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The Fairtax Fantasy
COMING SOON
156 pages, Paperback
First published April 14, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 29, 2012
I read this after "The FairTax Book" and "FairTax: The Truth: Answering the Critics" in order to read them in order of release. I'm glad there was an effort to critique the FairTax, but this book strikes me as very flawed.
The first chapter starts with a highly non-representative selection of three "Bob"s, which is actually three exceptional, rather than normal, people. This, for me, made me want to set the book down and read no further. To pick three characters that are non-representative as the start of the book did not bode well at all. I foraged on, with the desire to see the other side of the story, however. It did not improve.
I found the book to be full of class warfare rhetoric, something distasteful from self-described conservatives. Worse, the concept of embedded taxes was treated as if it consisted solely of employee payroll and income taxes, rather than corporate income taxes. This one misrepresentation was the basis of most of the arguments that followed.
Some arguments were silly, such as the "burden" of a retail owner having to calculate what price to put on products to generate the desired profit. As if they don't already do these types of calculations every day to stay in business. An entire chapter was devoted to whether the tax rate is properly 23% or 30%, even though "FairTax: The Truth" had already explained it in two paragraphs.
Ultimately, what was most disturbing was the lack of any references. The FairTax books have multiple references to outside resources. Granted, most are at FairTax.org, but there ARE references. Fantasy has none. Not one. Studies are claimed, but no links or references are provided. Am I to believe self-serving studies, or phantom studies? At least one side has research they are willing to reference.
Ultimately, however, my issue with this book is simple: FairTax proponents admit their proposal has flaws. Some people WILL be losers in the transition. Some people WILL benefit. But Hewitt and Adler can admit no positives at all. They even had the audacity to claim, without justification, that a complex economy requires a complex tax code.
I give this book 2 stars because there are some valid points, such as potential constitutional issues with states paying sales tax to the fed, but it is overwhelmed by the rabid nay-saying and specious arguments that fill most of the pages.
The first chapter starts with a highly non-representative selection of three "Bob"s, which is actually three exceptional, rather than normal, people. This, for me, made me want to set the book down and read no further. To pick three characters that are non-representative as the start of the book did not bode well at all. I foraged on, with the desire to see the other side of the story, however. It did not improve.
I found the book to be full of class warfare rhetoric, something distasteful from self-described conservatives. Worse, the concept of embedded taxes was treated as if it consisted solely of employee payroll and income taxes, rather than corporate income taxes. This one misrepresentation was the basis of most of the arguments that followed.
Some arguments were silly, such as the "burden" of a retail owner having to calculate what price to put on products to generate the desired profit. As if they don't already do these types of calculations every day to stay in business. An entire chapter was devoted to whether the tax rate is properly 23% or 30%, even though "FairTax: The Truth" had already explained it in two paragraphs.
Ultimately, what was most disturbing was the lack of any references. The FairTax books have multiple references to outside resources. Granted, most are at FairTax.org, but there ARE references. Fantasy has none. Not one. Studies are claimed, but no links or references are provided. Am I to believe self-serving studies, or phantom studies? At least one side has research they are willing to reference.
Ultimately, however, my issue with this book is simple: FairTax proponents admit their proposal has flaws. Some people WILL be losers in the transition. Some people WILL benefit. But Hewitt and Adler can admit no positives at all. They even had the audacity to claim, without justification, that a complex economy requires a complex tax code.
I give this book 2 stars because there are some valid points, such as potential constitutional issues with states paying sales tax to the fed, but it is overwhelmed by the rabid nay-saying and specious arguments that fill most of the pages.
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