We're starting to see a lot of press for the so-called Fair Tax, a national consumption based tax to replace the income tax. Naturally, when the partisan press gets hold of something, we see as much misinformation and disinformation as we do information.

There are three major points to the Fair Tax concept. The first is that it would completely replace the income tax. That's an advantage, because it would eliminate the confusing tax code that is regularly twisted to benefit one group or another. It would also eliminate the need for the onerous record keeping and the need to report all the details of one's life to the government; IRS or no, knowledge is power.

The second point is that each family/person, regardless of income, would receive a rebate each month based on an average amount spent on necessities (food, clothing, medicine, etc.). While I would much prefer to see these items made tax exempt at point of sale, the rebate system does have a point – those who eat hamburger and shop at Pathways thrift store will come out ahead of those who eat filet mignon and shop on the Plaza.

The third point is the tax is on what one consumes, not what one produces. It encourages work and production and discourages rampant consumption. However, prices of domestically-produced goods should become more competitive in the stores, since businesses wouldn’t be saddled by the tax burden that many overseas suppliers don’t have.

Objections I have seen are mostly political posturing. Believe me, the wealthy would pay their "fair share" because they have more money to spend. Would private sales avoid taxes? No more so than the current underground economy – where those who barter are supposed to self-report the "earnings" to the IRS. Would people pay a lot more for things they buy? Probably not, since manufacturers and retailers wouldn’t pay all the hidden taxes that drive up prices. Won't a lot of people be hurt? Some would be; those who work for the IRS and tax preparers might have to diversify. For more details on the Fair Tax, see www.fairtax.org.

Wouldn't you like to get your whole paycheck without all the deductions for taxes? Wouldn't you like to make economic decisions without worrying about the artificially-induced constraints of tax policy. I would. And I'm for the Fair tax.