Misc Mike Gravel Bits
Adam Scheinberg, October 1, 2007 (17 years ago)
Here are some bits on Mike Gravel:
"The only thing worse than one soldier dying in vain is more soldiers dying in vain."
(On same-sex marriage:) "This country – and this world – needs more love. Love trumps morality, morality trumps politics."
"Our country needs renewal -- not just of particular policies or of people, but of democracy itself."
he War in Iraq: Immediate and orderly withdrawal of troops followed by aggressive diplomacy
Iran: I firmly oppose a military confrontation with Iran and advocate a diplomatic solution to the current situation.
National Initiative for Democracy: Empower Americans and turn every citizen into a lawmaker by enacting a national initiative.
A Fair Tax: Eliminate the income tax and replace it with a progressive national sales tax.
Global Warming / Climate Change: We must reduce America’s carbon footprint in the world by passing legislation that caps emissions and improve energy efficiency while generating more energy from low-carbon sources.
Universal Healthcare Vouchers: A National Health Care Voucher plan will provide health care for all Americans.
LGBT Rights: I support same-sex marriage and oppose both the Defense of Marriage Act and the military's 'Don't Ask Don't Tell' legislation.
Prison/Drug Reform: We must de-criminalize minor drug offenses, eliminate mandatory minimum sentencing laws, and increase the use of alternative penalties for nonviolent drug offenders.
Net Neutrality: I support a free and open Internet with no restricted access to any site, for any reason.
My new favorite candidate! Of course, I don't believe he has a chance in hell of winning, but I will support him as long as he is a candidate. I don't honestly see a way you can be truly American and support exclusionist politics. Status quo has got to go.
"The only thing worse than one soldier dying in vain is more soldiers dying in vain."
(On same-sex marriage:) "This country – and this world – needs more love. Love trumps morality, morality trumps politics."
"Our country needs renewal -- not just of particular policies or of people, but of democracy itself."
he War in Iraq: Immediate and orderly withdrawal of troops followed by aggressive diplomacy
Iran: I firmly oppose a military confrontation with Iran and advocate a diplomatic solution to the current situation.
National Initiative for Democracy: Empower Americans and turn every citizen into a lawmaker by enacting a national initiative.
A Fair Tax: Eliminate the income tax and replace it with a progressive national sales tax.
Global Warming / Climate Change: We must reduce America’s carbon footprint in the world by passing legislation that caps emissions and improve energy efficiency while generating more energy from low-carbon sources.
Universal Healthcare Vouchers: A National Health Care Voucher plan will provide health care for all Americans.
LGBT Rights: I support same-sex marriage and oppose both the Defense of Marriage Act and the military's 'Don't Ask Don't Tell' legislation.
Prison/Drug Reform: We must de-criminalize minor drug offenses, eliminate mandatory minimum sentencing laws, and increase the use of alternative penalties for nonviolent drug offenders.
Net Neutrality: I support a free and open Internet with no restricted access to any site, for any reason.
My new favorite candidate! Of course, I don't believe he has a chance in hell of winning, but I will support him as long as he is a candidate. I don't honestly see a way you can be truly American and support exclusionist politics. Status quo has got to go.
<br />
CAMP
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Renown economist Laurence Kotlikoff believes that failure to enact the FairTax - choosing instead to try to "flatten" what he deems to be a non-flattenable income tax system - will eventuate into an <b><a href="http://snipurl.com/meltdowninprogress">irrevocable economic meltdown,</a></b> because of the hidden aspects of the current system that make political accountability impossible. Tom Frey, of the DiVinci Institute, foresees the <b><a href="http://snipurl.com/incometaxcollapse">coming collapse</a></b> of the income tax system.<br />
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Here is why the FairTax MUST replace the income tax. It's:<br />
<br />
<i>• SIMPLE, easy to understand<br />
• EFFICIENT, inexpensive to comply with and doesn't cause less-than-optimal business decisions for tax minimization purposes<br />
• FAIR, loophole free and everyone pays their share<br />
• LOW TAX RATE, achieved by broad base with no exclusions<br />
• PREDICTABLE, doesn't change, so financial planning is possible<br />
• UNINTRUSIVE, doesn't intrude into our personal affairs or limit our liberty<br />
• VISIBLE, not hidden from the public in tax-inflated prices or otherwise<br />
• PRODUCTIVE, rewards, rather than penalizes, work and productivity</i><br />
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Its benefits are as follows:<br />
<br />
For <b>INDIVIDUALS</b>:<br />
<i>• No more tax on income - make as much as you wish<br />
• You receive your full paycheck - no more deductions<br />
• You pay the tax when you buy "at retail" - not "used"<br />
• No more double taxation (e.g. like on current Capital Gains)<br />
• Reduction of "pre-FairTaxed" retail prices by 20%-30%<br />
• Adding back 29.9% FairTax maintains current price levels<br />
• FairTax would constitute 23% portion of new prices<br />
• Every household receives a monthly check, or "pre-bate"<br />
• "Prebate" is "advance payback" for taxes payable on monthly consumption to poverty level<br />
• FairTax's "prebate" ensures progressivity, poverty protection<br />
• Finally, citizens are knowledgeable of what their tax IS<br />
• Elimination of "parasitic" Income Tax industry<br />
• NO MORE IRS. NO MORE FILING OF TAX RETURNS by individuals<br />
• Those possessing illicit forms of income will ALSO pay the FairTax<br />
• Households have more disposable income to purchase goods<br />
• Savings is bolstered with reduction of interest rates</i><br />
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For <b>BUSINESSES</b>:<br />
<i>• Corporate income and payroll taxes revoked under FairTax<br />
• Business compensated for collecting tax at "cash register"<br />
• No more tax-related lawyers, lobbyists on company payrolls<br />
• No more embedded (hidden) income/payroll taxes in prices<br />
• Reduced costs. Competition - not tax policy - drives prices<br />
• Off-shore "tax haven" headquarters can now return to U.S<br />
• No more "favors" from politicians at expense of taxpayers<br />
• Resources go to R&D and study of competition - not taxes<br />
• Marketplace distortions eliminated for fair competition<br />
• US exports increase their share of foreign markets</i><br />
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For the <b>COUNTRY</b>:<br />
<i>• 7% - 13% economic growth projected in the first year of the FairTax<br />
• Jobs return to the U.S.<br />
• Foreign corporations "set up shop" in the U.S.<br />
• Tax system trends are corrected to "enlarge the pie"<br />
• Larger economic "pie," means thinner tax rate "slices"<br />
• Initial 23% portion of price is pressured downward as "pie" increases<br />
• No more "closed door" tax deals by politicians and business<br />
• FairTax sets new global standard. Other countries will follow</i><br />
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It's well past time to <b><a href="http://snipr.com/scrapthecode">scrap the tax code</a></b> and pay for government the way that America's working men and women are paid - when something is sold.