November 28, 2007
Questions for Tonight’s Republican Debate
If we were doing this right, we should be asking these on video and posting them on YouTube. But after careful consideration we decided Anderson Cooper was just plain prettier than us and thus better suited to be on camera. So we hope he'll ask these questions while the GOP candidates are hangin' with Mr. Cooper this evening.
- The US corporate tax rate is the second-highest among OECD countries. While most of our major trading partners have lowered their corporate rates over the past 10 years, the U.S. has not. Is this a problem? If so, what corporate rate do you think would make America more competitive with our major trading partners?
- Polls show that most Americans think our income tax system is too complicated and nearly 60% of taxpayers pay someone else to fill out their tax forms. Should we overhaul the individual tax system or is it fine the way it is? If it should be overhauled, what should a new system look like?
- Nearly 44 million Americans pay no income taxes after taking advantage of their credits and deductions. That amounts to one-third of all "taxpayers" with no tax liability. Should everyone be required to pay some income tax? If not, what is the right number of Americans who should pay no income taxes?
- The top 1% of taxpayers now pays a larger share of the income tax burden than the bottom 90% combined - that is, more than the share of income taxes paid by every American earning under $100,000 combined. Is there a danger in having so few Americans shouldering the cost of government? Is it possible that the majority will demand more from government because they bear so little of the cost? Does this constitute a Madisonian "tyranny of the majority?"
Here are some of the tax-related questions other YouTubers are asking:
On taxing foreign oil imports: http://www.youtube.com/contests_layout?name=RepublicanDebate&v=lqacZt-JNnQ&goto=4696
On taxpayer's rights:
http://www.youtube.com/contests_layout?name=RepublicanDebate&v=stVKcqsCY6U&goto=3727
To Mike Huckabee on the FairTax:
http://www.youtube.com/contests_layout?name=RepublicanDebate&v=KvPsagJbh0M&goto=3170
On tax reform:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wTA_VIZQ20
