From: mauler@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu
Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology
Subject: Re: Some views on Scientology
Message-ID: <1991Aug8.122849.32601@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu>
Date: 8 Aug 91 12:28:48 CDT
References: <1991Jul30.201557.32438@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu>  <1991Aug7.094520.332@parc.xerox.com>
Organization: University of Kansas Academic Computing Services
Lines: 48

In article <1991Aug7.094520.332@parc.xerox.com>, lachman@parc.xerox.com (Hans Lachman) writes:
> Lots of dissent!  (Hit 'n' if not interested in sales tax.)
> 
> In article <COVIN.91Aug2161638@despair.cs.uchicago.edu> covin@tartarus.uchicago.edu (David Covin) writes:
>>You can
>>only spend so much money on the basic necessities of life-- food, shelter,
>>clothing, etc.  But you have to spend for those *first*-- if you have
>>very little money, that's probably all you spend your money on.  So if
>>a tax is levied on those commodities, it cuts into your ability to buy
>>things that you absolutely *need*.  It threatens your ability to live.
>>David Covin                           covin@despair.uchicago.edu

> In article <CHRISTIR.91Aug3221258@mentor.cc.purdue.edu> christir@mentor.cc.purdue.edu writes:
>>one problem with killing the income tax in favor of sales tax.  large
>>items.  or more specifically large necessary items.  houses, cars,
>>etc....
>>if you don't tax the large items then you have the previously
>>mentioned problems of tax dodging.
>>
>>it seems like this system, if it taxed all items, would reduce the
>>poor man to renting all his life.  not a desirable effect in my
>>opinon.
>>c.
> 
> OK, here's an easy solution.  Have a 3-tiered sales tax.  "Basic necessities"
> have a 0% tax rate, and includes items like groceries, clothing (excluding
> excessively expensive items), and shelter (excluding houses that are not
> your primary residence), maybe other stuff.  The truly poor should not have
> to pay any tax.  If people on welfare don't, then the working poor certainly
> shouldn't.
> 
> "Usual consumer goods" that are not basic essentials for life could have
> a medium tax rate, e.g., cars, consumer electronics, appliances, furniture,
> and most of everything not yet mentioned that they sell in the mall.
> 
> The "high tax" category could include luxury items such as yachts, fur coats,
> and Ferraris, "sin" items like alcohol and cigarettes, and anything else the
> government wants to discourage, e.g., gasoline.
> 

Hmmmm.  Isn't this what the income tax is already doing?  "A three-tiered tax
causing equal tax burdens based on income," is basically what your three-tiered
tax would do!
 
> Hans Lachman
> lachman@arisia.xerox.com

Leo