The Chairman’s Report – May 27, 2016

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  • Source: FAIRtax
  • 04/09/2021
Memorial Day
 
Since 1971, we have celebrated Memorial Day on the last Monday in May. Many people now see the holiday as only an opportunity to have a three day weekend and the beginning of summer.  While it is great to enjoy the opportunity to spend time with friends and toast the start of the summer, we should not forget the reason the holiday was originally created.

Called Decoration Day until 1882, Memorial Day is an important holiday because of what it represents.  On Memorial Day the U.S. flag is raised and then lowered to half staff where it remains until noon.  Then it is raised to full staff for the remainder of the day.  The significance of this procedure is flying the flag at half-staff commemorates the ultimate sacrifice made by over one million men and women who gave their lives defending our right to be free.  When the flag is raised to full-staff, it is to represent the resolution by all of us to honor their sacrifice by preserving our liberty.

Indirect And Direct Taxes And The Preservation Of Liberty

Throughout history, people have demanded that government provide things and protested when government asked them to pay the costs.  Since all taxes, fees and levies come from the people and each reduces a person’s ability to consume, the type of taxes that are the least offensive are indirect taxes.

Examples of indirect taxes are:
  • Sales tax
  • Property tax
  • Excise tax on goods and services
In contrast, people have been less comfortable with direct taxes imposed on them by the government. 

Examples of direct taxes are:
  • Income taxes
  • Payroll taxes
Because indirect taxes are collected by the vendors of goods and services, there are no reports to be filed and people normally assume that these are fairer because they are paid by everyone.  In contrast, direct taxes are imposed “directly” on the person, the responsibility for payment and collection is on the person, and government requires the person to report his or her income to verify that the correct assessment is paid.

Direct Taxes And The Threat To Liberty

It is obvious that a person is more free and has more liberty if they have more control over the payment of their taxes to the government.  It is also obvious that having to report your income and activities to the government reduces your liberty. 

It is also true that the government looks not to the person if indirect taxes are not paid but to the provider of the goods and/or services.  Contrast this with what the government does if direct taxes are not paid.  It directs the full force of the government against the individual who did not pay what the government felt was the correct amount of the direct tax.

In addition, direct taxes eliminate an effective form of protest against government confiscation of money from its citizens.  If you want to send a message to your government, you can reduce your consumption.  You cannot reduce your direct taxes unless you quit working or earning money, and this is not like removing a splinter with tweezers but instead removing the splinter by amputating a finger.

Our founding fathers were aware of the need to avoid government being unrestrained in oppressing its citizens.  In seeking support for the new Constitution, Alexander Hamilton authored Federalist Paper #22 in which he stated:

It is a signal advantage of taxes on articles of consumption that they contain in their own nature a security against excess.  They prescribe their own limit, which cannot be exceeded without defeating the end proposed—that is, an extension of the revenue.  When applied to this object, the saying is as just as it is witty that, ‘in political arithmetic, two and two do not always make four’.  If duties are too high, they lessen the consumption; the collection is eluded; and the product to the treasury is not so great as when they are confined within proper and moderate bounds.  This forms a complete barrier against any material oppression of the citizens by taxes of this class, and is itself a natural limitation of the power of imposing them.

Impositions of this kind usually fall under the denomination of indirect taxes, and must for a long time constitute the chief part of the revenue raised in this country.

Conclusion
 
It is easy to see which form of tax is more consistent with liberty.  The FAIRtax is an indirect tax and requires no personal reporting of our income and how we spend our money to the government.
 
Frederick Douglass was a former slave whose efforts were very important in the fight against slavery.  One of his statements is appropriate here when discussing the preservation of liberty and the form of taxation.
 
To make a contented slave, you must make a thoughtless one. It is necessary to darken his moral and mental vision, and, as far as possible, to annihilate his power of reason. He must be able to detect no inconsistencies in slavery. The man that takes his earnings, must be able to convince him that he has a perfect right to do so. It must not depend upon mere force; the slave must know no Higher Law than his master's will. The whole relationship must not only demonstrate, to his mind, its necessity, but its absolute rightfulness.

Sometimes it is frustrating that we speak to politicians and they seem to ignore the fact that the sacrifices of those who gave their lives so we can be free are actually ignoring that direct taxes like the income tax are eroding our liberty.
 
William Wilberforce’s story was told in the movie Amazing Grace.  He fought for 20 years to end the slave trade in England.  Like the infringement of our liberty taken for granted by the political elite, the English elite ignored the slave trade and allowed it to continue in spite of its obvious cruelty and inhumanity.  Wilberforce made his fellow members of Parliament aware of the problem.  When others said it didn’t matter, Wilberforce said, “You may choose to look the other way but you can never say again that you did not know.” 
 
The political elite may ignore the threat to our liberty posed by direct taxes but we will ensure that they can never say that they did not know about it.

America’s Big Solution
 
We often hear from our elected Members of Congress that they are doing their best.  They point out all of the reasons why we cannot adopt the FAIRtax, even though they admit we need real tax reform like the FAIRtax.  Winston Churchill was told by his military leaders during World War II that even though they were not winning a battle that they were “doing their best.”  Churchill responded, “Sometimes doing your best is not good enough. Sometimes you must do what is required.” 
 
We have a 20th century tax system when we need a Big Solution—the FAIRtax a 21st century tax system.  That is why we created BigSolution.org.   America does need a big solution and the FAIRtax is the big solution!   Please send your friends to Fairtax.org and Bigsolution.org
 
1040 Club and Contributions
 
To those of you not familiar with the 1040 Club, AFFT is asking people to contribute $10.40 per month to AFFT. This provides a steady funding platform and allows us to spend our time not trying to raise money but actually working with groups to help make passage of the FAIRtax a reality. Thanks to each of you who have joined the 1040 Club.  You are ensuring that Americans For Fair Taxation can continue to promote the FAIRtax.
 
If you are not a member of the 1040 Club, or if you are a member but want to join for someone else, please go to this link and sign up.
 
If you believe that all you can contribute to our efforts is $10, please go to Fairtax.org and donate.  We have our best chance now and need your help.  Many of us prefer to make one donation as opposed to monthly donations and this greatly helps.
 
FAIRtax Power Radio
 
There are many ways in which people can help us educate more Americans about the FAIRtax.  In Programs 29 & 30, the FAIRtax Guys describe how listeners can support and promote our efforts. Program 29 concentrates on simple but effective things for people with busy schedules, whereas Program 30 suggests some activities that might take a little more time.  The programs are free to the listeners.  Please share these links with your friends and relatives.
 
I am pleased to announce that FAIRtax Power Radio is now available on iTunes and Spreaker.  A new episode will be posted every Friday morning but you can listen at any time by going to one of these sites.  There is no cost to listen.  By this time next week, we expect to be on iHeart Radio too. 
 
Recently Bob Paxton and I decided to start from scratch discussing the many problems with the current income tax system and the reason why REAL tax reform is so desperately needed in our country.  In episode 3, Thomas Jefferson paid us a visit and gave his opinion of our federal income tax.  As you might guess, he wasn’t very happy with what he saw.  Then we searched for “the perfect tax system”.  
 
In future episodes, we will hear from Bob “Paxworthy” famous for his “You Might Be A FAIRtax Fan!” routine.  We are always open to your thoughts and opinions.  You can contact me at this email address or at thefairtaxguys@gmail.com.  
 
Our episodes are still available on SoundCloud and YouTube but Spreaker is the site that lets up branch out to other, more popular sites that cater to podcasting.
 
Bob and I will continue with FAIRtax Power Radio until HR 25 becomes the law of the land in 2017.  After that, I’m sure our episodes will go into the Radio Hall of Fame!  Please share this information with your constituents and anyone else you care to.  The more people we educate about the FAIRtax, the better the chances are that it will become a reality next year. 
 
To listen to FTPR on SoundCloud (free and audio only) go to these links:
 
FTPR Program 29 on SoundCloud
 
FTPR Program 30 on SoundCloud
 
FTPR Program 29 on YouTube
 
FTPR Program 30 on YouTube
 
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