Tax Hikes, Fewer Benefits Key to Federal Deficit Crisis Fix

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Mort, after months of hand wringing columns, you finally get around to telling us what you really want--A NATIONAL SALES TAX and bigger govt. You know as well as anyone that any reductions in income taxes to offset the sales tax increase will be short lived. After a while Washington will say we need more money and income taxes will start creeping back up (initially for only the rich, of course--look at the history of income taxes). The only way this sales tax could be marginally palatable is if we eliminate income taxes and replace it with your sales taxes. Given the choice, I would rather have a flat income tax to replace the current nightmare system thus eliminating the need for the monstrosity known as the IRS, the size of which will only increase trying to inforce your new sales tax. Here's a novel idea; just have the fed. govt. do what is allowed in the constitution and then you would be shocked how little revenue is required.

bud of MO 11:53AM November 29, 2010

If I don't have to pay income tax....which I don't now since I am living off of my life savings...but have to pay a 6.5% national sales tax and added gasoline tax, I would be being taxed on money that has already been taxed. Double taxation is not fair to those who have for all their working life paid their fair share of national government income tax whilt politicians were making foodlish and selfish financial decisions that have brought on this extreme national debt.
Once any tax is begun, there will be no eliminating it or stopping it from being increased. The gasoline tax you mention being increased is a good example.

Donna Farnsworth of NC 11:02AM November 28, 2010

Mr. Burns of FL. Please do not forget also that the feds have no business mettling in transportation. And so few are aware the insidious raping cast against the commerce clause...

Mike of UT 10:52PM November 27, 2010

Mort: I could not even finish the first third of your tripe before rendering a comment - I typically make the effort to read something in its entirety first! I will finish it.
The blame Bush mantra continues. Yes he drove the country deeper into dept. Yet your ilk continue to delude yourselves vis-a-vis failure of willingness to even acknowledge, let alone discuss the debt, which is how many times greater than President Bush's, racked up by the current usurper???
Obama - bipartisan??? Why is it that some 80% of the jewish population in this country displays such self-loathing to vote for this anti-semetic, black liberation theology Jeramiah wight-worshipping poseur? I do NOT understand. Can you really be that ignorant???

Mike of UT 10:26PM November 27, 2010

tax hikes decrease tax revenue

gail of PA 8:19PM November 26, 2010

Public debt is $14T and rising $100B a month! Without extending the Bush tax cuts we face a $1.1T deficit in 2011. Extending the Bush Tax cuts for all and we will have a $1.5T deficit in 2011.
We need an austerity plan now, not in 2012. Otherwise it is game over for the US economy.

R Blackmon of VA 5:38PM November 26, 2010

Dear Mr. Zuckerman,
On another note this article details what you voted and gave money to support:
* IRS to Jewish group: 'Does your organization support the existence of the land of Israel?'
Main Content
IRS to Jewish group: 'Does your organization support the existence of the land of Israel?' - Ben Smith:
A Pennsylvania Jewish group that has claimed the Internal Revenue Service is targeting pro-Israel groups introduced in federal court today a letter from an IRS agent to another, unnamed organization that tax experts said was likely outside the usual or appropriate scope of an IRS inquiry.
"Does your organization support the existence of the land of Israel?" IRS agent Tracy Dornette wrote the organization, according to this week's court filing, as part of its consideration of the organizations application for tax exempt status. "Describe your organization's religious belief sytem toward the land of Israel."
The document emerged in the course of a lawsuit filed in August by Z Street, a hawkish group that casts itself as the Zionist answer to the liberal J Street. Z Street claims that a different IRS agent reviewing its application for tax exempt status said the agency is "carefully scrutinizing organizations that are in any way connected with Israel" and that "a special unit" is determining whether its activities "contradict the Administration's public policies.'"
The IRS can deny tax exempt status to groups that work against "established public policy," a precedent established in its denial of a tax exemption to Bob Jones University over racial discrimination, and Z Street is suggesting that the IRS has begun applying some such policy to pro-Israel groups. The State Department has complained of tax exempt contributions to groups that fund weapons and equipment for West Bank settlers, which Z Street co-founder Lori Lowenthal Marcus said Z Street has never come close to doing.
"Given that we have fallen within this net, how big is the net?" she asked.
The agent's question was contained in correspondence with "a Jewish religious organization" with no stated position on Israel, Z Street says in its court filing. The group's tax adviser, Z Street says, shared the correspondence with Z Street. Z Street does not know the name of the group and may subpoena the tax adviser, who is no longer cooperating with them, for more information, Marcus said.
Further Mr. Zuckerman, I don't feel the government should hike taxes, rather it should cut spending and keep out of the the business of individual Americans. I don't want to feed socialist tyranny. Evidently you do.

gail of PA 12:21AM November 25, 2010

I agree with Mr Z but reality says that the trash we send to DC and the state houses are only reflective of what most Amnericans desire. Give me, give me is our mantra. "Don't care about no one but me" is another. Generations ago, we had some sense of dignity, common sense, decency, honesty, and a unified awareness of being America. Now we have selfishness, greed, lieing, cheating, and a splintering of our population into so many groups with special interests, that I do not believe anyone or any amount of time will fix. We came to the big fork in the road in the 60's and took the wrong one on so many levels. How can we achieve greatness again when we are huddled together in our own little groups - so divergent in wants and needs:
cities vs suburbs vs rural; white vs black vs hispanic vs asian
poor vs middle class vs wealthy; straight vs gay; religious vs non-religious
I believe you get my drift. We have had the left and the right running things and we just keep getting worse off. As a group of 300+ million, we must stop the infighting an insist the representatives work together to fix the mess, stop playing politics withour lives and our children's lives, and stop being so stubborn and hard-headed about the issues that divide us.

DrJoel1 of OH 11:49PM November 24, 2010

mr. zuckerman what you espouse is right on target,but i think getting both parties and the president to agree on these proposals is,at best,a long shot.there was a time in washington when the people in power worked together for the betterment of the country,today that has been replaced by infighting and gamesmenship.till that culture changes,nothing of any major importance that you have talked about will be accomplished.

bruce b of NV 2:58PM November 24, 2010

Jack Leopold of FL suggests we move to Patagonia. I've been to Patagonia and I think he has a wonderful idea. I just hope I'm the only one who agrees.

Jim in Seattle of WA 11:42AM November 24, 2010