The Libertarian Perspective: Not working well for Joe
Written by Guest Author | | GuestAuthor@toledofreepress.comBy Kenneth Sharp
I won’t get the chance to directly address the president with my questions, but both campaigns will spend a great deal of time in Ohio between now and the election, so maybe a staffer will see this and pass it on.
Mr. President, in your victory speech of November 2008 you said, “I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help, and I will be your president too.” America is still divided. Partisanship is grinding the ability to govern to a halt, and some are thankful for that.
Within the federal government, as a Libertarian, I can nearly agree. Yet in the larger American landscape two grassroots movements emerged in your first term.
Both were eventually overtaken in large degree by the two major parties, but before that time, you clearly endorsed one over the other. You clearly voiced your solidarity with the Occupy movement, but not The Tea Party movement. The Occupy movement’s primary concern was crony capitalism whereas the Tea Party was concerned with taxes. Crony capitalism is a major concern, but as you have stated, so are taxes.
Why did you not support this effort as well? Why did you not hear so many voices?
In your State of the Union address, January 2011, you said, “In fact, the best thing we could do on taxes for all Americans is to simplify the individual tax code,” almost identical to Tea Party concerns. Instead, you and your Republican opponent call for more obtuse regulations.
Languishing in Congress is a Fair Tax bill, supported by the Libertarian Presidential candidate Gary Johnson, that would eliminate the convoluted and divisive rules. It would first eliminate the income tax and replace it with a national sales tax. It is the most studied tax plan in U.S. history and is given high marks for transparency and fairness. Nearly all agree it would bring back jobs from foreign nations and boost the economy. It is bipartisan in support, something you claim to want. It has its libertarian detractors. It is revenue neutral, meaning it would still raise enough to fund all current programs. Not something most libertarians want; also it is still a tax, something many libertarians dislike.
The Fair Tax offers a huge advantage to the Occupy folk as well. It eliminates corporate taxes, they pay in the same manner individuals would, but there would be less need for lobbyists. Corporations would have less incentive to cozy up to Congress in an effort to create rules in their favor or against the competition.
Tax compliance costs the American economy tens of billions of dollars a year. Money that could have gone to growing the economy is wasted on taxes. That would end. Those should all be positives, yet you and your major opponent still go down the old divisive road. Why will you not fight for the Fair Tax? Is it because all politicians use taxes as an election tool to hold over the citizens? Or, is it you haven’t been made aware?
If it is the latter, please see www.fairtax.org or www.gary johnson2012.com for guidance.
As a freshman senator, in 2006, you said, “The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure.” After you were elected president, you explained that it is different when you are a senator than when you are the president.
Did the dire consequences of an escalating national debt magically disappear because you went from representing just the people of Illinois to representing the entire United States?
If the immense debt was a concern in 2006, isn’t the even larger debt a concern now? If it signaled a leadership failure then does it not signal the same today? Your plan, like Romney’s, pushes the can down the road but does little or nothing to tackle the hard truth. We spend and borrow too much.
Gov. Johnson has gone public with his plans that would reduce the budget 43 percent the first year and bring it under control (www.ontheissues.org/2012/Gary_Johnson_Budget_+_Economy.htm).
The deficit affects us now and our posterity. It is the greatest threat to our sovereignty and security.
Why have you failed in this key leadership role?
I had hoped to get into the issues on immigration, education, health care and many others, but my time is cut short.
If, Mr. President, you wish to hear them I can be reached at the email below. I will not try to make a career from it; it hasn’t seemed to work too well for Joe the Plumber.
Email Kenneth Sharp at letters@toledofreepress.com.
Tags: Joe the Plummer, Kenneth Sharp, The Libertarian Perspective
A vote for Gary Johnson is a vote for Obama.
Vote Romney and let’s get this failed president out of office.
This comment was posted on October 16th, 2012 at 8:19 pmKen, I continue to be amazed that a card carrying Libertarian would even think of supporting the Fairtax scheme.
In the first place, it can’t work. No nation in the world has ever successfully funded their central government with such a broad based retail sales tax. Six have tried and quickly switched to a VAT. Economists have shown that any sales tax over 10% or so will quickly fold due to evasion arising from the lack of a dual reporting system. And, to make matters worse, that 30% Fairtax will quickly rise to 43% when the Supreme Court confirms that it would be inappropriate for the federal government to tax State and Local government consumption. We are a republic with a federal form of government, and sovereign powers do not tax each other.
The Fairtax Family Consumption Allowance (prebate)would be the largest cash grant entitlement in our history. Surely Libertarians don’t support another giant welfare program?? And, the Fairtax would also create a group of tens of millions of lower income workers that may never pay any net federal tax due to the prebate, yet they would all qualify for federal government retirement benefits. Is that the kind of “nanny state” that Libertarians support?
As for Fairtaxer claims, if we are to get 100% of our pay/pensions, then retail prices will have to rise by 15-20% on average. There is no free lunch! And as for choosing how much tax to pay, all services would be taxed and services make up roughly half of the family budget. There are no “used” groceries, no used restaurant meals, no used gas for the car or gas/oil to heat homes, nothing used at Wal-Mart, etc. The opportunity to buy used stuff is quite limited unless you are willing to buy your underwear at Goodwill?
The Fairtax shifts a significant federal tax burden to middle class retirees, and double taxes their after tax savings when spent. Is that fair?
Fairtaxers claim that investments won’t be taxed, but everyone needs to read Section 801-806 of HR25, This section sets up a significant implicit service charge (tax) on investment instruments such as CD’s, as well as debt instruments such as mortgages and credit cards. Check it out!
Any claim that there would be no change to Social Security other than funding from the sales tax rather than a payroll tax is wrong. Today, workers pay into the Trust Funds during their work years, and when eligible, receive benefits without making any more FICA contributions. Under the Fairtax, everyone pays into the Trust Funds for all their life. In addition, today’s benefits are based on income, but the Fairtax is funded by taxing consumption. How will benefits be calculated under the Fairtax? Look for a major change in our current SS concept.
A federal consumption tax may have merit, but the Fairtax scheme is not the way to go. The Fairtax isn’t fair!
This comment was posted on October 16th, 2012 at 11:10 pmI support expanded civil liberties, a reduction of war and war spending, and an effective social safety net supported by progressive taxation. That last part puts me at odds with Libertarians, but all three things make it impossible for me to support Republicans. A debate between Obama and Ron Paul or Gary Johnson would give folks like me something to think about. The Libertarians need to get better organized and fill the void left by the Republicans when they decided posturing was more important than making America better.
This comment was posted on October 17th, 2012 at 10:57 amI hope the Losertarians don’t deliver Ohio – and therefore the presidency – to Chairman Obamao. Our country can’t survive another 4 years of Obama.
This comment was posted on October 17th, 2012 at 3:46 pmTotally agree with you, about a week ago wrote about the same in my blog..!!
This comment was posted on November 2nd, 2012 at 10:08 am