Forced Efficiency from Congress
Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 5:20 pm
I propose a simple change that would force Congress to have to make the sorts of hard decisions you and I make each week. Very simply, we place a 5% flat tax on everyone, and a 5% consumption tax on all purchases. No deductions, credits, exceptions, etc.. (Of course, certain necessities and medical prescriptions might be exempt.)
The poor will receive their flat tax money back via income tax refund. So Congress gets dramatically less than they usually get. So what happens? Well, when you don't have as much money as you had to throw away before, you start questioning the need to study cow emissions, or to support ballet (let their patrons support them), and so forth.
Congress begins to demand efficiency of poorly run programs, begins to merge, consolidate, revamp, examine, and otherwise overhaul all programs. Eventually, they are spending tax money on outstanding, effective, beneficial programs, and not just on whatever is out there.
The poor will receive their flat tax money back via income tax refund. So Congress gets dramatically less than they usually get. So what happens? Well, when you don't have as much money as you had to throw away before, you start questioning the need to study cow emissions, or to support ballet (let their patrons support them), and so forth.
Congress begins to demand efficiency of poorly run programs, begins to merge, consolidate, revamp, examine, and otherwise overhaul all programs. Eventually, they are spending tax money on outstanding, effective, beneficial programs, and not just on whatever is out there.