Ari Fleischer on income taxes

Chicago Monday PM April 13, 2009 Editors

Wall Street Journal

Gentlepeople:

Seeing Ari Fleischer's name as the author of an article on taxes ("Everyone Should Pay Income Taxes" WSJ Monday, April 13) was not real encouraging, but my inner publicist said: "C'mon, look at the headline."

That was a good start. But Fleischer goes on to say three things I haven't read in years of three-a-day major newspaper reading.First, "... nearly every other social cause is given a loophole... in the tax code" demonstrated by listing 9 examples of such commonly accepted preferences, from buying a hybrid vehicle to paying alimony, rightly concluding that "everyone now has a sacred cow in the tax code."

Next he suggests abolishing "all Social Security, Medicare and estate taxes" and that "Social Security and Medicare will be funded from income taxes, ending the myth that these programs are supported through government trust funds and payroll taxes.

"What a breath of fresh air! Even more fresh air: tax rates should "go up or down for everyone -- no more... lowering taxes for some or raising them only for others.... If Congress wants to raise or cut taxes, it should do so for everyone."

Fleischer concludes that following his suggestions "will create an environment in which spending programs receive the scrutiny they deserve. It's funny what happens when everyone pays the bills...."

An even faster way to get tax payers to give "spending programs ... the scrutiny they deserve" is to get 218 members of the House of Representatives and 60 Senators, and an agreeable president to change paragraph 3402 of USC Title 26 — 'Internal Revenue Code' Subtitle C 'Employment taxes' Chapter 24 'Collection Of Income Tax At Source On Wages... from "every employer making payment of wages shall deduct and withhold upon such wages a tax..." to "every employer making payment of wages shall pay all of those wages to the employee...." leaving the tax calculation with the employer but insisting that a stern note telling the employee how much the feds are expecting him to send in within 30 days accompany the paycheck.

Mr. Fleischer was a fine presidential press secretary, but with ideas and imagination like this, he would be an even better Speaker of the house of Representatives.

Arnold H Nelson 5056 North Marine Drive Chicago IL 60640

[For some reason I blind copied Larry Kudlow on this, and within an hour got this message:

From: Susan Varga @kudlow.com
Subject: RE: Ari Fleischer on income taxes
To: "'Arnold Nelson'"
Date: Tuesday, April 14, 2009, 11:09 AM

Dear Arnold :

Larry Kudlow is trying to reach Mr. Fleischer. Can you give me contact information?

Many thanks,

Susan
Susan C. Varga Chief Operating Officer Kudlow & Co., LLC 1375 Kings Highway East, Suite. 260 Fairfield, CT 06824

I sent her a short note saying I had no more contact than what was in the original article.
Then I thot a litt;le more, did some googling, found that Ari Fleischer has a PR firm, offices in Manhattan, called them up, taljed w/ a very sweet sounding Vicki Mcquade, and forwarded Varga's original message to her. Never heard anymore from either one of them.]