Arkansas Blog

That blockhead! Even taking into account his unwillingness to inform himself about anything that doesn't involve a fat speaking fee for himself, you have to believe that Huckabee understands that, once you add in all the state, county and local sales taxes imposed on every purchase, his thunderously ignorant plan would impose around a 50 percent additional cost on everything you buy, from a loaf of bread to a doctor's visit to a box of rubbers.

I figure there are some negative things about Huck that should not go unsaid, but as with any candidate there are probably some positive things to note as well. Wait, this is the AR Times blog (aka Libby Enquirer rant box). People associated with it would never say anything good about a Republican. The funny thing is no one here says anything good about any candidate. If you take the time to be such haters, maybe you should defend your opinions with a worthy name such as...
Before you all begin to trash this posting keep in mind that I consider myself a Democrat and that I read this blog for entertainment purposes only. Why else would anyone with sense read it?

Thought this list deserved a reprint as of now:

Despite emerging stories from Huckabee's checkered past such as the Wayne Dumond affair or his past AIDS bigotry, a true portrait of Mike Huckabee as a radical reactionary and dangerous extremist has yet to be painted.
Here then, are the Top 20 Moments in Mike Huckabee's Extremism:

Huckabee Calls for the Quarantine of AIDS Victims
Huckabee Enables the Politically-Motivated Parole of Repeat Rapist/Murderer

Huckabee Offers Faith-Based Pardons
Huckabee Undermines the Teaching of Evolution
Huckabee Speaks for God
Huckabee Speaks to God
Huckabee Claims God Behind His Rise in the Polls

Huckabee Proclaims His Theology Degree a Unique Qualification to Fight Terrorism
Huckabee Flip-Flops, Calls for Federal Abortion Ban
Huckabee Calls for Consumption Tax, Abolition of the IRS

Huckabee Vows to Take Nation Back for Christ
Huckabee Declares Culture War in 1998 Book
Huckabee Declares Women Should Graciously Submit to Their Husbands

Huckabee Predicts Victory over Islam at the End of Times
Huckabee Boasts About the Theology Degree that He Doesn't Have
Huckabee Destroys His State Computer Records - and Church Sermons

Huckabee Offers State Appointments in Exchange for Gifts
Huckabee Uses Wedding Registries to Furnish New Home
Huckabee Offers Clemency to Repeat DWI Offender (and GOP Donor)
Huckabee Intervenes to Save Dog-Killing Son from Legal Jeopardy

"Before you all begin to trash this posting keep in mind that I consider myself a Democrat and that I read this blog for entertainment purposes only."

Keep reading, stop posting if you have nothing to say except trash those of us who do it for OTHER "purposes!" AND I not only DO NOT "consider myself a Democrat" I never did. Both parties suck bong water and until we have a viable third party to actually go back to working for the public good, corporate robber-barons will continue to call ALL the shots. The only hope the Dems offer is maybe do a bit less harm. Book it!

As for the 2005 Bush report: Anyone who believes ANYTHING that comes from the Imperial Presidency is a complete fool.

Bu-bye James...

"sales tax won't work, at least not according to tax experts"

This is like asking a man who owns a buggy whip factory if the internal combustion engine will ever catch on. What will tax experts do if the collection of taxes becomes as simple as 1-2-3? Fort Baptist has lost a ton of historic buildings because someone hired an architect to tell them what to do. Duh! What do architects do? How do they make their money? Designing new buildings, of course.

I'm sure it was hell for a few years and threw a lot of people out of work when America switched over from horses to automobiles. Hay barns came down and service stations went up. As much as Flicka was my friend, I've been pretty happy all my life that I could go outside and with the turn of a key be flying down the Interstate at 70 mph, instead of saddling up a horse and hoping I wouldn't get bucked off going for a loaf of bread.

It hurts me to accidentally imply Huckabee has the right idea with the flat tax. I'm not saying that. But I am saying with America as broken as it currently is, NOW is the time to look for better ways to solve age old problems. Our current tax system allows the rich to buy their way out of paying taxes while the rest of us are drained each April 15th. Like liquor laws, our tax laws are purposely designed to confuse an Einstein, this maze makes it easier for big guys to get away with murder. It also makes it easier for us to just fork over whatever they say....because we know we can't figure out jack.

Someone said the other day by adopting a national sales tax, it would be like Tax Day everyday. I don't think so. As thankful as I am to Gov. Beebe for halving the sales tax on groceries, I can't say I've noticed the difference at the grocery store. When I write my check after everything is totaled and bagged up, I can't feel a thing. And I'm trying to feel!

Likewise, assuming groceries would HAVE to be taxed under a new system, if a few dollars of sales tax was added to my final bill....I doubt I'd feel that either. Unless you're currently screwing the system, everyone would like to avoid that one day a year when you have to sell a kidney to pay your State and Federal taxes. And remember, after being bled all year long, a lot of us have to send in a big check to keep the IRS storm troopers away from our door.

By saying there is no alternative to what's killing us now only helps out the forces of darkness. We should take this opportunity of rebuilding our ruined nation to come up with a better way to collect taxes. Outside of getting out of Iraq and sending Cheney-Bush to the Hague, it's the next best thing we can do for our children.

If you read the details of how Huckabee's FairTax would work, DBI, you'd see there'd be no replacement of the IRS at all. They might call it something else, but the plan would require a gigantic bureaucracy, maybe as big as the IRS or even the Social Security Administration, to mail out monthly rebate checks to EVERY AMERICAN. According to the Huckabee tax-everything plan, the monthly rebate would be based on the federally determined poverty level income.

And if you think you wouldn't notice a "few extra bucks" on your grocery bill you are doing better than I thought. I calculate my weekly grocery bill at monopoly Kroger would go up by $75 a week. My visits to the doctor would go up $50 per visit. The tax on getting my yard mowed once a week in the summer would go up by $25 a week.

That shit adds UP, DBI.

I hate the IRS, too, but Huckabee's insane plan is NOT an improvement. I, for instance, would be taxed on 100 percent of my income (from SS and a meager IRA). Somebody earning $5 million a year who spends around 10 percent of his income would be taxed only on that 10 percent.

Thank you, Master Bahls,

I was about launch into a brilliant essay of devastating criticism, deflating the flat-tire tax myth. But your rebuttal of DBI's sales tax nonsense appeared, though I don't think it singed DBI's butt hairs. That's lucky for most of us since the prevailing winds are from that direction. Still, since I've already logged in ...

A sales tax of 3% may not be of consequence to the Fort Baptist slowly-awaking semi former Republican; however, when the 30-40% tax hits, he will no longer be digging in his pockets for pennies and dimes, he'll be searching for the folding money, feeling real pain, and cursing the fools who allowed the flat tax to happen. If he thought that paying the sales tax on a car (new or used) was painful at 6%, wait until the 30% or 40% tax needs to be paid.

And it WOULD be tax day every day; especially every 30 days paying off the credit card bill (remember you'll be paying 20% interest on the cost of the items PLUS 20% interest on the 30% tax).

The flat tax is not the solution to the current tax morass. If anything, it would be worse, because we continue to vote for the same greedy bastards whose machinations screwed up the current system. If you are considering Huck to be different, you're mistaken. I wouldn't trust him to be a cashier at a Dollar Store, he obviously does not know how to do math and you (I hope you, not me) would have to give him a cavity search before he left for home each day to make sure he doesn't jog off with anything of value.

The solution is finding better candidates, ask them better questions, and really examine their answers. Democracy and good government ain't for the lazy.