Here at our little farm, the Little Pat-Ch of Paradise, in Wood County, Ohio the first teasing touch of autumn has arrived. It’s a chilly, breezy morning, and one can imagine a snowflake or two if you squeeze your eyes closed. We will be attending the Libertarian tailgate party that precedes the University of Toledo-Bowling Green State University football game (The Battle of I-75). These two long-time rivals are but 25 miles apart and nearly every workplace in NW Ohio has grads from each so the intensity of the competitive spirit runs high. It is not quite as huge as the Ohio State-Michigan face off, but the MAC is not the B10 Ten (or eleven). Our primarily rural area loves fall. High school football, college football, soybean and corn harvest dominate the social calendars for a few weeks until it’s time to prepare for Thanksgiving, Christmas and a New Year.
The GOP presidential nomination race continues to have more twists and turns than Le Mans. The current candidate de jour is Herman Cain, the former Godfather of Pizza. His recent surge has the Republicans, the media and the RINO GOP establishment elites all a-twitter. If you recall, the previous wunderkind was Rick Perry who is hanging in there despite being treated like the piñata de jour. Clearly the Amazon forests are not the only site where one can find cannibals. The shooting star who preceded Governor Perry was the little lady from Minnesota, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, who is struggling to regain traction and her mojo. Rick Santorum and Jon Huntsman are still waiting for their moments in the spotlight while Newt’s numbers are creeping upward a notch at a time. The two whose fortunes have remained relatively consistent are Mitt Romney and Ron Paul….the Establishment and the Anti-Establishment candidates. Governor Romney continues to lead in most national polls though he seldom emerges as the favorite in individual state surveys. Dr. Paul has a hard-core dedicated group of adherents who keep his numbers consistently in the 8-15% range in nearly every battleground state. At this point in the campaign it seems as if there are 7 hares and two tortoises (torti?). Timing is critical as the primary season may begin as early as December (WHAT!?). Whoever is “up” at the beginning may capture some momentum to catapult them to the nomination. Then again, perhaps not. One of the sluggish turtles could amass numbers large enough to prevail.
Mr. Cain’s 9-9-9 taxation plan has been the butt of jokes, object of ridicule and subject of praise. Nine per cent corporate taxes would certainly encourage our businesses to leap into action if the government regulatory structure were applied more reasonably. The nine per cent national sales tax would be a new element in our federal property grab, but at least provides some element of choice for the taxpayer. The nine per cent personal income tax is the greatest flaw of Mr. Cain’s plan in my view because it leaves the loathsome IRS intact while adding the sales tax to the government’s confiscatory mix. The plan has elements that are somewhat appealing, but on the whole, for me, is too reliant on the government’s self discipline to be an effective long term remedy for our burgeoning national government share of the economic production of the country.
About that national sales tax….Monday evening at 7:00pm I’ll be discussing the Fair Tax with the Marion County (Ohio) Tea Party, Voices of Liberty. We’ll be in the MARCA conference room. While the Fair Tax has no greater constitutional justification than does the income tax (progressive or flat), it can be a transformational method for funding our bloated government that allows a maximum of personal choice for taxpayers (www.fairtax.org). Again, its efficacy depends on repealing the 16th Amendment, severely pruning the federal regulatory apparatus and limiting spending in the “out years.” I’m not optimistic about Congress’ will to cut and dismantle the massive federal bureaucracies, but the Fair Tax allows us the freedom to choose when and how to spend tax dollars as we hustle to prepare for the coming fiscal collapse of the nation. It truly represents a “Hobson’s Choice” for those of us who are dedicated to smaller constitutional government. Presently, about 15% of the Congress has signed on as co-sponsors for introducing Fair Tax legislation.
Have a great weekend. Enjoy your family and friends. Read some accurate national history and prepare your “Ready Bag.”
Comment: cearlwriting@hotmail.com
Tue. & Wed., 6-7:00pm, 1370 WSPD, Toledo. www.wspd.com
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