Pennsylvanians in Support of the FairTax Act - Alert - JPFO Report and Action (newsJPFOreport.html)

As Pennsylvania is the #2 State in firearm ownership in America, it is our obligation to speak out whenever gun ownership rights are being stifled. Please read the negative FairTax report "FairTax, A Trojan Horse for America" (linked above), recently presented by the Jews for the Preservation of Firearm Ownership, www.jpfo.org. This is an unlikely and shocking place for this bullet ridden attack on FairTax to have come. When you are done, please act by writing or calling them voicing your opinion on this blatant fabrication of facts regarding the elements of HR 25/S1493, The FairTax Act.

As a [past] member of JPFO, my personal rebuttal to them is documented below this call for action. I am saddened that the corruption of the 2004 election has now reached as far out as to touch the JPFO, which was always viewed as a group favorable to the constitution. But somehow they have now lost their way. Obviously there is another JPFO agenda afoot. I just can't say what. I have my personal opinion on that, but I will leave it you to speculate on your own. In the meantime, I hope that members and potential members of the JPFO will consider a temporary boycott. This should teach the JPFO something about American "free markets", which shockingly they admit within their ranting anti-FairTax report, they don't believe in. It is important all pro 2nd amendment/pro constitution citizens act NOW! Please take the time to write or call JPFO today via the contacts given and voice your opinion regarding all their ill researched and misguided statements.

Write JPFO at info@jpfo.org or
Jews For The Preservation of Firearms Ownership, Inc.
P.O. Box 270143
Hartford, WI 53027

Phone (262) 673-9745
Fax (262) 673-9746

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REBUTTAL TO JPFO ANTI FAIR TAX REPORT - "FAIRTAX A TROJAN HORSE FOR AMERICA"
FROM: MARLENE TOBIN
PA STATE DIRECTOR
MEMBER OF AMERICANS FOR FAIR TAXATION
AND PAST MEMBER OF JEWS FOR THE PRESERVATION OF FIREARM OWNERSHIP (JPFO)
October 11, 2004

In the last few weeks, major attacks against FairTax have come from all sides, but nothing was more strange than the negative report that was written by Claire Wolfe and the Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership.

Usually, a conservative group we can all agree with, they really missed the mark analyzing the FairTax. It is hard to establish their motive or their source. Upon first read of their extensive FairTax report called "FairTax, A Trojan Horse for America", it is hard to imagine that anyone in the JPFO even read House Bill HR25, the FairTax Act. It is a report right out of Kookdom, and frankly, it is hard to find one bit of truth or logic in what they say.

Given that the FairTax folks have been doing research ($22 million worth) for over 8 years now, I can't imagine how several reporters giving a few minutes, even a few hours of their time doing research could be credible in their findings. JPFO is sighting and taking most of their illogical conclusions from critics of the FairTax that have also gotten the entire legislation backwards. For references, they use news sources and other gobbledy gook that appears to be a deliberate attempt to mislead the American public with scare tactics shouting "regressive, regressive", while wielding job loss numbers coming from the Twilight Zone. How come no one from JPFO went straight to the horse's mouth for any discussion or answers?

FairTax has now become a major election issue, even if you have not noticed. A few well chosen words like "fair and simple" tax code changes dropped by Bush and other Conservatives during campaign stops, has really ruffled the liberals and sent them scurrying out of control to their spin machines. No lie or twisting of facts seems too outrageous for the anti-FairTax crowd, if in the end they are able to make the taxpayers tremble at the mention of a NRST plan.

Take firearm ownership rights for example which the JPFO has twisted in their anti FairTax report. FairTax brings multiple advantages to 2nd amendment issues in the form of reduced firearm costs to consumers, therefore higher availability of firearms to poor and middle class. How? By reducing manufacturing costs, cuts that get passed down to consumers; by allowing the poor to save funds "tax free" to purchase big ticket items, and by reducing the poor and lower income citizen to a 0% tax rate, thus putting more funds into their hands to spend. No more purchasing firearms with "after tax" dollars like today's system.

On top of that, 2nd amendment advocates must consider the advantage of personal privacy restored to all citizens, lower Gov and IRS costs to Gun Manufacturers and Dealers with less government paperwork in their lives, and restored 1st amendment freedom of speech to Gun advocacy groups by the elimination of 501c3 IRS classifications. Frankly, one cannot begin to figure what, or should I say who, is behind the JPFO's anti FairTax position.

In their analysis of HR25, one finds NO economic logic to back any of the JPFO claims. They even go so far as to admit that they do NOT believe in American Free Markets, which shocked me, given their supposed undying devotion to constitutional issues and the American way of life.

I could spend an hour rebutting all the misguided information they have in their report. Major misinformation in their report includes such basics as the "progressiveness" of the FairTax. The JPFO seems to read about the prebate (or did they) and actually sees this as regressive not progressive, even though anyone living at or below the poverty level in American would pay 0% tax, progressing up to the top level of 23% for the rich. They speak of higher Home costs, when in reality Homes overall will be lower in costs and because of tax free savings and lower interest rates, will be affordable and available to more Americans at the low end of the financial spectrum. How can lowering housing costs for the lower income hard working folks be something the JPFO could be against?

JPFO speaks of a "black market" developing, when in fact the black market of today (estimated in the trillion dollar range) will dry up as money spent on new goods will be taxed regardless of how the money was earned. Given only 24 million retail sales tax returns will be tracked instead of the current 140 million personal and business income tax returns, and will be tracked by no less than 45 current State tax collection systems all of which have been proven year after year to be effective, finding those that will "cheat" will be much easier than the current IRS system. Our current system has broken down to the point tax returns are actually being sent out of this country to be processed, and delinquent tax returns by the 1000's from past years have been marked "closed" because they are too expensive to collect on. The idea of FairTax producing a larger than current black market is nothing more than a joke, when one figures the penalty to a business for being caught cheating is the loss of non-tax status for the business, devastating one's business. Inventory tracked by that non-tax status will tell the tale of who is cheating and who is not, just like today's State sales tax system does.

JPFO speaks of the economy collapsing, even though every American Manufacturer will now be set on a level playing field (no IRS compliance costs) when it comes to world trade, finally able to compete with all other imports and exports without IRS compliance costs of 20%-35% interfering. This of course would include Gun Manufacturing as well. Job growth would explode as businesses expand here, and those overseas come home to our more fair and honest tax code system.

The list goes on and on. I cannot imagine anyone in the JPFO ever reading HR 25 or speaking to anyone from the Americans for FairTaxation, to have reached their conclusions that simply make no sense at all. They could have attended any number of "neighborhood" presentations and settled on a more logical view of the bill.

I cannot help but believe, given the climate of the liberals running for office that are afraid of the FairTax and its potential to get certain supporters of the Bill elected in November, that the JPFO was coached by some other element pushing another agenda. There is no other explanation to have written this kooky report, with its timing just 4 weeks before the election.

Primarily, gun ownership with additional funds in the hands of the poor will be a direct result of the Bill. You can't get any more nondiscriminatory than that! I would have a hard time finding a gun dealer or manufacturer that would not agree that FairTax would be a good thing not only for the business, but for 2nd amendment rights as well.

It is time the members and potential members of the JPFO wrote or called the JPFO to protest this hideous report that has no merit what so every, except to support the false claims that are floating around by others who would see the power in DC remain in DC and not shift back into the hands of the citizenry. It's time the JPFO reexamined FairTax in the light of their stated mission, that of providing and protecting 2nd amendment rights for ALL Americans.

Marlene Tobin
PA State Director
Americans for FairTaxation
724-942-7623
www.pafairtax.org
marlene@pafairtax.org
fairtaxsupportpa@aol.com