The taxman cometh

"The power to tax invlolves the power to destroy" - John Marshall
"No nation has ever taxed itself into prosperity" - Rush Limbaugh

Tax day has come and gone and once more there has been no mention in the mainstream press about the compete lack of real tax reformation by our elected representatives. They talk a big game, they just never follow through. What we need is a good old-fashioned tax revolt. You do remember the last time in this country when we revolted over taxes? Guys dressed as Indians, something to do with tea and Boston, ring a bell? Hell, our country was practically forced into the revolutionary war by people PO'd about taxes. How times have changed. Now no one will rise up in defiance of the IRS for fear of the knock on the door late at night by the auditing boogeyman.
I believe the problem is that most people don't actually realize that the tax money being spent by the bloated beauracrats in DC is, in fact, their money. As long as they "get back" a pittance every year why should they care. The Income Redistribution Service (IRS, get it?) receives more and more of their monies from less ands less of the population and the reaction is typical. "As long as I'm not paying ..." The libs in Congress have done their job well. By making everyone feel entitled ( through the use of deductions such as the laughingly titled "Earned Income" Credit), and promoting a class envy on the topic of taxes they have lulled the American people into believing that the present tax system is fair. How dare those rich people moan about paying their fair share in taxes?!
I don't know what the answer is, but I do know that we need to end the muggery that has been taking place for way too long. The US Constitution expressly prohibited the taxing of income, it took the passing of the 16th amendment to actually enable the government to legally take your money. Since then the tax code has changed and grown into the out-of-control monster that it has become. The newly revised code is the size of a small child and makes about as much sense. What is needed is not a revision of the existing system, but rather an entirely new system. And the first step is to abolish the existing system entirely. Scrap the IRS, the 1040's, the Schedule C's, and most importantly, the 16th amendment must be repealed. It, like Prohibitons "Noble Experiment" amendment, has failed.
So what do we replace it with? Obviously government cannot exist without revenue, and so there must be a replacement. Myself, I am partial to the Fair Tax Act ( that's fairtaxact.org). I think it taxes everyone fairly and removes the fallacy of the rich not paying their share. Everone gets taxed through consumption and at the same amount. Embedded taxes are gone, causing goods and services to be available at lower prices. The high cost of compliance is removed saving billions on Corporate America who can now use that money elsewhere instead of passing that cost onto the consumer. And best of all, you receive your ENTIRE paycheck. No more after-taxes paycheck. What you earn, you keep. You decide what taxes to pay at the cash register. Compliance falls to one group, retailers, who receive a percentage for their troubles.
Whether Fair Tax, Flat Tax, or some combination, the system will not work unless, as previously stated, the existing byzantine system is scrapped, and, more importantly, the Congress realizes that the spending growth is out of control and curtail their desire to spend us into oblivion. Now, if you'll excuse me, someone is pounding at my door.