Jawhnny The Wonder Guv Floats The Flat-Tax Trial Balloon

They just can't help themselves.

Republicans have always hated two things:  Income taxes, and the fact that income taxes have always been "progressive", i.e. higher incomes pay higher rates.  They howl that the system is impossibly complex and unfair, especially to such patriotic job-creators as themselves.

Then they always hold up flat income tax rate as a perfect model of fairness.  Flat-tax, of course, means everyone pays the same rate, regardless of income or assets.  Flat-tax is their Holy Grail.  They seek it with varying degrees of ardor, but they seek it still.

I read with some amusement that Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who's been AWOL while testing the GOP primary waters in Iowa and New Hampshire, has trotted out the old flat-tax concept.  Not a new idea, not a good one, and not a surprise, given that Jawhnny the Wonder Guv has long dreamed of the total elimination of the Ohio state income tax.

Remember this:  Whenever right-wing politicians start talking about tax reform, tax code simplification, flat tax rates, lower tax rates, and more fairness, it always sounds good, but it's not good -- it's complete bullshit.  If the right must have taxes, they want regressive taxation.  Their "reform" means bigger breaks and more advantages to those at the highest income levels.  It means they pay less, a lot less, and that's all that matters.  They don't care about who has to pay more to make up the shortfall.  The Norquistians and Tea Baggers don't even want to try to make it up.

Republicans think you're stupid.  (Wait -- You like movies based on toys and comic books?  Maybe you are stupid.)

There is one thing about our current income tax system that's unfair:  It's not that the gajillionaires and corporations have to pay so much, it's that they don't pay nearly enough.