Dems Bash GOP on National Sales Tax Plan

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

By JESSE J. HOLLAND, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - House Democrats plan to attack GOP candidates nationwide on their support of a national sales tax proposal, hoping the issue will help their attempt to take over the House.



Democrats think a national sales tax, which has been suggested by some House Republicans, would mean that lower-income families will pay more of the country's tax burden and have been running advertisements attacking GOP candidates for supporting the idea.


"We think that Republican candidates and Republican incumbents who are supporting this legislation must respond to their constituents about how they're going to deal with moving the tax burden," said Rep. Robert Matsui, D-Calif., head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.


The DCCC already is running television advertisements in Texas, Georgia, Indiana, North Carolina and other states on the issue, Matsui said Tuesday. "We probably will go up in a few other areas where the Republicans have supported this proposal specifically or support a national sales tax," he said.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=ap/house_sales_tax

[Sinnerman]

1. Is this the 23% GOP Tak Hike

[struggle4progress]

4. They can't balance the Federal budget on a retail sales tax ...

... unless the tax rate is at least 50%.

[Infomaniac]

2. Here are the links to the sponsors.

There are 54 co-sponsors in the House for H.R. 25.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:HR00025:@@@P

A related bill, S.1493, was introduced in the Senate by Saxby Chambliss and Zell Miller!

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:SN01493:@@@P

[Voltaire99]

3. A plan every bit as regressive as their "volunteer" army

Republicans have one plan only: stick it to the poor wherever it fits.

[shawn703]

5. Not to mention such a plan will destroy the economy

If the way to get out of taxes is to not spend as much, people won't spend as much. I know MY spending habits will change if they implement a national sales tax.

[Mechatanketra]

6. It'd basically trigger the depression Dean talked about.

Recessions and depressions are ultimately manifestations of "hardening of the market" -- when people hoard money, spending slows or stops completely, and thus less money is cycling through the economy today to become tomorrow's wages and purchases.

Because of this direct link between spending and economic health, expense targeted taxes are a colossally bad idea, because they discourage people from doing what the economy most needs them to do: pass along the money they have.