Country should repeal
16th Amendment

Copyright © 2006 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.

E-mail this story to a friend

The 16th Amendment does not implement an income tax. It simply gives Congress the power to do so. Thus, HR 25, The Fair Tax Act, does not repeal the 16th Amendment but simply eliminates the income-tax code and all federal payroll taxes. Additionally, Fair Tax asks that no funding be made for the IRS after our 2006 income tax returns are processed. The IRS cannot exist without money, and a huge portion of our tax dollars go to funding this antiquated system. Once the tax code and funding for the IRS are eliminated, Congress will be hard-pressed to get the votes necessary to reinstate the income-tax system alongside the Fair Tax.

As you may know, HJR 16, sponsored by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), is a bill that calls for the repeal of the 16th Amendment. Repeal of the 16th Amendment requires that House Joint Resolution 16 be passed by Congress and then approved by three-quarters of the state legislatures. In the past, several amendments have been approved by the necessary number of state legislatures in less than two years, but the states have up to seven years to do so. Do you want to keep struggling with the confusing IRS system for seven more years?

Lynn Julian

Augusta

GirlPower@CookieCutterGirl.com