JAN. 24, 2023 | Remember all the talk a few years back about the national “Fair Tax?”
Now with California Republican Kevin McCarthy in his bare-majority House Speaker role, guess what has returned? Yep, the Fair Tax.
And as much before, the program is being led by a Georgian, as First District Congressman Earl “Buddy” Carter of Pooler (First District) introduced the “Fair Tax” in the new Congress on January 8.
You may remember that the Fair Tax was the favorite subject that former Congressman John Linder, and his successor Rob Woodall of the 7th District, worked to get passed both so diligently for many years, all to no avail.
There’s a reason. The Fair Tax is a drastic proposal, and only does one simple thing: repeal all existing private and corporate income tax, payroll tax, estate and gift tax on all purchased goods, rents and services. In other words, it’s a far radical idea. It takes all the income the government currently gets, and allows each of us, and every business transaction, to pay a higher rate. The measure abolishes the Internal Revenue Service, leaving it up to the states to administer the tax. Wonder what each state sales tax would be if all taxes were repealed? In Europe, as travelers know, this is called the Value-Added Tax.
What tax rate would the national “Fair Tax” be? Proponents say now it would tax everything at 23 percent.
In itself, the Fair Tax is also not even-handed for people on a limited income. If a family has a low income, it is much harder for them to pay 23 percent on everything they buy than it would if a family who has a higher income. Essentially, that is so unfair, because it is regressive. The rich can essentially much more easily afford a higher sales tax than can poor and middle income families.
One consolation: the Fair Tax won’t pass, not with a Democratic Senate and presidency. But the Republicans continue to push it. Be warned.
New Year’s 2021, John Linder and Yi Li Shin
Recalling the Fair Tax made us remember Congressman John Linder, who formerly had a residence in Duluth. He represented parts of Georgia in Congress from 1993 to 2011, 18 years. We wondered where he was living, found his email online, and wrote to him. We were pleased to get a quick response from him, as he caught us up on his life in retirement.
Here’s part of his email: “When I retired, my wife of 54 years wanted to live near our grandchildren. I wasn’t so much in favor but she spent a lifetime supporting me and my businesses and politics and I decided it was her turn. We moved to Mississippi. She became quite ill in 2012 and we finally moved back to Georgia in 2016, to Athens. She passed a year later.
“I bummed around some in Europe, where we had visited many times. It was not joyful, but it was important. I love Mexico and spent several months there. On one trip the hotel I like had no rooms available, so I rented an AirBNB from a Taiwanese lady, Yi Li Shin, near my hotel. She had recently lost her husband and we spent a lot of time talking and walking and going to dinner. We married on December of 2018.
“I am a very lucky guy. We have homes in Big Canoe, Ga. and in Ajijic, Mexico. We are in Mexico right now until April. Weather in the 70s during the day and low 50s or high 40s at night. As I said, I am a lucky guy.”
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