Cameron has inspired me. I think this subject is worthy of more discussion.
So in the spirit of criticizing one's own position harder than one's opponent's position in order to better a concept, let me tell you some of the things I think would go wrong with the Fair Tax that can't be calculated with simple math. First, I think that, at first at least, the Fair Tax would damage the economy in every corner of America. When people see the $500 refrigerator they want cost them $650, I think they will either put off the purchase, buy a lesser product, or just decide against it entirely. The throng of lemmings that is America doesn't think logically or do simple math; they react emotionally at best and primally at worst, the result of which will be a jolting (at least temporary) halt to consumer purchases. Second, I don't think manufacturers will just all of the sudden lower the wholesale prices of their goods, nor will retailers. People are inherently greedy and manipulative. So the Fair Tax of 23%, combined with, say, a 7% combined local and state sales tax (using my own location as an example), would effectively just raise my cost by 23% (since I already pay the sales tax on the $500 item). And there obviously would be no way to force manufacturers or retailers to lower their prices. I haven't read every message in this thread, so if anyone has already brought these points up then I apologize for repeating them here. All things considered, though, I think we could and should weather such (hopefully) temporary problems in favor of just seeing in plain view exactly how much we spend to operate our governments. What do you all think? Respectfully, Adam Phillip Churvis President Productivity Enhancement ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Adobe® ColdFusion® 8 software 8 is the most important and dramatic release to date Get the Free Trial http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;160198600;22374440;w Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/message.cfm/messageid:253281 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5
