To The Cleaners
By Mitch Berg
I’m thinking about the time I went to the Al Franken Obamacare rally. And as they came out of the rally, and engaged in the odd debate or argument with us protesters, many of them duly parrotted the Obama party line; “he’s cutting your taxes”!
They’re not, anyway – and now, Obama wants to switch to switch on the tax afterburner:
President Barack Obama suggested Wednesday that a new value-added tax on Americans is still on the table, seeming to show more openness to the idea than his aides have expressed in recent days.
VAT Taxes are a money machine. They also sap money from every stage of the economy.
April 22nd, 2010 at 8:12 am
It’s taxing the poor and middle class. That’s why they like it.
April 22nd, 2010 at 12:07 pm
It’s also re-taxing money already in savings.
April 22nd, 2010 at 12:07 pm
Let’s make it even more obvious that we’re penalizing people for making objects more valuable.
April 22nd, 2010 at 12:20 pm
VAT taxes are a bureaucrat’s dream. You have to keep a tremendous amount of documentation, the effect of the tax is mostly hidden from the final payers, and the ‘crats can tinker with the amount of taxation on individual industries with abandon and little oversight.
Just say No.
April 22nd, 2010 at 1:03 pm
The ultimate cookie jar.
April 22nd, 2010 at 3:40 pm
Given Barry’s track record for doing what he said he wouldn’t, this is an ominous sign. He needs to pay for Obamacare somehow. Sooner or later he’ll say, “Because of the mess created by my predecessor, I will have to impose a VAT. Sorry about that!”
April 23rd, 2010 at 5:46 am
the effect of the tax is mostly hidden from the final payers
And that’s the key. Everything you purchase will cost more, probably on the order of 20% more, but the tax will be baked into the price. That should really help businesses, eh? And nerdbert is spot on about the documentation.
April 23rd, 2010 at 1:06 pm
Hidden costs are already rampant. Look at your phone bill or trash collection bill or…
And golfdoc is spot on about Princess Fairy Pants.