I honestly think part of our problem is our overall method of taxation. It's a "divide and conquer" approach. I pay tazes to so many different jurisdictions, it's laughable. I pay more KINDS of taxes than I can shake a stick at. Each one of these agencies and jurisdictions have their own set of rules, their own legions of employees and their own bank of lawyers. We're bleeding to death from papercuts.

We look at Europe and see that they pay higher income and fuel taxes. But how many other taxes do they pay - and to how many agencies? How much is lost due to 'overhead'?

Off the top of my head, I pay Federal income, FICA and Medicare taxes. Then there's state income tax, property tax, sales (when I'm in MA) and meals taxes. Excise taxes, registration fees, gas taxes, tolls, innumerable taxes piled on my electric and phone bills, travel taxes piled on my airline tickets for my daughter to visit me, hotel taxes, car rental taxes, "user fees", "imputed income" taxes on my life insurance premiums. If I save money I may have capital gains taxes. If I sell my house or buy one I have transfer taxes, municipal and state fees, recording fees. Unless they're included in my property taxes I may have taxes on my water and sewer bills (though in my town they're not). IN NH they just passed (and are about to repeal) a tax on campground sites, similar to the hotel rooms tax. If I ran a business here in NH, I might be subject to the Business Profits Tax. If I did exporting or importing, I'd have various treaties and tariffs that I'd have to abide by. In MA and other states, I can be taxed just on the things I OWN - "personal property tax", so that I keep paying and paying taxes on stuff I already bought.

Again, this is just off the top of my head!

We need top-to-bottom, coast-to-coast, manufacturer-to-retail TAX REFORM. We need to streamline the number and types of taxes and the methodology for collecting them.

How many people are in favor of the Flat Tax? I know I am. How many people would consider switching over from an Income Tax to a National Sales Tax? A *simple*, FLAT, easy-to-collect tax that makes it REALLY difficult to cheat at taxes (to say nothing of doing away with April 15th for ordinary citizens).

I'd at least consider it. It's clear that our current system of "we'll raise THEIR taxes so YOU'RE ok" followed up by the reverse the next time around - is NOT working. The legislooters divide us up into little pidgeonholes so that one group can be hit without it hurting the politician in the next election. How many times have car rental and "airport access fee" rates along with hotel room taxes been hiked with their 'sales pitch' being "it'll hit OUT OF STATE people"?

Reform the tax structure in this country. Make the net WIDE so that you can't escape with your little Special Interest Clause. Pass a Constitutional Ammendment to force a balanced budget with VERY few exceptions. MAKE us live within our means.