Tax reform

The (Independence, Mo.) Examiner

Does American need tax reform? Desperately.

Is it likely to happen any time soon? No way. As much as Americans gripe about the complexity and unfairness of the current system, there is little to suggest we'd let go of it in favor of radical change.

The tax system needs radical change. A system so complex that no one person can really understand it is inherently dangerous to the idea of self-government. Our laws and the functioning of government should be simple enough that the average citizen can understand how they work and why they are in place. What we have now for a tax system breeds suspicion and resentment.

So a presidential commission today is outlining a couple of ideas for reform. Neither is likely to get very far. President Bush is at a low ebb in his presidency just a year after being re-elected. The people in Congress he would need on his side for a major change such as this are already looking to the next election.

The main problem is that as much as citizens might think the system favors "other people," they often overlook how it helps them too. A key example: Many of these broad proposals would do away with the deduction for mortgage interest payments. Is this the government favoring a specific social policy? Of course it is -- but it's really popular, and it's been good for the country. Talk about taking that away, and people get nervous.

And citizens are right to be suspicious. Time and again, they have been sold "tax reform" that has only made the system more complex and greatly favored the interests with powerful lobbies in Congress. The average person has to weigh how he would theoretically come out under a new system against the certain knowledge that Congress will take care of special interests that have loud voices in Washington.

Add it up, and people have a motivation to cling to a bad system instead of embracing a better one. That's not good for the country.