Nicole:

I agree with you about VAT and I like your idea of a flat rate tax. Another idea that is out there, which would eliminate the IRS is a 24% sales tax with either:

A. Housing, food and clothing exempted or..

B. Direct payments from the government to reimburse families for the tax portions of those necessities. These payments would not be for actual expense but indexed regionally.

Now, I'm not saying I am for such a system but I was listening to a guy on Pacifica talking about it this morning on the car radio and it did give me some food for thought. Until today I always rejected a nation sales tax because I considered it to be regressive. I'll try to find a link on this guy and maybe satrt a "tax Thread" when I come up with one. I think we all agree that the current system needs improvemnt.

Right now, it costs an average of $800 per tax return in preparation and collecting which amounts to a couple hundred billion industry in itself. The flat rate tax has the potential of keeping this monster industry going.

As fir Trent Lott and Unc. Hey, like I said above, Lott doesn't have the market cornered on bigotry anjd intolerence. And why do we have so many of these folks in Congress, in the White House and the Supreme Court? Look how campaigns are financed. Heck, even my Wes Ginny slide rule has this one figured out...

Bobert