Ben Carson on the IRS and Taxes

Ms. Barbara Wall sent this email to me:

Dear Mr Wenzel,

Have you done any assessments of the Republican Presidential candidates economic sensibilities?  I operated a facebook group supporting Dr Ben Carson. https://www.facebook.com/groups/240911899388593/

I would be interested in your opinion on dismantling the IRS and structuring a new method of tax regulations. Do you believe it is feasible to do so. Several Republicans' have suggested this policy? My facebook group has nearly 11000 members and is very active. I would like to provide legitimate information regarding  this issue. If you would assist me, that would be great.

Thank you for your consideration
Barbara Wall

Here was my response:

Dear Ms. Wall,

 Thank you for your email. I am not a big fan of restructuring the tax system. I would like to see lower and lower taxes (in fact I don't have a problem with zero taxes) not a restructure of the tax system.

According to Ben Carson's web site, He wants restructuring rather than the reduction of the tax burden:

 The current tax code now exceeds 74,000 pages in length. That is an abomination.
It is too long, too complex, too burdensome, and too riddled with tax shelters and loopholes that benefit only a few at the direct expense of the many.

We need wholesale tax reform.

And, we won’t get that from career politicians in Washington. They’re too deeply vested in the current system to deliver the kind of bold, fresh, new reforms that the American people are demanding.

We need a fairer, simpler, and more equitable tax system. Our tax form should be able to be completed in less than 15 minutes. This will enable us to end the IRS as we know it.

This sounds to me as though he wants to make the tax system more efficient.  Who the hell wants that? And while I am no fan of any government agency, since it is always possible any government agency can expand its powers in very dangerous ways, I'll take a politician who wants to keep the IRS and reduce taxes by 80%, than a politician, who wants to keep the current tax burden and simply change the pocket and method by which he grabs people's money for the state

As far as a more "equitable" tax. There is no such thing. Please see: Murray Rothbard:  The Myth of Neutral Taxation

Sincerely,

Robert Wenzel
Editor & Publisher
EconomicPolicyJournal.com
San Francisco, CA