Letter: FairTax gets a bum rap from columnist

Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2007 | 7:23 a.m.

I must totally disagree with Jay Bookman's column in Saturday's Las Vegas Sun about the FairTax. He has spewed forth so many untruths about the FairTax that it is hard to begin. The present income tax is a total disaster - tens of thousands of pages that no one understands, including the IRS.

Mr. Bookman says the FairTax, which I have long supported, will hurt its proponents. Under the FairTax (a consumption tax) each individual will control how much he pays in taxes based on his purchases.

Every household would receive a "prebate" based on spending at the poverty level. This prebate is to assure that no household pays a tax on necessities. For example, a household with two adults and two children would receive a monthly prebate of $525. There would be no tax on used items. That includes big-ticket items - cars, homes, etc.

Mr. Bookman claims the black market economy would find ways to avoid the FairTax. They do now with greater ease.

If those in the black market economy make a purchase at any legitimate business they will pay the tax. There are no forms to submit by April 15 declaring your tax liability. You pay it with each purchase. Mr. Bookman also claims the FairTax will be a greater burden to middle-class Americans while those wealthy individuals will pay less. I know of very few, if any, middle-class Americans who purchase Bentleys or multimillion-dollar yachts.

Mr. Bookman neglected to mention the FairTax would end taxation on savings and investments, a subject dear to senior citizens. Mr. Bookman neglected to mention a lot.

Don't believe the likes of the Jay Bookmans in this country. Go to the FairTax Web site and read for yourself. More than $25 million was spent researching the FairTax and its effects on our country. While it is not perfect, it is a great alternative to what we now have.

Louis Phillipine, North Las Vegas