Alan Keyes on Tax Reform American Independent nominee for President; 2004 Republican challenger for IL Senate

Repeal the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Amendments

We also call for the repeal of the Seventeenth Amendment. Its enactment greatly reduced the power of our state legislatures and state governments--which are much closer to the people--and damaged our system of federalism.

FairTax turns off spigot that funds political ambitions

A: I think it’s obviously a national security problem, but you have to understand what national security is. The Constitution defines it as securing the blessings of liberty. It has to do with the freedom of our people. If you want to secure the blessings of liberty for the American people, you cut off the spigot that funds the political ambition of our leaders by abolishing the income tax and restoring control of 100% of their income to the American worker. That means you replace it with a FairTax system that puts the American people in control of their money. By doing that, you will encourage the politicians to stop spending to fund their little political cliques and only limit their spending to what actually produces results for the American people.

Income tax is a failed socialist experiment

The income tax is a 20th-century socialist experiment that has failed. Before the income tax was imposed on us just 85 years ago, government had no claim to our income. Only sales, excise, and tariff taxes were allowed. We need to return to the Constitution of economic liberty that our Founders intended to be a permanent bulwark of our political liberty.

The income tax in effect makes us vassals of the government--the politicians decide how much income we can keep. No mere “reform” of this slave tax, such as flattening the rate, can correct its fundamental denial of control over our own money.

Only the abolition of the income tax will restore the basic American principle that our income is both our own money and our own private business--not the government’s.

Replace income tax with a national sales tax

A national sales tax would also put the American citizen back in control of fiscal policy. The best way to curtail government spending is to cut taxes, because they can’t spend what they don’t get. With a sales tax, we could deny funds to a spendthrift government--and give ourselves a tax cut--whenever we make the private choice to alter our spending and saving habits.

But we must also take away the government’s credit card. With limits on both tax revenue and borrowing, the Federal government would finally be forced to get serious about spending cuts. That’s why a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution, with barriers to both borrowing and spending, is the best way to secure budget discipline.

Income tax exemptions for descendants of black slaves

Income tax is a failed socialist experiment

No mere “reform”, such as flattening the rate, can correct its fundamental denial of control over our own money. Only abolition of the income tax will restore the basic American principle that our income is both our own money and our own private business not the government’s.

Replacing the income tax with a national sales tax would rejuvenate independence and responsibility in our citizens. It would also put the American citizen back in control of fiscal policy. The best way to curtail government spending is to cut taxes, because they can’t spend what they don’t get. With a sales tax, we could deny funds to a spendthrift government--and give ourselves a tax cut--whenever we make the private choice to alter our spending and saving habits.

Sales tax is more progressive than income tax

Right now, people say we have a progressive income tax, that the rich people pay more. But in reality the working stiffs of America end up bearing the brunt of taxation. Most of the money collected in the income tax comes from brackets $50,000 & below, from working people My proposal gives them back control of their money. Until they decide how to spend it, the government doesn’t get to tax it, and if they spend it on the basic necessities of life, people who are poor wouldn’t have to pay taxes.

Other people who are maybe saving for the down payment on their house would be able to give themselves tax cuts just by controlling the pattern of their consumption. So, it puts everyone-poor and working people-back in control of their own economic life.

Abolish the income tax and spend money responsibly

Sales tax gives control back to people

Wrong to pay income taxes before basic necessities

Forbes’ plan leaves IRS, and an invasive tax, intact

FORBES: Whatever tax you have, whether it’s the flat tax or national sales tax, you are going to have a collection agency to make sure the money comes in. The virtue of the flat tax is that you can do it on a single page since it’s simple. You don’t need a hundred and ten thousand agents to do it. You just need a handful to take in the paper, make sure the checks are attached, that they clear and the job is done.

Forbes’ plan still requires people to beg for tax cuts

FORBES: I think if you abolish it for lower-income Americans, yes, that’s what I’d do. As for the national sales tax, either a flat tax or national sales tax would be much better that what we have today. But there are challenges for a national sales tax. Depending on what you choose to exempt, the rate can be 20% to 35%. So a kid comes and cuts your lawn, you owe a 35% tax. You buy a new house, 35% tax. And also, you better make sure you repeal the 16th Amendment, which enables the income tax, or you’re going to have both an income tax and a sales tax.

Replace income tax with tariffs & duties

Income tax is Marxist control of entire economy

Against flat tax -- a distraction for abolishing income tax.

Excise taxes allow citizens to control tax rate themselves

“Soak the rich” schemes have socialist objectives

The “soak the rich” tax proposals are therefore a politically shrewd way of getting the mass of our people to buy into socialist logic without having to declare socialist objectives. By following this approach, the day will come when our paychecks won’t record our net pay; they’ll record our government allowance. In words, it’s a small difference, but in fact it’s the difference between economic slavery and economic freedom.