So, the Federal Government Wants a National Tax

An Everett Herald editorial warned that a national sales tax is being talked about on Capitol Hill. Here is what I wrote in response:

I have an idea. Instead of a National Sales Tax, let’s have a National Income Tax. Oh, wait. We already have one of those!

It's not that I object to paying taxes and even more on my income tax if it's really needed. I do object to adding additional taxing options to the government's arsenal.

Increased complexity through multiple avenues of taxation only serves to hide the true cost of government from the people. And, even if it starts out as just a small tax, down the road there's nowhere else to go but up. Also, as the editorial mentions, sales taxes are regressive -- hitting the poor hardest.