Is It Time for Tax Reform? - Show Notes, 1/25/23
State and federal tax reform, plus a look at a tragic story out of Baton Rouge.
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BREAKING: Five schools in St. Landry Parish were hit with a bomb threat today.
Here Comes the Fair Tax
The House will soon take up a vote on the Fair Tax, a proposal to replace the federal income tax with, essentially, a national sales tax. Allowing the vote was a concession McCarthy made to the conservatives who voted against his Speakership, though this particular item is a pet project of Rep. Buddy Carter of Georgia. Georgia is actually the home of the Fair Tax as we know it - it was originally conceived by Georgia Rep. John Linder and talk radio host Neal Boortz decades ago.
However, don’t get your hopes up. McCarthy himself is opposed to it, and he’s likely not the only Republican in the House (much less the Senate) to be opposed. In truth, even most Republicans are wary of a proposal that would undo the 16th Amendment, both as bad policy and a waste of time.
Tragedy in Baton Rouge
The tragic case of Madison Brooks in Baton Rouge is getting national attention. Brooks, who was under 21, was at a popular bar in Baton Rouge. She was heavily intoxicated, left with a group of men, was raped, and then left stranded in a subdivision. She was killed by a passing car on Burbank Drive.
The bar has since lost its liquor license as the state regulatory board investigates the matter. It is leading to a lot of discussions - can bars be held responsible if they don’t catch underage drinkers, consent while intoxicated, and more - and has the entire community in an uproar.
No Impeachment for Biden?
While some voices among the conservative base of the Republican Party may want to see Joe Biden impeached over his steadily worsening classified documents scandal, it looks like that may not be happening. Biden, who has been found to have several troves of classified materials at his Wilmington, Delaware home, originally made the case to the public that it wasn’t the level of classification that was the issue but the mishandling of any classified documents that was wrong – at least, in the case of former president Donald Trump.
Headlines of the Day
The private angst over Donald Trump’s racist attacks on Elaine Chao goes public (POLITICO)
In an Act of Vengeance, the Pentagon Is Demanding Fired Soldiers Pay Back Bonuses for Refusing COVID Jabs (RedState)
Marjorie Taylor Greene aims to be Trump's VP pick in 2024 (NBC News)
Mental health concerns top the list of worries for parents; most say being a parent is harder than they expected (Pew Research)
California Democrats consider wealth tax — including for people who moved out of state (Fox News)
Tweet of the Day
Worth it.