Matt Drudge is running an exclusive on Dennis Hastert's reported call to abolish the Internal Revenue Service. Hastert will apparently "push for replacing the nation's current tax system with a national sales tax or a value added tax."
Interestingly, I'm not entirely opposed to this idea. I think there is tremendous waste in government, particularly when it comes to taxation. Moreover, the complexity of the current tax laws make it possible for those rich enough to employ the best accountants and lawyers to pay less in taxes than those less well off.
Now I'm a believer in taxes. I'm a believer in the government's responsibility to act in the interest of the common good, and in particular, act in the interest of those who can not act for themselves. And most importantly, I am a believer that taxes are universal obligation, and a burden that we should all share -- rich and poor alike.
I've never liked the notion of a graduated income tax. The problem with a graduated income tax is that it says to poor people "we know you are poor, you don't have to give as much of yourself back to society as a rich person." Now of course the poor should pay less in dollars, but we should all give the same in terms of percentage. That percentage should be based on the lowest number necessary to cover all of the services required by society-at-large.
As it stands now, society isn't prepared to do a flat tax. The poor are not receiving the services they need in order to survive if they were taxed more. Hell, they are not receiving what they need to survive even below the tax line. Until society provides medical services, affordable housing, etc., we simply can not just turn a blind eye to the needs of the people.
However, if we actually taxed society across the board in a straightforward manner, and in a way that could not be corrupted or subverted, then there is more than enough wealth in America to look out for the common good. For example, a simple income tax proposal would be to tax each and every adult American 25% of income, and each and every corporation 33% of their income. Do away with all tax credits, deductions, and close all the loopholes. Make every American pay their fair share. Abolish the IRS because they are unnecessarily in such a simplified scenario.
I don't know the details of Hastert's proposal, but I do know he's not talking about a flat income tax. Perhaps VATs and sales taxes can achieve the same thing -- i.e., taxing spending rather than receiving. But in general, reducing the waste, reducing the redundancy, and reducing the exceptions can only be a good thing.
And this coming from a guy who is NOT going to vote for W. or any other Republican. Ever.