Taxation?

A fair tax system would be replacing income tax with a sales tax. We still wouldn't touch the necessities like food and clothing. It would make sure that people were able to provide for themselves before any tax was collected. Taxes would only be on optional purchases. We could control how much tax we're going to spend by controlling our level of consumption. We would have the option of hanging onto our money and living off the basics, or of spending as much as we feel like. We wouldn't be penalized for saving or investing.

In the current system there are plenty of industries, both legal and illegal, that get away with paying no taxes; gambling, drug dealers, cottage industries, undocumented workers. Since everyone has to buy things the tax would cover everyone.

Another system that needs revamping is the outdated property tax system. Property taxes have become regressive in nature. Today they have no relationship to the owner's income or ability to pay. The value of a property for taxation should be fixed at the time the owner purchases the property. That is the only time the true value of the property can be fixed. We currently focus on speculative valuations which results in people being forced to sell their land when the value increases. If the tax valuation is fixed at the time of purchase, individuals will know whether or not they can afford the taxes when they purchase their property. The only time it would change is when properties change hands.