Fleming: Tax code in need of change

Please don’t tell me that the solution will be another un-passable flat-tax or sales-tax solution. I am tired of hearing the excuse that if business owners could keep more money, then they would pay more, because it’s a bald-faced lie. Most people, when given extra cash, are going to put it back into their own pocket rather than dole it back out. I’ve seen this live, in action, my entire adult working life and you will be hard pressed to convince me that a tax tweak is going to change this behavior for the better for wage workers.

Concerning Obamacare, what are the strongest alternatives being put forth by Republicans? If you want to repeal it, fine — but is the goal to return to the status quo that resulted in the call for Obamacare in the first place? Are their plans to protect the provision that prevents insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions? What about doing things Obamacare DOESN’T do, like simplifying hospital billing (so that patients don’t get 20 different invoices from different unknown entities after a procedure), blocking medical entities from submitting invoices to collection before ever sending the first bill (very common practice), making hospital charges transparent to consumers BEFORE non-emergency treatment, and putting a stop to predatory charge discrepancies between uninsured patients and insured ones (such as charging Bill No-Insurance $9,000 dollars for the exact same procedure that might be billed to an insurance company at only $700). Resolving the latter issue would take some of the bite out of our over-dependence on insurance to get any kind of care, and might even cut down on non-payment.

Social Security, aka FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act) is 50% funded by the taxpayer’s after tax income. Up to 85% of taxpayer’s benefits are again taxed upon receipt. This double taxation should be eliminated or at least returned to Social Security to help maintain it’s solvency rather than put in the general fund. This and the many social and special interest aspects of the tax code have made it incomprehensible to the layman, and to most experts both in and out of government. When was the last time a congressman or president did his own taxes?

Abolish IRS, EPA and other unnecessary departments, cut Congress’ pay and allowances and we would be able to pay off our debts.