But They’ll Take the Money and Run

The main argument that I get against this plan from Republicans is that politicians will tax but they won’t rebate. This seems an odd argument since the taxophobic Republicans run all three branches of government.

There are at least two examples of tax neutral policies (which this is) that have been passed into law. The income tax reform act of 1986 shifted tax brackets without increasing overall tax revenues. Throughout the 90’s the federal government worked under a pay as you go system that was only abandoned by the current administration and that resulted in lower not higher taxes.

Furthermore, if the public lobbied congress for a completely tax neutral energy tax/rebate that is what the public would get. Like it or not that is the way the system works. It says so in the rule book.

The rule book gives power to the three branches of government. But you don’t have to read the fine print to figure out who it is who delegates that power.



For those who think this is the stuff of junior high school civics keep in mind every great political movement since the founding of the republic from abolition to civil rights to environmentalism was started by WE THE PEOPLE.