The incoming Republican House of Representatives and its reformist GOP brethren in the Democratic Senate will be embroiled in complex legislation. Feeding or starving Obamacare, accelerating or braking federal spending, and possibly even keeping or replacing the U.S. Tax Code will be among the huge questions that will keep the 112th Congress working day and night.
Advertisement
Beyond these momentous matters, however, pro-market Republicans should promote smaller initiatives that break with the Big Government Bush-Obama years. Reaganite Republicans should invite Democrats to join them in these commonsense efforts. Democrats then can demonstrate whether or not they learned anything last Election Day.
● Republicans should enact the HOT Tax. The Higher-Rate Optional Tax would satisfy liberals who don’t like their taxes cut.
“I am in the highest tax bracket,” an unidentified woman said in a November 30 MoveOn.org commercial that attacks the Obama-GOP tax-cut compromise. “We don’t need the money. The country does.”
No American should be forced to accept an unwanted tax cut. So, the HOT Tax would require new language on IRS tax returns: “If you believe your tax bracket is too low, please indicate the higher rate at which you prefer to be taxed. Multiply that rate by your Adjusted Gross Income. Send in that higher amount.”
The HOT Tax would spare tax-cut opponents from accepting undesired tax relief. The rest of us can enjoy the lower taxes we need to pay our bills and take care of ourselves and our loved ones. Everybody wins.
Republicans should ask congressional Democrats to support the HOT Tax. If they would deny guilty liberals the chance voluntarily to pay even higher taxes, let them vote accordingly.
● Republicans should introduce a measure to require that federally funded projects and structures be christened according to the Post Office’s rules regarding personalities on stamps. If one must be dead for ten years before gracing a stamp (save for deceased U.S. presidents, whose memorial stamps appear upon their first posthumous birthdays), one likewise should be lifeless for a decade before getting one’s name slapped on a federally financed highway, bridge, or warship.
Public facilities that honor living, even sitting politicians — like South Carolina’s James E. Clyburn Golf Center and Kentucky’s Mitch McConnell Loophiking trail – belong in North Korea, not America. This is a bipartisan embarrassment, especially when unhinged Democrats such as former congresswoman Cynthia McKinney of Georgia and jailed Republicans such as former congressman Robert Ney of Ohio have seen their names pried off of public works after they disgraced themselves.
Bravo, Mr. Murdock! Your sense of balance between levity & gravity is very good and much appreciated. I noticed you today for the first time. Keep up the great work!
Bob Lynch, FAIA, Architect, Haymarket, Prince William County, Virginia 20169.
Here's my humble suggestion: In addition to the HOT, let's institute the Alternative Flat Tax, or AFT. Just pay 18% of your gross income, including dividends and capital gains, and forget about paying your "tax adviser" hundreds or even thousands of dollars to figure out all your deductions, credits, and other hoopla.
The mega-rich who believe they don't pay enough in taxes can stop wasting time figuring out exotic shelters and instead concentrate on simply making money.
Once again you display your unblanched hatred of former President George W. Bush with your John Birch Society-style "Republican socialist" slur.
Obviously you do not recall recent American history, when William F. Buckley banished the JBS from National Review around 1965. Why you continue to behave this way towards GWB is beyond me.
If you recall, I phoned you in February 2009 about this, and you did not satisfy my inquiries into your frank anti-Bush attitude. You talked a good game, but you did not answer my basic question as to why you despise GWB as much as you do.
You really scare me, Mr. Murdock.
While it's silly for the government to get involved, marketing and perceived economics are in many cases pushing incandescent bulbs out the door.
CFL's will be very short lived though as they have issues of their own and neither they nor incandescent can compete with newer LED bulbs. Although the LED's have higher initial cost, the amazing life expectancy makes it worth it even before considering the 90% energy savings and availability in many shades of light.
