@csgordon@zirk.us @Npars01 @Clackable@tldr.nettime.org @stopgopfox@libretooth.gr @Mastopoet @GreenFire
No.
The FairTax would increase the cash in peoples' pockets, so people who are in debt and are cash poor would end up with more resources to address that problem.
Remember that the FairTax also eliminates the taxes taken out of a person's paycheck, increasing their take home pay.
It would be an immediate boost to stagnant wages, since you bring that up in particular.
@volkris @csgordon @Npars01 @Clackable @stopgopfox @Mastopoet @GreenFire Smoke and mirrors. "unFairTax" just makes it seem like everyone gets a raise without the moneyed class having to actually pay more for their labor. Consumption tax screws middle/lower classes because basic consumption is a much higher percentage of their income than it is for the wealthy, which is the entire point for proponents of flat and/or consumption taxes.
@dkbgeek @csgordon@zirk.us @Npars01 @Clackable@tldr.nettime.org @stopgopfox@libretooth.gr @Mastopoet @GreenFire
And that's the exact reason why the FairTax proposes to mail people checks to make sure the middle/lower class isn't screwed by sales taxes.
That's a core part of the proposal.
Folks who talk about the idea without mentioning the parts that make it progressive are being dishonest.
@volkris @csgordon @Npars01 @Clackable @stopgopfox @Mastopoet @GreenFire "mitigating some of the damage to attentive low-income Americans" hardly makes it "progressive." The rich will make out like bandits. The middle class will get soaked. The poor who DO get the prebate will likely lose on the net because of other aspects of the tax code taken away (child credits, etc.) States would have to take on the burden of dealing with federal taxes. The whole idea is a trainwreck.