Lawson for Congress

If you want less of something, tax it. If you want more of something, don’t tax it. When you consider that simple rule, the foolishness of our federal income tax system is immediately apparent. If we want more income, jobs, and productivity, why do we tax income? Did you know that our country grew for over 120 years after its founding without a federal income tax?

Our income tax system is a disaster. Over 67,000 pages of IRS regulations are pure friction in our economy, and are the greatest threat to job creation and real economic growth. But before we can discuss eliminating the income tax, we must deal with government spending and entitlements that are spiraling out of control.

 Wouldn't it be a lot easier to start a business, hire people, and create jobs if you didn't need to worry about taxation and withholding? As your Congressman, I will work to return the federal government to its Constitutional scope so we can eliminate the income tax.

So how small must our government be to eliminate the income tax? Let's try for a government that's small enough to fit inside the Constitution. In that case, we can eliminate the IRS and fund government's needs with a excise and consumption taxes. In other words, tax consumption instead of income.

I've studied several consumption tax proposals, including a progressive consumption tax like the FairTax. One concern I have about the FairTax, however, is that we are facing unprecedented financial pressures today with stagnant wages and rising food and energy prices. How can we justify a national consumption tax that will provide a tax hike with every inflationary increase in your gas and grocery bill?

Another alternative I'm exploring that also addresses concerns for environmental and energy policy is a Carbon Tax. A simple Carbon Tax is preferable to the complicated game of "cap and trade" for carbon credits, and a Carbon Tax is justifiable regardless of your position on man-made global warming. Everyone agrees that we need to reduce our reliance on nonrenewable energy. While this is a discussion we're just beginning, it's important to look at all of these potential options.

Ultimately, though, I recognize that there is no substitute for reducing the size and expense of our federal government. Borrow and spend is no better than tax and spend. I will work to eliminate unconstitutional spending so we can transition to system of taxation that provides a more sustainable future. Read more here.