More Morning Joke...Huckabee pimps "Fair" Tax (National Sales Tax), says we need to tax consumption

[Miles Archer]

Context:

http://www.examiner.net/article/20110305/News/303059898

‘Fair tax’ favors rich and is unfair to the rest

By Niel Johnson
Posted Mar. 5, 2011 @ 12:01 am
Updated Mar 5, 2011 at 4:07 AM

First of all the income tax, from the time a century ago when it was initiated, has been graduated; that is, different rates have been imposed based on the principle of ability to pay. Obviously, high income earners have a greater ability to pay a higher rate on income that is beyond what is imposed on lower income earners. What we may forget is that a wealthy person pays no more than a lower income person for the same amount of income. The higher rates apply only to higher brackets of income.

A so-called fair tax is actually a flat tax that would require a high sales tax, and since lower income earners have to spend most of what they make on necessities, they end up paying a higher percentage of tax on their income than the wealthy would pay. This would reduce the purchasing power of the average American.

[DrDan]

1. did I mishear him, or did he really say that last year he went to a McDonalds in Barcelona, France

and ordered from a kiosk?

Did I hear that correctly? I was checking my email at that time, so perhaps heard in error.

[CTyankee]

11. Yes, he did. I actually went to one like that in France last November...

it was en route from one town to the next or else I wouldn't have bothered. But I was kinda interested in how the French handled McDonald's. Surprisingly, they are very popular in France, but really more just with the younger folks.

I think Huck's purpose was to talk about the automation aspect and its impact on work staff. He said he only saw one worker in the place.

[DrDan]

16. I have also - but my point was that, last time I checked, Barcelona was in Spain

I did like the kiosk, however

[rickford66]

15. Barcelona, France ??

[DrDan]

17. i swear that is what he said

[CTyankee]

23. I did too but I thought he was saying I went to Barcelona and France...and I somehow

missed the "and." He did say he went to the McDonald's because he was looking for some good Spanish food. That sequence was bizarre. Mika asked him to answer a question and not preface by asking another question. Huck then said "The question SHOULD be..." and she stopped him, obviously frustrated...then the conversation just kind of petered out...it was odd...

[DrDan]

25. "Barcelona, France" - here is another viewer who heard the same thing

He also was talking about going to a McDonalds in Europe.

Whereabouts asks Joe.

"Barcelona, France".

http://talk.baltimoresun.com/topic/257657-mike-huckabee-imbecile-or-big-fat-liar/

That is scary - he has a lot of supporters.


You are correct - it was an odd interview. I was glad to hear Mika to ask him to answer the question, and not with another question. What does he do - ask another question.

Not sure where these candidates come from . . . Herman Cain, Huckabee, Sarah, etc, but they sure do have some gaps.

[CTyankee]

27. I suppose that it is irrelevant for him since the only people who would vote for him

are either just as ignorant about where Barcelona is or they really don't care that he doesn't know that much about socialist Europe. But on MJ he was a real flop. he just looked stupid...

Is it possible that you could go to Barcelona and not know it is in Spain?

[DrDan]

28. I think you could if it was one of those "If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium" tours

all those old European cities look alike anyway

[CTyankee]

29. Barcelona doesn't look like ANYWHERE else...Gaudi's distinctive architecture is unique

to Barcelona alone.

[DrDan]

30. I meant that sarcastically - lived in Europe for 4 years - and travel back annually

each city has it's own character.

As a matter of fact, traveling to Barcelona Mar 31.

[CTyankee]

32. Hey, I'll be in Barcelona in late April!

I adore Spain. My absolute favorite coffee drink, the cortado, is there...no other coffee in Europe is that wonderful...

Were you working in Europe?

[DrDan]

34. I was - long time ago - also a couple of years in East Africa and 4 in the ME

Have only been to Spain once - business trip. So my wife and I are going to spend a couple of weeks there - Barcelona, then to Madrid, finally Seville.

will make a note of the cortado and give it a try. What is in the drink?

[CTyankee]

36. like the Italian machiatto, but much better...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortado

Even the cortado I had in the airport was better than any coffee I ever had in Europe and I've traveled extensively in Western European countries.

My April visit will be to the more southern cities in Spain (been to the wonderful north, including the Basque region). Now going to Seville, Cordoba, Granada and then Barcelona.

My "thing" is art usually when I travel. Spain has terrific art. After Italy it is my favorite art destination. But this trip I hope will be a Moorish cultural and architectural dream.

I also recommend Sicily highly. I was there for two weeks in 2005 and was amazed at that island's history! Even my scary try to reach the top of Mt. Etna was pretty great (hint: don't do it in December). Taormina is stunning, tho...

[DrDan]

37. we are partial to France, then Italy

then again, we chase the food and wines, with art secondary. I have been lucky enough to travel to France with my Mother, several times with my Wife, several times with my Daughter, and last year with my Granddaughter. Paris is special for me.

We really like northern Italy and have traveled there many times. Our children were boarded in school in Southern Switzerland, so each visit would usually take us to Northern Italy.

Have visited the south several times - but not yet to Sicily.

[CTyankee]

38. Sicily is wonderful. Palermo is a world class city and the ancient Greek city of

Siracusa is a wonder (I went there to see a Caravaggio but the museo was closed and the painting was under restoration in Florence) . The Madone mountains were lovely. Eat their most famous dish, Pasta Norma (eggplant sauce) while there.

I went to Northern Italy on a trip in 2008. I very much liked Lake Maggiore. Fell in love with Verona! Venice, not so much, too damn crowded. Ate Ragu Bolognese everywhere there. Did a two week art intensive in Florence that nearly flattened me...walked all over that city. Belgium has art in it that can't be missed (go to Bruges and Ghent!). And took a barge trip in the Netherlands to visit the towns where the great artists of the Dutch Golden Age lived. Had a melt down of tears at the Van Gogh Museum in front of his wheat fields with crows.

Yeah, Paris. No place like it. Did an art thing there, too (how can you not?). Had a bad health scare last summer and decided that I couldn't die without seeing the south of France so took a cruise down the Saonne and Rhone. I'd also like to return to visit Aix and expire over Cezanne's subjects.

I'd like to return to London, just for a few days, "a hop over the pond" and go to the Tates (Modern and Britain) which I couldn't see when I was there...I spent an entire day in the National Gallery, another crusher of my arthritic spine. But what a place! London was jumpin' in 2013! Great city...loved the double decker buses...

sorry to say I haven't been in Southern Switzerland. It looks beautiful. Living so close to NY and JFK airport I always feel I can just make my reservations and GO.

[DrDan]

39. I will need to look to add Sicily in the future

Will be in Spain this spring, then perhaps to Milan for the Worlds Fair in the fall. Perhaps some time in the South should be considered.

Florence . . . what a wonderful city. Absolutely beautiful. Just love Florence.

London - we were there this past June. Had a hotel very near the Tate and spent quite a few hours there. My Granddaughter just loved the Museum of Natural History. She did not want to leave.

However, my favorite city is by far Paris. To get to know the French, one has to get out of Paris into the countryside. Last year we spent two weeks on a working farm an hour outside of Paris. I really wanted our Granddaughter to get to know France beyond Paris. We went to the bakeries daily. To the meat market. To the various markets in the small towns. We would go into Paris one day . . . then off somewhere else the next . . . then back to Paris. A great way to get to know the French and see the country. Our "landlords" worked their farm daily. Spoke no English. But we were able to communicate just fine. My Granddaughter is now talking about college in Europe. I am thrilled that she is considering that.

So many things to see. So many wines to taste. So little time.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

2. I'll match Huxster's call with my own call for a 'wealth tax'.

If you hoard resources, you start getting hit with higher and higher taxes until your hoarding has been corrected.

[daleanime]

5. Hell yea....

[hunter]

31. Yep.

It's not difficult.

[JaneyVee]

3. I consider a 50% tax rate on the rich a 'fair tax'.

[brooklynite]

19. And of course, everyone agrees on the definition of "rich..."

[JaneyVee]

22. The 1%

[dumbcat]

35. Which is - what?

What is the definition of "The 1%?" Income? Wealth? What?

[Vinca]

4. How long did it take Huckabee to come up with this idea?

It's typically Republican and, as well as being unfair, it would be the death knell to a recovering economy. If you want to encourage job growth, you certainly do not want to "limit consumption."

[Miles Archer]

7. It was a central part of his "platform" in 2008

He sat out 2012, and with his interest in 2016, it's back.

There's a reason why people like Huckabee and Neal Boortz were pushing this 7 years ago and there has been NO forward movement on making it happen. In two terms of the Obama administration, it's never even been brought up for discussion...at least to my knowledge.

What people who haven't done their homework do not understand is that everything...everything...would be taxed, including medical and dental visits. It's not just goods, it's services, and I think that's where most people have been suffering in the post-Bush & Cheney economy.

The other lie about the tax is that it would be in the neighborhood of 23%...multiple studies have shown that if this were to "replace" the current income tax, the rate would have to be as high as 50 to 60 percent.

Which means people who couldn't afford it would slip into "survival" mode, and/or an underground "barter and trade" system to avoid for paying directly for essential goods and services they could no longer afford.

Tax evasion would rise sharply, and financing an organization that would exist under the premise of "enforcing" the new tax code would hardly be a step up from the current IRS.

[CTyankee]

12. Has this idiot any idea of what a "regressive" vs. a "progressive" tax is?

Nobody else bothered to speak about that around the table either. It's like nobody had ever taken Econ 101 in college...that's so fundamental it makes the whole basis of his argument (for the little guy, he says) completely fall apart.

I had the urge to yell at the TV again...

[underpants]

14. This whole "idea" went flat years ago

When Forbes was sort of running for POTUS in the 90's this was his big issue. Economists, other than those paid to say otherwise, has dismissed the flat tax idea for a number of reasons. Mainly it would disproportionally impact the non RICH (which is basically the point) and in turn have terrible economic impact.

[VAliberal]

6. When Republicans talk taxes

they always aim them at the working class. A 'consumption' tax is simply a tax on survival, on life. It would make more sense to tax the unearned, parasitic wealth of the 1%.

[Miles Archer]

9. Current Huffington Post home page:

TAX TUSSLE: GOP SPRINGS TO SPARE 'ONE PERCENT'



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

[HughBeaumont]

8. Idle wealthy conservatives LOVE it.

A FairTax (snicker) eliminates their two biggies: Capital Gains and Estate Taxes. That leaves them with a tax bill of nearly ZERO, unless they buy a Lambo or something, which still wouldn't even inflict nearly as much damage as a middle-classer buying a regular car at 30%.

Consumption taxes are never going to favor people who have to spend every dime. It's utterly idiotic that the hoi polloi are sold on this illogical nonsense.

http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/FairTax

[hatrack]

10. More bullshit from Gov. Chucklenuts

He'll whoop it up in the Iowa Caucuses, where the crazy is taller than the corn, then melt back into the profitable fever swamps of talk-radio (AKA "Day Job&quot .

Meanwhile, though, we are supposed to take him seriously, I guess . . .

[CTyankee]

13. I wanted to hear more about his views on a woman's right to choose...

but he was mum on that issue...

[Miles Archer]

20. You'd think Mika would have approached that subject...

...but she was in full-blown idiot mode this morning, focusing on Beyonce and squirrels. Then, in case anyone missed it, she took a victory lap over the Beyonce discussion later in the show.

I know many here are critical of the Fox News "peroxide blond leggy spokesmodels" who pass for news anchors, but on many occasions, Mika really isn't a superior alternative. From her eagerness to serve as a "Hannity & Colmes"-style Liberal punching bag for Scarborough to her extremely annoying tendency to channel the curiosity level of a distracted teenager, it's on rare occasions...like this morning...that I will even watch the show.

[CTyankee]

24. She never talks about abortion rights...or abortion for that matter...

[C_U_L8R]

18. How about taxing Huckadoodle's lunch.

That's some major ass consumption right there.

[whatthehey]

21. with modifications, it may work ok actually

Exempt all unprepared food, and served food <25$

Exempt all clothing <100$

Exempt all vehicles <25000$

Exempt homes either bought or rented under metropolitan area median $.

That takes care of necessities and vast majority of responsible spending by the poor and even middle class

Exempt books, internet service, education under median fees per credit hour/semester, TVs <750$. That takes care of the ability of the non-wealthy to become better informed citizens.

Link all price limits to inflation.

Essentially tax only the non-essentials and luxury items.

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

26. Fair, flat and consumption all translate to tax everybody but the rich..Huckabee is the least

christian man of notoriety today, because he actually seeks political power to kill poor people

[Initech]

33. Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha! Mike Huckabee pretends to care about income inequality?

He cares about income inequality in the same way a movie hit man cares about whether or not their target lives. And doing away with the IRS would only make things worse.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

40. A truly "Fair" tax would be national property tax

Property not being merely defined as land, but other holdings such as vehicles, boats, securities, inventory, and idle cash sitting in banks. Why do we have a court system, police, an army, and a navy? To defend property. To defend ownership. Those with the most to lose need to pay most of the tax.

Joe Bagodonuts should not be paying national sales tax to buy groceries and diapers at SuperTarget so that the Koch Bros. can be even more rewarded for being born into a wealthy family and using it to become wealthier.