News Blog for social, fiscal & national security conservatives who believe in God, family & the USA. Upholding the rights granted by God & guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, traditional family values, "republican" principles / ideals, transparent & limited "smaller" government, free markets, lower taxes, due process of law, liberty & individual freedom. Content approval rests with the ARRA News Service Editor. Opinions are those of the authors. While varied positions are reported, beliefs & principles remain fixed. No revenue is generated for or by this "Blog" - no paid ads - no payments for articles.Fair Use Doctrine is posted & used. Blogger/Editor/Founder: Bill Smith, Ph.D. [aka: OzarkGuru & 2010 AFP National Blogger of the Year] Contact: editor@arranewsservice.com (Pub. Since July, 2006)Home PageFollow @arra
One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics
is that you end up being governed by your inferiors. -- Plato
(429-347 BC)
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Mike Huckabee Answers His Critics
Dave Eberhart, NewsMax: Former Arkansas governor said he's the Republican candidate with the truest consistent conservative credentials, someone who has never "flip-flopped" on important issues. "I have nothing to explain," Huckabee says with confidence. "I'm comfortable in my own skin." . . . Huckabee is on the record more than once saying, "I'm proud of my record as a fiscal conservative." . . . critics like the watchdog group Club for Growth note, he had raised sales taxes 37%, fuel taxes 16%, and cigarettes taxes 103%. But Huckabee told NewsMax that the picture being drawn is too simplistic. He explained that with respect to the tax increases, a state Supreme Court decision required immediate additional spending on education. The ruling came at a time when he had already cut the state budget 11 %, and the choice was between raising taxes to fund the court order or being in contempt of court.
When he became governor, Arkansas had some of the "worst highways in the nation," he said. Over 80% of voters supported a four cent tax on diesel fuel to fix the roads. Similarly, a 1/8-cent increase in the sales tax was approved by the voters to preserve their natural and cultural heritage. Huckabee said that as governor he would have "violated his oath of office" if he had tried to thwart the will of these voters.
Recently, the National Review launched into Huckabee by charging that he was not the poster child for smaller government, citing the increase in state employees and spending during his tenure. Once again, Huckabee explained the devil in the details. With respect to the spending that he as governor had under his control - excluding federal pass-throughs and programs strictly controlled by the Democrat legislature - spending rose only about six-tenths of 1% a year during his 10 1/2-year tenure, he says. As for the 20% growth in state employees during his tenure, Huckabee says he had no control over higher education and federally funded positions, "and when you remove those employees, the number of state employees increased 5.6%." . . . [Read More] See also:Huckabee's Legacy to Arkansas: Over a $1 Billion State Surplus Tags:Arkansas, GOP, increased taxes, Mike Huckabee, presidential candidate, Republican, taxes
I back Huckabee because central in his platform is the KEY issue on the table - if you don't know it NOW, you will soon: While many who are invested in the current income tax system seek to demagog the well-researched FairTax plan (*), its acceptance in the professional / academic community continues to grow (**). Failure to enact the FairTax - choosing instead to try to "flatten" a NON-FLATTENABLE income tax system - will result in an IRREVOCABLE economic meltdown. (*** Impossible, you say?)
Here is why the FairTax MUST replace the income tax. It's:
• SIMPLE, easy to understand • EFFICIENT, inexpensive to comply with and doesn't cause less-than-optimal business decisions for tax minimization purposes • FAIR, loophole free and everyone pays their share • LOW TAX RATE, achieved by broad base with no exclusions • PREDICTABLE, doesn't change, so financial planning is possible • UNINTRUSIVE, doesn't intrude into our personal affairs or limit our liberty • VISIBLE, not hidden from the public in tax-inflated prices or otherwise • PRODUCTIVE, rewards, rather than penalizes, work and productivity
Its benefits are as follows:
FOR INDIVIDUALS: • No more tax on income - make as much as you wish • You receive your full paycheck - no more deductions • You pay the tax when you buy "at retail" - not "used" • No more double taxation (e.g. like on current Capital Gains) • Reduction of "pre-FairTaxed" retail prices by 20%-30% • Adding back 29.9% FairTax maintains current price levels • FairTax would constitute 23% portion of new prices • Every household receives a monthly check, or "pre-bate" • "Prebate" is "advance payback" for monthly consumption to poverty level • FairTax's "prebate" ensures progressivity, poverty protection • Finally, citizens are knowledgeable of what their tax IS • Elimination of "parasitic" Income Tax industry • NO MORE IRS. NO MORE FILING OF TAX RETURNS by individuals • Those possessing illicit forms of income will ALSO pay the FairTax • Households have more disposable income to purchase goods • Savings is bolstered with reduction of interest rates
FOR BUSINESSES: • Corporate income and payroll taxes revoked under FairTax • Business compensated for collecting tax at "cash register" • No more tax-related lawyers, lobbyists on company payrolls • No more embedded (hidden) income/payroll taxes in prices • Reduced costs. Competition - not tax policy - drives prices • Off-shore "tax haven" headquarters can now return to U.S • No more "favors" from politicians at expense of taxpayers • Resources go to R&D and study of competition - not taxes • Marketplace distortions eliminated for fair competition • US exports increase their share of foreign markets
FOR THE COUNTRY: • 7% - 13% economic growth projected in the first year of the FairTax • Jobs return to the U.S. • Foreign corporations "set up shop" in the U.S. • Tax system trends are corrected to "enlarge the pie" • Larger economic "pie," means thinner tax rate "slices" • Initial 23% portion of price is pressured downward as "pie" increases • No more "closed door" tax deals by politicians and business • FairTax sets new global standard. Other countries will follow
(*) http://snipurl.com/taxpanelrebutted (.pdf)
(**) http://snipurl.com/econsopenletter (Lists every tax that FairTax will eliminate, together with the power they represent to pol's and lobbyists.)
(***) Listen to an interview where Prof. Kotlikoff elaborates: http://snipurl.com/meltdowninprogress
The time for sitting around, pontificating, is over. We have NO CHOICE but to ACT: http://snipr.com/scrapthecode
Personal Tweets by the editor: Dr. Bill - OzarkGuru - @arra
#Christian Conservative; Retired USAF & Grad Professor. Constitution NRA ProLife schoolchoice fairtax - Editor ARRA NEWS SERVICE. THANKS FOR FOLLOWING!
To Exchange Links - Email: editor@arranewsservice.com!
Comments by contributing authors or other sources do not necessarily reflect the position the editor, other contributing authors, sources, readers, or commenters. No contributors, or editors are paid for articles, images, cartoons, etc. While having reported on and promoting principles & beleifs beliefs of other organizations, this blog/site is soley controlled and supported by the editor. This site/blog does not advertise for money or services nor does it solicit funding for its support.
Fair Use: This site/blog may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of political, human rights, economic, democracy, and social justice issues, etc. This constitutes a 'fair use' of such copyrighted material as provided for in section Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 of the US Copyright Law. Per said section, the material on this site/blog is distributed without profit to readers to view for the expressed purpose of viewing the included information for research, educational, or satirical purposes. Any person/entity seeking to use copyrighted material shared on this site/blog for purposes that go beyond "fair use," must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
Dave Eberhart, NewsMax: Former Arkansas governor said he's the Republican candidate with the truest consistent conservative credentials, someone who has never "flip-flopped" on important issues. "I have nothing to explain," Huckabee says with confidence. "I'm comfortable in my own skin." . . . Huckabee is on the record more than once saying, "I'm proud of my record as a fiscal conservative." . . . critics like the watchdog group Club for Growth note, he had raised sales taxes 37%, fuel taxes 16%, and cigarettes taxes 103%. But Huckabee told NewsMax that the picture being drawn is too simplistic. He explained that with respect to the tax increases, a state Supreme Court decision required immediate additional spending on education. The ruling came at a time when he had already cut the state budget 11 %, and the choice was between raising taxes to fund the court order or being in contempt of court. 
1 Comments:
I back Huckabee because central in his platform is the KEY issue on the table - if you don't know it NOW, you will soon: While many who are invested in the current income tax system seek to demagog the well-researched FairTax plan (*), its acceptance in the professional / academic community continues to grow (**). Failure to enact the FairTax - choosing instead to try to "flatten" a NON-FLATTENABLE income tax system - will result in an IRREVOCABLE economic meltdown. (*** Impossible, you say?)
Here is why the FairTax MUST replace the income tax. It's:
• SIMPLE, easy to understand
• EFFICIENT, inexpensive to comply with and doesn't cause less-than-optimal business decisions for tax minimization purposes
• FAIR, loophole free and everyone pays their share
• LOW TAX RATE, achieved by broad base with no exclusions
• PREDICTABLE, doesn't change, so financial planning is possible
• UNINTRUSIVE, doesn't intrude into our personal affairs or limit our liberty
• VISIBLE, not hidden from the public in tax-inflated prices or otherwise
• PRODUCTIVE, rewards, rather than penalizes, work and productivity
Its benefits are as follows:
FOR INDIVIDUALS:
• No more tax on income - make as much as you wish
• You receive your full paycheck - no more deductions
• You pay the tax when you buy "at retail" - not "used"
• No more double taxation (e.g. like on current Capital Gains)
• Reduction of "pre-FairTaxed" retail prices by 20%-30%
• Adding back 29.9% FairTax maintains current price levels
• FairTax would constitute 23% portion of new prices
• Every household receives a monthly check, or "pre-bate"
• "Prebate" is "advance payback" for monthly consumption to poverty level
• FairTax's "prebate" ensures progressivity, poverty protection
• Finally, citizens are knowledgeable of what their tax IS
• Elimination of "parasitic" Income Tax industry
• NO MORE IRS. NO MORE FILING OF TAX RETURNS by individuals
• Those possessing illicit forms of income will ALSO pay the FairTax
• Households have more disposable income to purchase goods
• Savings is bolstered with reduction of interest rates
FOR BUSINESSES:
• Corporate income and payroll taxes revoked under FairTax
• Business compensated for collecting tax at "cash register"
• No more tax-related lawyers, lobbyists on company payrolls
• No more embedded (hidden) income/payroll taxes in prices
• Reduced costs. Competition - not tax policy - drives prices
• Off-shore "tax haven" headquarters can now return to U.S
• No more "favors" from politicians at expense of taxpayers
• Resources go to R&D and study of competition - not taxes
• Marketplace distortions eliminated for fair competition
• US exports increase their share of foreign markets
FOR THE COUNTRY:
• 7% - 13% economic growth projected in the first year of the FairTax
• Jobs return to the U.S.
• Foreign corporations "set up shop" in the U.S.
• Tax system trends are corrected to "enlarge the pie"
• Larger economic "pie," means thinner tax rate "slices"
• Initial 23% portion of price is pressured downward as "pie"
increases
• No more "closed door" tax deals by politicians and business
• FairTax sets new global standard. Other countries will follow
(*) http://snipurl.com/taxpanelrebutted (.pdf)
(**) http://snipurl.com/econsopenletter (Lists every tax that FairTax will eliminate, together with the power they represent to pol's and lobbyists.)
(***) Listen to an interview where Prof. Kotlikoff elaborates: http://snipurl.com/meltdowninprogress
The time for sitting around, pontificating, is over. We have NO CHOICE but to ACT: http://snipr.com/scrapthecode
Post a Comment
<< Home