Bob Rittner in his letter ("National sales tax could eliminate need for IRS," Nov. 17) asks, "how about instituting a national sales tax...?" There is a simple answer: "Don't do it." The reason is that any sales tax is regressive, that is, it takes equally from the poor (who can't afford it) and the rich (who barely notice it).
The FairTax legislation proposal complicates this a little. Everyone would receive a "prebate" of the national sales tax due on the poverty level as defined by Health and Human Services. Simple, yes? Fair, no.
It's true that, under this plan, the very poor would effectively pay no tax. But those above poverty, notably the middle class that we all want to augment, enrich and encourage, would simply be the unpoor who would feel the bite, as opposed to the rich, who wouldn't. Since the unrich spend most of what they take in, their sales taxes might be higher than their income taxes are now.
The radical simplicity of the FairTax is appealing. But a modified regressive tax is still a regressive tax. Whatever simplification we come up with (and we sure need one), let the poor pay little, let the middle class pay more, and let the rich share their good fortune with this bountiful nation that has made it possible for them to succeed so spectacularly.
George Hastings
Delmar