[geeks] TAXES

[Phil Stracchino]

Lionel Peterson wrote:
> On May 9, 2009, at 1:48 PM, Michael Parson <mparson at bl.org> wrote:
>> The fairtax covers that base pretty well with the prebate.  The only
>> paperwork you file with the federal taxing authority (the IRS, or
>> whomever would take over should this tax pass), is something  
>> certifying
>> how many people are in your household.  Your monthly prebate is based
>> on that number, not your income.  Every household of 2 adults and 2
>> children would get the same prebate, which would be calculated on how
>> much a family of that size would pay in taxes on neccessary goods.
> 
> I understand this would be simple to calculate, but honestly that is a  
> complex solution to what is really a simple problem. The folks in  
> Alabama have different income levels, different costs of goods,  
> different poverty levels, etc, when compared to someone living in,  
> say, manhattan. As you outlined the Fair Tax it doesn't address that  
> (though it could be worked out), has the government calculating what  
> the actual "cost of living" is, and has the poential for them to  
> influence consumer spending in ways that I wouldn't agree with. I can  
> imagine the government increasing the allowence for a new car if the  
> car industry has a problem, or suddenly the list of essentials for  
> living would be stretched to include digital TVs, home commputers,  
> broadband internet access, a car, etc.

Those are indeed problems.  The issue of geographic local poverty level
is a relatively simple one to solve.  The issue of "standard-of-living
creep", not so much.

-- 
  Phil Stracchino, CDK#2     DoD#299792458     ICBM: 43.5607, -71.355
  alaric at caerllewys.net   alaric at metrocast.net   phil at co.ordinate.org
         Renaissance Man, Unix ronin, Perl hacker, Free Stater
                 It's not the years, it's the mileage.