flat tax on that.
I'd be perfectly fine with a Flat Tax.
http://greyfalcon.net/payrolltaxes.png
http://greyfalcon.net/concentrate.png
http://greyfalcon.net/taxevasion3
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What I'm not fine with is the so-called "Fair Tax", which people like Gingrich and Paul advocate. Which is primarily just shifting the tax burden away from the top 1%
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/df/NRST-percen ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FairTax
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As Teddy Roosevelt (Republican) mentioned:
"The man of great wealth owes a peculiar obligation to the State, because he derives special advantages from the mere existence of government. Not only should he recognize this obligation in the way he leads his daily life and in the way he earns and spends his money, but it should also be recognized by the way in which he pays for the protection the States gives him."
http://theboard.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/15/hes-no-teddy ...
Other good quotes here
http://blog.beliefnet.com/stevenwaldman/2008/10/teddy-roo ...
-David Ahlport
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