DU the CNN poll - Should sales tax replace income tax? NEEDS HELP

[UrbScotty]

www.cnn.com

It's 53-27-20%, folks. It needs your help!

[Discord]

1. link to proposal?

anyone have a link to the bill? I would lean no on the surface, but would want to know more specifics before I'd vote.

[ElectroPrincess]

13. Perhaps my logic IS too simple but

SALES tax = purchases (everyBODY needs the basics).

INCOME tax = salary (NOT income via stock dividends).

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe a National SALES Tax would benefit the ultra wealthy even more than the National INCOME Tax system we have now?

Therefore, we'd have an even larger gap between the rich and the poor. The middle class may still hang-on via the skin of their teeth.

[AllegroRondo]

18. Youve got it right

a national sales tax is highly regressive - those with the least money pay the most (percent wise)

[Stand and Fight]

14. There's a link on the page itself right under the poll. n/t

[tkmorris]

16. I don't care what the specifics are.

Every single time this idea gets floated closer examination reveals that it is nothing more than a craven attempt to shift more of the tax burden downward, toward lower income families, while benefitting those at the top. No matter WHAT they claim they are trying to do, that is the end result.

Funny thing is the first time I heard such a plan floated was under Reagan and at that time I was one of those that would have taken a beating from it and I opposed the idea. Nowadays I think it would actually benefit me but I still oppose it.


Furthermore a tax on consumption, which is what we are talking about here, has a braking effect on the economy. People will consume less in order to aoid the taxes, which in some ways is a good idea but would be devastating to an economy that already is teetering on the brink of collapse.

Thank you but no.

[Warpy]

23. Greenspan thinks there should be a consumption tax

which, of course, would eat up the already low wages of people who spend all they get to live on to the tune of about 30%. The rich, who spend far less of a percent of their wealth to live on, would find themselves in fat city, with no income taxes, no capital gains taxes, and only what they go out and spend subject to tax.

It's an idea which is both cruel and moronic, which is why Greenspan loves it.

I doubt anybody has mentioned to him that wages are already below subsistence for too many of us, or that the economy is 2/3 consumer driven and his tax would cripple it while literally starving marginal workers.

What does he care? He's a rich old fuck who apparently thinks he's gonna get to take it all with him when he finally does the decent thing and kicks the bucket.

[stray cat]

2. Done!

[ElectroPrincess]

3. I can't believe all the "yes" votes. Hot damn, I wish that my parents

had dropped me on my head as a baby so I could, just perhaps, have grown up to become as blissfully ignorant as the average sheeple in the USA. :argh:

[98geoduck]

4. That's pretty scary if you actually believe online polling. I think

they're a huge farce.

[mermaid]

5. Too Bad They Don't Have A Choice For....

not just "no," but "FUCK NO!!!!"

[murray hill farm]

6. i dont know the details, but

I would say no since the poor would also pay the higher sales tax..now if the sales tax would increase only after the first 50,000 spent individually each year...well...then...sure...that would work.

[Zuni]

12. it just couldn't work

it is an attempt to make the idle rich pay less and the working classes pay more.

Disgraceful

[Deep13]

15. Sure, if we exempt necessities.

I remember that is how the state sales tax was when I lived in MA. There was no tax on unprepared food, baby supplies, clothes or RX medication.

Imposing a stiff estate tax on the landed aristocracy would sure go a long way to selling this idea as would keeping some income taxes for the top of the ladder.

I will tell you why I like this idea. We are drowning in consuption from an ecological point of view. Everything made and sold is made out of the Earth. Eventually, it ends up in a landfile or going up in smoke. Consumption taxes might curb some of this. What if an Escalade suddenly had a 10% price increase from new sales taxes? Hmmm, maybe it is time to look at something smaller. What if we had the same thing on a $250K cluster house?

I wonder why no one has hit on the idea of a graduated sales tax. Maybe it would be too expensive to administer item by item, but not for general catagories. Pencils, pens etc.: 3% tax. Diamonds: 30% tax.

[SnoopDog]

7. It is unConstitutional...

There is no constitutional provision to enact a Sales Tax...

Witness:

AMENDMENT XVI

Passed by Congress July 2, 1909. Ratified February 3, 1913.

Note: Article I, section 9, of the Constitution was modified by amendment 16.

The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.

[shoelace414]

8. the reason most people love it is

they think "well.. I pay less than 10% sales tax now, so, the sales tax will probably be about 10%"

if they actually knew the sales tax would have to be 24% to replaces the income tax.. it would change their mind.

[Stand and Fight]

17. Actually try closer to 30%... The article said 27%.

But I have heard it would be a range from 25 - 30% to maintain the same tax revenue the greedy government has grown accustomed to getting and wasting.

[shoelace414]

21. put THAT on the poll and see the results.

[Stand and Fight]

28. Whatcha saying?

But 'Murkins can't be bother'd with all dat der readin'. Dat iz fur da liebural e-leets!

[ComerPerro]

24. And don't forget your local and state taxes

Local sales tax around 7 percent that you already pay.

[Zuni]

9. whoever wants that is f-in retarded

you will pay way more unless you are very wealthy, and the government will take in very little money

Absolutely stupid idea.

[DemocracyInaction]

10. Again the assholes strike--why don't they tell them the proposed amount

of the tax by the repubs runs from 26 to 30%. Bet you the assholes voting think it's like a 1% tax and they are salivating at all the tax money they will save. Give them that info and then let them vote. As usual, these corporate propaganda whores are trying to beat the repub drum without telling the people the real information.

[Stand and Fight]

19. Actually...

Most are probably thinking that is will be like the average state income tax (roughly around 8.25%)... They don't take into account that it will be around what you posted and on top of that state income and sales taxes would continue! Oh the tragedy of their stupidity is astounding.

[Stand and Fight]

11. Done.

ALMOST voted yes... Till I read the article. That's the sad part -- most of the no-brain ass-clowns who go to that site probably won't even read the article and hear what they are proposing and how shady the consumption tax really is...

[Ian David]

27. Done.

Yes
53%
71373 votes

No
27%
36150 votes

Don't know
20%
26933 votes

[Rainbowreflect]

20. I would support a national sales tax if & only if

food & medical were exempt.

[Kota]

22. Done still 27% no

[RobertSeattle]

25. People vote yes until they know the facts

...Like the sales tax being somewhere around 20%.

Yet another Shtupid meaningless poll.

I'm still waiting for CNN to post the "Are you above average?" poll...

[EVDebs]

26. Looks like more cat food ads will be appearing in AARP magazine

[4_TN_TITANS]

29. Unfucking believable......

This is exactly what is wrong with Tennessee's tax structure! We never have money for the buget because the poorest in the state prop up the revenue. It's as simple as this......

I make $1,000,000 and I drink milk. I pay .0975 percent tax on purchasing a gallon of milk.

I make $15,000 and I drink milk. I pay .0975 percent tax on a gallon of milk also.

THEY PAY THE SAME AMOUNT OF TAX!!!!! Yet when we mention changing to a more fair income tax, the sheeple hear 'new tax' and start bleating so loud that you can't get any sense through to them. :mad: