YOU ballance the budget!

[The Good Reverend Roger]

a national sales tax,

ECONOMIC FATALITY.

SUB PHOX WINS.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Also, I don't know how to ballance a budget.

Might be able to BALANCE one, though.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

sales tax is the most regressive way of raising tax revenue that I can think of.

Works ok in MA. No one complains about it too much, and we certainly never bothered to repeal it. Depends on the outlook of the public I suppose. You don't have to buy that thing, so you don't have to pay that tax on it. Voluntary taxation.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

sales tax is the most regressive way of raising tax revenue that I can think of.

Works ok in MA. No one complains about it too much, and we certainly never bothered to repeal it. Depends on the outlook of the public I suppose. You don't have to buy that thing, so you don't have to pay that tax on it. Voluntary taxation.

What percentage is it?  We have a small sales tax in AZ.  The federal one proposed by the teabaggers is 23% ( ).

[Freeky]

sales tax is the most regressive way of raising tax revenue that I can think of.

Works ok in MA. No one complains about it too much, and we certainly never bothered to repeal it. Depends on the outlook of the public I suppose. You don't have to buy that thing, so you don't have to pay that tax on it. Voluntary taxation.

Sure. You don't have to buy clothes, or toilet paper, or soap, or any of that stuff. Totally optional.

[East Coast Hustle]

sales tax is the most regressive way of raising tax revenue that I can think of.

Works ok in MA. No one complains about it too much, and we certainly never bothered to repeal it. Depends on the outlook of the public I suppose. You don't have to buy that thing, so you don't have to pay that tax on it. Voluntary taxation.

I'd expect this line of reasoning from anyone who's been indoctrinated by Taxachusetts.

nah, srsly though, sales tax takes a higher percentage of a poor person's income than it does of a wealthy person's. Whether or not people complain about it, it's certainly hideously regressive.

and you have a funny idea of "optional".

I mean, your kid doesn't really NEED that computer for school, nor do you really NEED that car to drive him there or to go to work or get groceries. And we can all start making our own furniture and beds out of branches and pine boughs. And skinning animals for clothes.

[Juana]

National sales tax is not the same as a state sales tax. A national one would be on top of your state and local tax, and would hit things like rent.

Let's look at my locality + California + national sales tax (23% as per tea bagger desires).
My city: 10%
California: 7.25%
National: 23%

I buy $50 in groceries. Add $5, $3.63, $11.50 in taxes, and that's about $70.

[LMNO]

We don't complain about it because we can't do anything about it, and we don't repeal it because nothing is offered to take it's place.

I don't think it's fair, but 1) I make enough that it doesn't affect my life too badly and 2) I'm not going to eliminate a sizable chunk of the state's revenues.

[East Coast Hustle]

well, typically groceries (or at least staples) aren't included in sales tax.

but change that to a $500 computer for your kid that now costs $700.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

well, typically groceries (or at least staples) aren't included in sales tax.

but change that to a $500 computer for your kid that now costs $700.

The teabagger's tax would apply to all goods and services.

[Freeky]

National sales tax is not the same as a state sales tax. A national one would be on top of your state and local tax, and would hit things like rent.

Let's look at my locality + California + national sales tax (23% as per tea bagger desires).
My city: 10%
California: 7.25%
National: 23%

I buy $50 in groceries. Add $5, $3.63, $11.50 in taxes, and that's about $70.

What ECH said.

[Freeky]

well, typically groceries (or at least staples) aren't included in sales tax.

but change that to a $500 computer for your kid that now costs $700.

The teabagger's tax would apply to all goods and services.

You're kidding?

[The Good Reverend Roger]

well, typically groceries (or at least staples) aren't included in sales tax.

but change that to a $500 computer for your kid that now costs $700.

The teabagger's tax would apply to all goods and services.

You're kidding?

ALL goods and services.  I shall provide a link tonight, if you remind me.

[Requia ☣]

National sales tax is not the same as a state sales tax. A national one would be on top of your state and local tax, and would hit things like rent.

Let's look at my locality + California + national sales tax (23% as per tea bagger desires).
My city: 10%
California: 7.25%
National: 23%

I buy $50 in groceries. Add $5, $3.63, $11.50 in taxes, and that's about $70.

Jesus Christ.  And I bitch about the sales tax here.

The one in the budget proposal is 5%.  Though that still manages to total 22 and a quarter where hovercat is.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

National sales tax is not the same as a state sales tax. A national one would be on top of your state and local tax, and would hit things like rent.

Let's look at my locality + California + national sales tax (23% as per tea bagger desires).
My city: 10%
California: 7.25%
National: 23%

I buy $50 in groceries. Add $5, $3.63, $11.50 in taxes, and that's about $70.

Jesus Christ.  And I bitch about the sales tax here.

The one in the budget proposal is 5%.  Though that still manages to total 22 and a quarter where hovercat is.

6.6% in AZ, and we're going broke.  It WAS 4.6%, and the increase was supposed to pay for schools and police, but they used the 2% - 1% at a time - to finance the retirement of state level legislators, even if they only served one term.

Then they blamed "the liberals" (We only have about 3), and everyone bought it.