Alan 'Million Teet' Simpson, patriotic veteran, Republican, member of George W. Bush's triumphant Iraq Study Group,  and lately the vice chair of the Obama administration's National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform clarified the GOP position by stating;

"The irony (is) that the veterans who saved this country are now, in a way, not helping us to save the country in this fiscal mess,"

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/k/i/kingdzbws/2010/09/taking-a-stand-against-self-se-1.php?ref=reccafe

MSNY wrote this yesterday afternoon; and it got me to thinking.

This Commission is going to be viewed as a closed door conspiracy consisting of elite capitalists no matter what it reports; for the progressives in this country anyway.  Cuts will be made to the budget. Cuts will be made to SS, Medicare, Medicaid.....you name it.

But revenues must be raised in any event. And spending must be curbed.

At least that will be the conclusion of THE COMMISSION!!!

The right wing in this country will do anything to tie tax policy to morality:

The Tea Party is being misunderstood. TEA stands for 'taxed enough already.' There's nothing cynical about it, there's nothing ethnically charged about it," said Frank from South Carolina. "As for where Martin Luther King would stand today, I think he would stand along besides Glenn Beck and his beliefs. He was a minister, and Glenn Beck is very religious, and I really think they would be standing side by side in their beliefs.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/08/beck-rally-attendees-say-tea-party-misunderstood.php#more

I wish to discuss this revenue issue, but I make no pretense of understanding much of anything with regard to the national budget. Of course, lack of knowledge never stopped me from pontificating before.

The TPer's hate taxes; they pay withholding taxes, Federal Income Taxes, State Income Taxes (in most places), State Consumption Taxes, liquor taxes, tobacco taxes...I really do not blame people for despising taxes.

So the repubs stand on soap boxes and promise DELIVERANCE.

Give us this day our daily income and deliver us from taxes, AMEN, Sir Boner will say.

So great minds like Ron Paul will seek to abolish the 'unfair' income tax in favor of a consumption tax; and repubs all over the place jump on that bandwagon.

First of all, let us discuss this 'new idea' for a Federal Consumption Tax also known as VAT.But before we do that, let us at least acknowledge THAT WE HAVE HAD FEDERAL CONSUMPTION TAXES FOR CENTURIES!!!!

Gasoline is taxed by the Federal Government. The Federal Tax on Gasoline is 18.4 cents. http://www.api.org/statistics/fueltaxes/upload/January_2010_gasoline_and_diesel_summary_pages.pdf

(A sign outside the local Super America Station down the block notes that the current price of gasoline is $2.69 per gallon.)

Second, the tax on cigs is just over a buck a pack. http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/04/01/cigarette.tax/

And there is a tax upon your favorite bottle of Jim Beam:

The feds tax a quart of 80 proof liquor at $2.75. Current liquor statistics aren't available, but based on 1995 data it's reasonable to estimate consumption at about 2 billion gallons per year. So we pay $22b per year in federal liquor taxes, or $203 per family. About a third of the bug tax  http://www.eetimes.com/discussion/embedded-pulse/4024979/Paying-the-bug-t

There is a history concerning consumption taxes in this country. There is nothing new in all of these rantings from the right.

Throughout most of American history, taxes were levied principally on consumption. Alexander Hamilton, one of the two chief authors of the anonymous Federalist Papers, favored consumption taxes in part because they are harder to raise to confiscatory levels than incomes taxes.[5] In the Federalist Papers (No. 21),

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumption_tax

I just was reminded of the MaryJane Tax. Of course this is a ruse giving the Feds the right to arrest all the minority children and young adults they can lay their hands on.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNCmaX2ZCig

 Better stay away from those who play around the fire hose....that's all I got to say.

(As an aside, Professor Amike noted we all might be better off if we just had an MSM spending its airtime less politically, and more time dedicated for the issues of the day surrounding important people like Lindsey Lohan and Paris Hilton. LISTEN TO ME. If Paris Hilton is 'let off' on this cocaine charge with a slap on the butt, I wish to see all Federal and State Prisoners being held on  charges of possession of contraindicated drugs, freed TOMORROW!!!)

 If we must raise taxes, here's one worth considering: How about a one-cent-per-share "stock market transaction tax"? It makes a lot more sense than a VAT! I've heard that with billions of shares traded every day, we could wipe out our national debt in a few years! I trade stocks and can attest to the fact that a stock market tax would cost me very little and would not deter me from trading.

http://thehill.com/opinion/letters/92065-tax-on-stock-market-trades-fairer-than-vat-other-levies

I believe that our current leaders set up this Commission because such commissions have been set up all over Europe.

The English came up with this package based upon their commission's findings.

Not only did Chancellor Osborne raise the VAT from 17.5% up to 20% during the emergency budget meeting but the capital gains tax was increased to 28% from 18% prior.

Main points:

• VAT to go up to 20pc from 17.5pc (effective January 4, 2011)

• Capital gains tax for higher-rate taxpayers rises to 28pc (effective at midnight tonight)

• Child benefit to be frozen for next three years

• Two-year pay freeze for public sector workers

• Basic state pension linked to earnings once again, from April next year

• No new tax increases on alcohol, tobacco or fuel (Source: UK Telegraph)

The UK government is taking austerity measures seriously. The new budget measures will likely not be received by the public very well, but the price to pay if nothing were done would be significantly worse in the long run.

http://blog.rebeltraders.net/2010/06/22/united-kingdom-raises-vat-to-20/

WE NEED SOMETHING TO CHANGE...SOON!!!           

At least other nations have attempted to deal with the real problems facing their citizens!!!

The end