Letter to Senator Shelby about the Flat Tax

Dear Senator Shelby,

I grew up in the Muscle Shoals, Alabama area and I have many fond memories from those days. My father and brothers still reside in Alabama. I am now and have been for many years a Texan and while my heart is here, my soul will always reside in Muscle Shoals.

I have been following the tax reform efforts that are now underway with a keen interest. Having been born into the current income tax system, I have often wondered how it came about, as it does not reflect the American ideals that I learned about as a child while in school on the banks of the Tennessee River. During the past few years, I have done quite a bit of study on this subject, and I have come to see it as a mechanism for enslaving the middle and lower classes of this country.

While I applaud you for recognizing the need for significant tax reform, I do not think the flat tax is the answer. The flat tax does not take the tax burden off of the poor, nor does it take the cost of compliance out of the cost of goods and services. It is not a transparent tax (no one will know the total cost of the tax). More over, it will be subject to the same K street manipulation that has occurred over the past century, at the expense of those that shoulder the bulk of the tax burden. There are many more arguments against the flat tax, but let me just refer you to the web site that has all the information that you need.

Please visit www.fairtax.org, which is the tax system that I support and will be promoting along with at least 600,000 other Americans this coming election.

Very Truly Yours

Robert Lindsay Nathan, Jr.