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Chairman's Report - December 8, 2017

THE TAX REFORM FARCE CONTINUES AND THE SWAMP LOVES IT!

In a recent Hill.com article entitled, Analysis: More than 6,000 lobbyists have worked on taxes in 2017 by Megan Wilson, she clearly illustrates why the Swamp loves to play with the income tax system and is deathly afraid of the FAIRtax.

 

Ms. Wilson quotes Lisa Gilbert, vice-president of legislative affairs for Public Citizen: “The mind-boggling number of lobbyists corporate America has hired to reshape the tax code is of almost biblical proportions and undoubtedly cost a fortune. But the rate reductions and other favors in the legislation will exact a far greater price on regular Americans.”

 

Ms. Wilson points out:

  • There are just under 11,000 active lobbyists in the nation's capital, according to data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP), and more than half of them — 6,243 — have reported working on taxes this year.
  • There are more than 11 lobbyists working on taxes for every member of Congress.
  • Thirty-one of the thousands of lobbyists working on tax reform have ties to President Trump or Vice President Pence.
  • Companies and trade groups within the pharmaceutical and insurance industries each have 600 or more lobbyists working on taxes.

 

WHAT DID ALL OF THIS MONEY BUY?

 

In a word, most of the clients of the lobbyists did not get all they wanted with the current tax reform proposal, and this means that they will continue to pay to keep the pressure on Members of Congress to "improve" the system.  This is the perfect result for the lobbyists and for Members.

 

Many of us remember the drug company spokesperson who said that there were two things the drug companies feared with a new drug.  One was that a patient taking the drug would die.  The second was that the drug would cure the disease and no one would have to take it month after month.

 

Like a drug that treats only the symptoms and not the cause, all of this chest thumping and victory laps by Members of Congress and the Administration is really celebrating that they have not destroyed the machine that keeps on giving--the income/payroll tax system.

 

For example, the one of the coveted benefits promised to business, the ability to do expensing of equipment purchases in the year it is bought and not over a number of years, is set to expire in five years.  This of course means that businesses will have to pay lobbyists to continue to advance the cause of expensing.

 

The other thing that has been done is to write many more complicated rules.  The House bill provides that there is a rebuttable presumption (this is a legal term meaning that it is not the law but you have to prove why it is not true) that small business owners can only treat 30% of their income at the new lower rate for business profits.  This will be a nightmare to enforce and will require paying more lobbyists to make the provision work for companies.  More importantly, it will force many small businesses to pay more in accounting and legal fees just to "benefit" from a revision.

 

Finally, there is not a darn word anywhere from any Member of Congress (do a Google search) that suggests that this “reform” will do anything to slow down the rapidly escalating evasion of the present system--$9 trillion over the next decade.  They are like the child who thinks if he doesn't look under the bed, the monster will stay there.

 

CONCLUSION

 

In 1925, Adolf Hitler released Mein Kampf.  Hitler was a monster and murderer, but in his book he laid out a public relations principle that he successfully used--the Big Lie.  We often forget that Hitler was elected and only after he took power did he abolish free elections.   

 

This is from Chapter X of Volume I:

 

"All this was inspired by the principle—which is quite true within itself—that in the big lie there is always a certain force of credibility; because the broad masses of a nation are always more easily corrupted in the deeper strata of their emotional nature than consciously or voluntarily; and thus in the primitive simplicity of their minds they more readily fall victims to the big lie than the small lie, since they themselves often tell small lies in little matters but would be ashamed to resort to large-scale falsehoods.

 

"It would never come into their heads to fabricate colossal untruths, and they would not believe that others could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously. Even though the facts which prove this to be so may be brought clearly to their minds, they will still doubt and waver and will continue to think that there may be some other explanation. For the grossly impudent lie always leaves traces behind it, even after it has been nailed down, a fact which is known to all expert liars in this world and to all who conspire together in the art of lying."

 

While members of the Swamp are not monsters and murderers, they seem to have decided that Hitler gave good advice and, tell "colossal untruths."  They have done this before successfully and they feel that the rest of us will never "believe that others could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously."

 

However, the big lie only works for so long.  How many times can you promise but not deliver? Hitler and his minions found out and the Swamp and Members of Congress are going to find out.

 

Could they end all of this mess and actually help everyone?  Of course, the FAIRtax will:

 

  • Be revenue neutral--not adding $1.3 billion more in debt
  • Greatly reduce evasion
  • Give us our paycheck without federal deductions
  • Eliminate much of the Swamp
  • Ensure that all people are treated equally
  • Eliminate tax filings for most Americans
  • Eliminate most of our trade problems
  • Bring jobs back to the U.S.

 

Members of Congress and the Swamp, the big lie is no longer working.  All of us see what you are really doing.  If you want to stay in Congress, you need to do what is right for us--Pass The FAIRtax and actually provide to all of us what your fake tax plan promises but does not deliver.

 

The truth is the truth.  Remember, if we don't continue to tell the truth and demand a change, then this quote from George Orwell's 1984 may foretell our children's future:

 

“If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—forever.”

 

WHAT CAN EACH OF US DO

Call up the local or D.C. offices of your House Member and two Senators and you can use the following script:

  • I am sure that Representative ____ or Senator ____ is in favor of everyone obeying the income tax laws.
  • After they assure you that their boss is not in favor of anyone breaking the law, ask if they are aware of the Cebula study showing $9 trillion of evaded income/payroll taxes over the next ten years.
  • Since most will say they don’t believe their boss has seen the study, either drop off a copy or get an email address and send a copy to them for their boss.
  • Say you are going to call back in a week and ask what the Representative or Senator is going to do to stop this evasion.
  • In a week, call back and ask specifically what the Representative or Senator is going to do to enforce the law.
  • They probably will say their boss believes that simplifying the income tax will handle the problem.
  • Explain that when people evade income taxes, they are also evading the 15.3% payroll/Medicare tax and state income tax.  So it is unlikely that they are going to pay 30% or 40% when they were paying 0% because they have already decided it is okay to cheat.
  • Say that the only way to reduce evasion is to increase by tens or hundreds of thousands the number of comprehensive IRS audits done each year.
  • Point out that Evaders do not self-identify by putting an “E” on their income tax return.
  • 80% of the people likely to be audited are trying to comply, but they will be forced to endure these IRS audits as well.
  • Ask if the Member is in favor of this?
  • If they say no, then ask again how the Member proposes to stop people breaking the income tax laws.
  • Then explain that the way to handle evasion without unleashing the IRS audits is the FAIRtax.  

 

If you can see your Member or attend a town hall and ask these questions, you can be even more effective.


 

CONGRESS PROMOTING FAKE TAX REFORM

FAIRTAX POWER RADIO EPISODE #86

 

What is all the hoopla about the tax plan in Congress?  It’s still an income tax, it will still require a tax return with private, personal information (your earnings), it sill has a payroll tax (very regressive), it still maintains the IRS, it still is subject to perpetual tinkering by Congress and it will still have massive evasion on the part of about 20% of the tax payers.  The FAIRtax Guys ask, Can this really be called reform?  Not by our standards.  Get the full scoop in our weekly episode of FAIRtax Power Radio, our free podcast for you.  New episode every Friday morning.

 

A few people have the knee-jerk reaction, when they first hear about the FAIRtax, “Oh, it’s sales tax. That will hurt the poor.”  In last week’s episode, we gave you our answer: No it won’t!  We had FAIRtax Power Radio’s resident CPA, Jade Walle, with the facts and figures to demonstrate how the FAIRtax will not hurt the poor.  In fact, when you listen to this episode, you will learn how it is the best tax plan possible to help lift the poor out of poverty.  Listen, learn and tell others about this episode. 

 

HELP THE FAIRTAX GUYS EDUCATE OTHERS ABOUT REAL TAX REFORM.  Telling your friends and relatives about our free weekly podcasts is a great way to help us garner more support.  It is the American people who must demand REAL tax reform in Congress.  We must inform America about the FAIRtax!  Please help us.

 

You can listen to FTPR on any platform - Mac or PC, iPhone or Android. And it’s 100% free. 

 

Listen on Spreaker.com (http://bit.ly/27oJYlV), iTunes (http://apple.co/1Te8VdF) or iHeart Radio (http://bit.ly/2eqEG7y) on your computer or smartphone.  The easiest way to listen to FTPR on your smartphone is by downloading the free FTPR app.  Just search for “FAIRtax Power Radio” in your app store, download the app and start listening.  If you have trouble finding our free app, download the free Spreaker app. 

 

We post a new episode every Friday morning.  Please listen and tell everyone you know about the FAIRtax Power Radio.  

 

The FAIRtax: Once You Understand It, You’ll Demand It!



 

AN EASY INTRODUCTION TO THE FAIRTAX WITH AMERICA’S BIG SOLUTION

 

America’s Big Solution is a basic introduction to the FAIRtax and is meant for people of any age.  Do you know someone who would like an introduction to the FAIRtax and would prefer to read about it rather than search online for Tweets, Posts and Shares?  If so, America’s Big Solution is your choice.

 

America’s Big Solution is an introduction to the FAIRtax written by Terry Tibbetts, author of A Spartan Game: The Life and Loss of Don Holleder, with help from Ron Maiellaro, President of the Florida FAIRtax Educational Association.  

 

You can buy an electronic version of ABS as follows:  AMERICA’S BIG SOLUTION is available for only $2.99 for the Amazon Kindle (http://amzn.to/1WIRHry), the Barnes & Noble Nook (http://bit.ly/1XeG8bH) and Apple iOS (http://apple.co/1tnqK0P).  

 

You can purchase a print copy at the same Amazon link above for $9.25.  Regardless of whether you choose the electronic format or the print format, you’ll find AMERICA’S BIG SOLUTION will give someone the boost they need to begin their study of the FAIRtax and the suggested resources to learn more. Buy AMERICA’S BIG SOLUTION now!




 

LINKS TO MORE INFORMATION

 

These links will help you promote and support the FAIRtax, make yourself familiar with the links below. We always do our best to keep our AFFT community up to date, and you can stay ahead of the curve using these convenient sites.



 

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