Peden for the (Un)Fair Tax?

In a lame attempt to co-opt Mike Huckabee’s platform positions, to appeal to voter blocks, it seems that Chris Peden’s spiffy new website shows that he endorses the (Un)Fair Tax.

With the Fair Tax, Americans would not have a single dollar taken from their paychecks by the federal government. Americans would decide for themselves how much they will pay in taxes each year when they make their purchases, providing a tax system that is equitable for Americans at every income level. Bill Gates would pay the highest amount if he spent the highest amount and the poorest family in America would pay the least.

The Fair Tax criticisms are long, and serious. Factcheck.org has some details.

Key amongst them are the prebate checks to people scamming the system by working for hidden income. Another, is that consumption by the wealthiest in America will be driven to foreign countries, these same wealthy folks who pay 70% of the current income tax burden. Not to mention that citizens will likely push even further to buy cheap, imported goods to reduce their sales tax burden, diminishing the consumption of high quality, American made goods in the domestic market.

In a nation with a negative savings rate, and many citizens financing their consumption with debt, the additional costs of sales taxes are truly regressive and damaging.

What’s troubling, is that Chris seems to be pandering again, looking for support in nooks and crannies, even if the program he is endorsing is unrealistic and damaging.

Chris, if you’re out there, drop a line in the comments. I would love to debate you on the (sic) Fair Tax. That is, if you really think you know what you are talking about.

Unprincipled Pandering

Looking at Chris Peden’s website, the amount of identity politics and pandering is truly amazing.

On the main page, Chris writes;

I support fully funding NASA’s budget and the Vision for Space Exploration

While this is blatant and obvious pandering to a segment of the District 14 (TX) constituency, the fact that it contradicts the opening portion of Chris Peden’s message is what makes the pandering unprincipled and dishonest.

I’m a Pro-Family, Pro-Life Christian conservative who believes in free markets, smaller government, and individual responsibility.

Now if Chris Peden believed in smaller government, he would not be interested in endorsing NASA largesse. Funding that comes from across the nation, but is delivered specifically to an organization that has some bearing on the district he wants to represent, with rhetoric aimed to buy votes.

Certainly it conflicts with the idea of free markets by encouraging government control and subsidization of technology and exploration at the expense of American entrepreneurship.

So which is it Chris? Do you support government growth into the private sector and continued deficit spending to pander for votes, or are you a true free market conservative who believes in smaller government?

The position is either dishonest big government conservatism liberalism or a moral and fiscally conservative position.

You can’t have it both ways Chris.

Chris Peden’s Attack Ads

There is a great irony to the fact that Friendswood Mayor pro tem Chris Peden, has resorted to attacking the incumbent Republican House member (Ron Paul) in the 14th Congressional district of Texas.

We have a Chartered Professional Accountant (Peden), attacking an Air Force veteran who served during wartime, with the not-so clever line,

“Do you agree with the blame America first crowd?”

This is the same line of ignorance that buried Rudy Giuliani’s bid for the Presidency in 2008.

Congressman Paul is advised on the subject of Suicide Terrorism, by Dr. Robert Pape. Dr. Pape’s Chicago Project on Suicide Terrorism is funded by the Pentagon’s Defense Threat Reduction Agency, amongst others.

In my mind, it’s reprehensible for a chickenhawk to attack a veteran for not supporting America. Where was Chris Peden during Gulf War I?

It’s easy to talk war, when you’re sitting safe at home and other people are doing the dying. Almost as easy apparently as it is to attack the incumbent who has served his country, and continues to serve veterans as a civil servant.

In fact, during his Presidential run in 2007, Ron Paul has outpaced all of the Republican candidates combined (Q4), in donations from active duty military.

Chris, take a lesson from Rudy Giuliani. Whoever is advising your campaign on strategy, really needs to go.