Posted by jfkennedy on 11/03/09 12:43 PM Last updated 11/03/09 5:01 PM [Newer: Celebrating the Joy of Taxes] [Older: End Income Taxes Too]

The Liberty Amendment has been introduced and reintroduced in congress several times since 1952 and 6 times by Ron Paul since 1998, but it has not developed enough exposure and popular appeal to pass a constitutional amendment.   It is not long at less than half a page, and it is not hard to understand.   It is fiscally sound in that it would fund the loss of revenue occasioned by its fourth section which would repeal the Sixteenth Amendment.  Yet, it has been relatively impotent for nearly 30 years since Arizona, Indiana and Mississippi became the last of 9 states to adopt it.  This reveals that it has not found a way to attract the average taxpayer.  What it needs is a conveyance to introduce it to the public and to educate it.  It has no teeth, because it is not a popular threat to the income tax.  It would be an excellent companion for a serious popular threat to the income tax, but plainly from its history, it is not by itself a vigorous threat.  A real challenge would involve a public appeal stronger than that of the special interests. 

Since taxpayers make up the largest of all special interests, go figure why they have not rallied behind the Liberty Amendment to protect themselves from from all the grasping interests.   Have they lost patience with it?  After all, it was introduced almost 60 years ago and has stalled for nearly 30.  How about re-introducing it by way of a simpler, more direct first step?  Mobilize taxpayers now to vote for new candidates for congress or incumbents who support a temporary income tax suspension, say for a year.  Buying their votes with their own earnings is better than buying other people's votes with it.   Since they are the largest special interest in every congressional district, they could have a tremendous effect on next year's elections.   What better way to invigorate the Liberty Amendment and revive the momentum to pass it?