Ask Not for Whom the Tax Tolls
Look out, middle-class America — Washington is coming after you next. Here’s Shawn Tully:
If Washington gridlock persists, the big new tax is a virtual certainty. The most probable choice will be a VAT. Since the VAT is assessed on things people buy, not their incomes, it falls heavily on the middle class. Suddenly, the issue is sneaking into the fiscal debate. A January 7th editorial in the New York Times called for a VAT. The same week, in a piece criticizing the nomination of Jack Lew for Treasury Secretary, the Wall Street Journal editorial page groused that President Obama’s spending plans will saddle America with a VAT by default.
This isn’t what the middle class was promised.
No, but enough of us believed the BS we were promised to get the Taxer-and-Spender-in-Cheif reelected.
The idea of DC holding the power of a VAT and an income tax at the same time should cause any American nothing but sleepless nights. The VAT is mostly-invisible, and regressive as a head tax. Combine it with the tyranny of the IRS and the income tax, and it’s over — the American experiment is over.
“This isn’t what the middle class was promised.”
Yes, it is. What part of, “We want to raise taxes.”, did they not understand? Oh, you say they said it was tax the rich, only? Define rich. Rich is in the eye of the beholder.
America had a clear choice: tax-and-spend more; Or, tax-and-spend less. They chose more. Even the rich chose more, because they think they will get it all back, and more, through patronage.
They voted for this. They have been voting for this for more than a decade, now. They like this!
Opposing a VAT proposal ought to be the singular ‘die on the beaches,’ never say yes’ for each and every pol that ever hopes to get a vote from a Republican, conservative or libertarian.
No, not now . . . not ever.
You can have a vast entitlement state or you can have low taxes. You can’t have both. We’re going to get a VAT because there’s no stomach for cutting spending and poor Chinese aren’t going to fund our unsustainable entitlements forever.
VAT Tax? How last century. How about a federal tax-per-mile that can only work of they first mandate that you put a ‘black box’ on your car?
http://washingtonexaminer.com/new-pay-per-mile-scheme-would-boost-taxes-250-percent/article/2518504
oh no, they would never mandate a ‘black box’ that could note every single mile, and every single event you have when you drive would they? Nahhhhhh:
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2012/05/congress-black-box/