I don't have a dog in this fight, but...

[Lamplighter]

International Business Times
September 28, 2011 8:19 AM EDT
By Maggie Astor

Herman Cain for President: What Are His Positions?

Taxes:
Cain calls his tax proposals the "999 plan,"
because it would create three flat taxes at a rate of 9 percent.

The first would be a 9 percent business tax,
which would apply to a business's gross income minus investments,
dividends paid to shareholders and purchases from other businesses.

The second would be a 9 percent individual tax on gross income minus charitable contributions.

The third would be a 9 percent national sales tax,
which would pave the way to eventually transition entirely to the "fair tax,"
or a tax on spending rather than income.
This would mean a flat tax rate for everyone, regardless of income,
and it would eliminate payroll taxes and taxes on capital gains.


Entitlement programs:

Entitlement programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid should be eliminated
so that "states, cities, churches, charities and businesses" can
take over the task of helping the elderly, poor and disabled.
Federal programs are inherently problematic because they create a sense of entitlement
to government support and give people an incentive to be dependent.
Welfare takes away individuals' freedom and independence,
but eliminating entitlement programs would empower people.
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And besides all that: Even the Repubicans tax analyst doesn't like Cain's 999 plan

Miami Herald
By Marc Caputo, 
Posted: Oct 14, 2011 09:00 AM

Business groups blast Cain's 9-9-9 plan as job killer

Called a job killer at worst or a detail-free slogan at best,
Herman Cain's 9-9-9 tax plan is getting tepid-to-awful reviews
from some of the nation's most-influential business groups.

The National Retail Federation strongly opposes the Republican presidential candidate's plan
because it would institute a first-ever national sales tax of 9 percent that,
the federation says, will dampen consumer spending.

"This will hurt demand and slow the economic recovery," the federation's tax policy expert,
Rachelle Bernstein, said. "You definitely do not want to do this."
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