Bill Steigerwald interviewed Georgia’s Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss about the “fair tax,” which is a 23 percent national sales tax that he has proposed. Isn’t that too much for poor people, he asked? Chambliss responded:
“People who are at a poverty level who can’t pay that 23 percent would get a check every month for the amount of money that it’s anticipated they would spend based on their income. Folks who make a lot of money, who pay a lot in taxes today, would still pay the lion’s share of the taxes, because if they make a lot of money, they’re going to spend a lot of money. They would therefore pay their fair share. It’s a very simplified tax system that is a fair tax system, exactly as it’s titled.”
My question is, who gets to determine what poverty levels are “fair” for the purposes of receiving such a check?
