Mike Huckabee's Crazy Tax Plan

[ihavenobias]

Run time: 03:18 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7UUs8x1KEM   Posted on YouTube: January 08, 2008 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: January 08, 2008 By DU Member: ihavenobias Views on DU: 929

 
It seems that not a lot of people are aware of this and I bet most people would not have guessed this considering he's supposed to be the populist of the republican candidates.

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[Amerigo Vespucci]

1. People generally DO NOT RESPOND to "Fair Tax / National Sales Tax" threads for three reasons:

1). They believe that something this ridiculous has NO CHANCE of becoming law,

2). They're f**king IDIOTS who think "this sounds like a good idea,"

or

3). They just haven't taken time to study the plan and understand how it would disembowel whatever's left of the "working class."

:patriot:

[ihavenobias]

2. I agree with all 3 points

But again, I don't think most people know Huckabee supports that sort of plan. IMO, his "populist" message takes a huge hit in this context.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

4. That's what's really frightening, because it's the "crown jewel" of his platform...

...don't get me wrong...I think "Young Turks" rocks and Cenk is a terrific guy, but if HE is anyone's "first exposure" to how ridiculous this scheme is, they've simply been in a friggin' COMA.

:patriot:

[ihavenobias]

5. Oh

I meant that not a lot of people are aware of the fact that Huckabee has this plan (and assume he really is a populist), not that most people are unaware of how ridiculous this type of tax plan is!

[IronLionZion]

11. I like the fucking idiots part

because the best way to get people on your side is to insult them.

[fascisthunter]

3. Any Candidate WHo Doesn't Think Evolution is Real

should not be allowed to run for President.

[Hulk]

6. Doesn't this guy realize repugs don't want complicated answers? Get rid of income tax!

"Let's kill them there so we don't have to fight them here", "Cut and run", "send the illegals back home", "support the troops", "protect the unborn", "marriage between one man and one woman"....HEY!! Don't confuse these idiots. They just want it SIMPLE!!

These slogans mean NOTHING!! If I could use bigger caps to spell "nothing", I would. repugs like simple little answers, simple little slogans, nothing that involves a complex issue with an answer that really makes them have to think.

huckleberry is just right for these folks. In fact, all these dip shits on the right side of the aisle are just right for these dip shits who have been clicking their heels and saluting to this Nazi regime.

I think huckleberry has a great plan!! Just give them some little slogans that they can latch on to and they'll follow the idiot right over the cliff.

Again I say, it's just a damn shame that we are a nation of f*cking fools. So gullible, so ignorant, so biased, so blindly nationalist, and so involved with making the buck that we don't take time to even THINK for ourselves anymore. A nation of idiots. I'm ashamed of the whole neocon, fascist, repug face of this country. No conscience, no respect, no f*cking clue. Never been outside of "we're the best" USA. Idiots!! Just a bunch of moronic idiots.

[bcool]

7. Before you write off the Fair Tax, read what it says

I watched the video, and it seems to me that Cenk has obviously not read anything about the Fair Tax proposal - he's just reacting.

First of all, let me state up front that I'm voting Democratic this election, and I'm certainly no fan of Huckabee. BUT...I'm also no fan of our current tax system. The three main gripes I have with it are 1) it's full of loopholes that only the rich can take advantage of, 2) hardly anyone short of a CPA can really understand how to fill out a moderately-complicated return, and 3) there's a HUGE underground economy that pays NO taxes at all on their income. From drug dealers and other criminals down to the legitimate but paid-in-cash workforce, there are a LOT of unpaid taxes because of our current "trust me to pay" system. It irks me to no end knowing that I (and millions of other honest citizens) pay my share to support the government while others get off without paying a dime. Which would you rather have - an army of thousands more IRS agents auditing everybody to ensure compliance, or just making everyone pay their taxes when they buy something? The mechanism is already in place to do that.

The Fair Tax plan, as outlined on their website (http://www.fairtax.org), seems to be a creative approach to addressing the above issues. I'm not saying it's perfect (or even if it could really work), but before you dismiss it, visit their site and look at what they're proposing. They've recently added a calculator where you can drop in your financial information from your last tax return and have it calculate how the Fair Tax compares to your current tax situation. I did it, and under the 23% Fair Tax rate, I would come out quite a bit ahead. I would about even at a 32% rate (which is probably a more realistic rate than 23%). But even if I did break even, I would much rather just pay more at the cash register and be done with it than have to deal with the nightmare of filling out tax returns at the end of the year.

Read up on the plan, do a sample calculation, and then let's talk.

[Hulk]

10. I honestly think you have a good point.

I'm not a huckleberry fan, even if his name is close to Hulk....but you may have a point. There are a LOT of the work force that pay ZERO in taxes. I know...I was one of them when I had my small business of lawn maintenance. I claimed "some", but hardly all. I've paid "under the table" to avoid taxes and get more for my buck. I think we all have at one time or other.
Then there is the issue of illicit drugs/etc...and they pay nada. Maybe this would be the answer. I could listen to it if it were to take place of our federal income tax structure. But it's sort of like listening to the ron paul supporters talk about what "a god" he is...when the only smart idea he has is getting out of everyone else's business..and get our troops safely home. Everything else he speaks for sounds like a corporate support.
First reactions can be quick and wrong.

[krkaufman]

8. Flat sales tax is ridiculous

Without major rebates for the poor, or for life essentials, it would be punitively regressive, to be redundant.

Oh, and it would KILL the economy for some period of time. Any and all discretionary spending would be postponed until households could figure out how the change would affect them, killing sales and the economy, and shriveling government income.

[ryanmuegge]

9. Ahh, yes, the "fair" tax.

I've known about this since the summer.

As Cenk mentions, this would be brutal for the average person (particularly when one factors in 10% < real-world (i.e. not Clinton fantasy land calculation) inflation. Just wait until the effects of peak oil become more pronounced, if y'all think inflation is bad now.

This is obviously a way to sugar-coat a tax increase on the working class and a cut for the rich. He knows this would never "sell" if it was presented more honestly, so that's why he has to market it with a name like "fair" tax. Don't be a little bitch, Mike. Come out and present your policy with your true intentions. I'm sure that Jesus would be all for stealing from the poor and giving back to the rich.

The findings of many economists show that the "fair" tax will significantly decrease government revenue, which, I guess is the Republicans' goal. This begs the question: how will this nation's insatiable, imperial blood lust be funded? Certainly state-sponsored terrorism will not cease to be a cornerstone of this nation's foreign policy, and, indeed, its chief export. Problem solved: we'll just borrow more from the Chinese, Japanese, and the Saudis.

[JoeySoCal]

12. I'm not sure Cenk has real mastery of the subject..

but it was hilarious none the less. And conveys some common sense as well.

[ihavenobias]

13. Keep This In Mind

While he does go very much in depth on some issues (foreign policy example), part of what makes his show appealing (in addition to it being really funny at times) is that he manages to present issues in a way that most people can understand.

Now, I wouldn't even use *this* issue as an example of that because he really only briefly touched on it. Keep in mind the You Tube clips are almost always shortened clips to convey a general point. There are many times where I watch a clip and think "why did the producer edit the original stuff down so much, it was much better in it's entirety. But I realize that's not always practical.

After all, if the clip was a 10-30 minute excerpt from the show breaking down the pros and cons of various tax plans, would you have watched it? Maybe you would've but for most people the honest answer is no, and they'd be bored to tears. Different shows have different things to offer.

PS---If i want more detailed financial analysis I have the Financial Times and Thom Hartmann. I enjoy them both (I love Hartmann actually), but they're both pretty dry and I can only handle so much of my day without a little humor!

[Mithreal]

14. No income tax, woohoo! Bigger sales tax, how much bigger?

Governor Huckabee has to have some tax policy that Republicans would appreciate, but anyone who is interested in complexity of issues knows that it isn't real. Someone needs to put his feet to the fire on that one.