Foxx Calls for Taxpayer Revolution

Story by Kathleen McFadden

Rep. Virginia Foxx held a telephone town hall call-in session on Tuesday night, tax day, to discuss “constituents’ concerns about taxes and the federal budget.”

Foxx began the discussion by acknowledging that most people’s minds are on “the soaring cost of living”—higher prices for groceries, for heating oil and for gasoline.

“The last thing middle class families need is to be slammed with the highest tax increase in history,” Foxx said, adding that House Democrats had passed a $683 billion tax increase.

“I want to get your reactions to rising taxes and other concerns,” Foxx said.

The town hall lasted for more than an hour, with Foxx taking calls from 17 constituents in the Fifth Congressional District.

Among the topics were the Fair Tax, a balanced federal budget, foreign aid, rising prices, illegal immigration, earmarks, energy independence, the war in Iraq, earmarks, eminent domain, inheritance taxes and governmental bureaucracy.

Excerpts of Foxx’s responses follow.

Tax Withholding

Foxx explained that she recently introduced a bill that would eliminate mandatory tax withholding and instead allow people to handle their own money until time to pay their taxes.

“People need to be educated about what tax they’re paying,” Foxx said. “I’d love to see a revolution against withholding.”

Two callers—a former real estate salesperson and a retired CPA—both questioned people’s ability to have set aside enough money bn April 15 to cover their tax liability.

“We operated for more than a century without mandatory withholding,” Foxx said. “Under my bill, withholding would be voluntary, not mandatory. I want to make sure people have the choice. I want people to understand how much they pay to the government. Most people don’t know what they pay and I think most would say that they are not getting their money’s worth.

“Withholding lulls people into a sense of complacency,” Foxx continued. “You can’t have a good tax revolt until people realize what they’re paying. I’m interested in that happening.”

Fair Tax

Three callers asked about Foxx’s position on the Fair Tax, a proposal to abolish federal income tax and withholding for Medicare and Social Security and replace it with a consumption—or sales—tax.

“I agree with many of the principles,” Foxx said, but added that she had two problems with the Fair Tax: the potential for tax evasion and the transition from the current system to the Fair Tax. “I think the 16th Amendment [that allows Congress to levy an income tax] is unconstitutional,” Foxx said, “but I’m afraid [a complete transition] would not happen and we’d still have the 16th Amendment and the Fair Tax.

“If these issues I’m concerned about could be resolved,” she said, “I’ll be for it.”

Energy Prices

“I have voted for things that would make us energy independent,” Foxx said. “The Democrats have raised energy taxes four times in this Congress and won’t let us use our resources—85 percent of what’s available to us. We could be drilling in ANWAR. The size of the drilling area is like the size of a postage stamp on a football field…The environmentalists and the Democrats won’t let us to go nuclear energy. That’s the only thing the French have done right since World War II in my opinion. The Democrats are putting too much emphasis on ethanol and that’s driving up the cost of everything in this county. They’re bent on their leftist way of doing things and won’t give way.”

Iraq War

One caller expressed her resentment over her taxes going to the war in Iraq. “I don’t mind paying taxes if they go to education or health because I consider those investments,” the caller said, “but I resent it when they go to the war. How are we going to pay for this war if we don’t raise taxes?”

Foxx responded, “The Muslims want to take over the world. I don’t know how you would like living in a Muslim world. That’s the basic choice we’re making. The basic role of the government is to defend its people. We are fighting a war for our existence in this country and it’s a war all over the world. I want to be free. For those who don’t want to be free, there are lots of places they can move. Do you want to give up your freedoms and live like in the fifth century?”

Foxx Receives Taxpayers’ Friend Award

The National Taxpayer’s Union has presented Rep. Virginia Foxx with the Taxpayers’ Friend Award for her voting record in 2007. The 362,000-member, nonpartisan citizen group recognized Foxx for having the most “taxpayer friendly” voting record in North Carolina’s Congressional delegation.

The Taxpayers’ Friend award is presented to members of Congress who achieve an A grade in NTU’s annual Rating of Congress. The rating, which is based on every Congressional roll call vote affecting fiscal policy, assigns a Taxpayer Score to each Member of Congress that indicates his or her support for reducing or controlling federal spending, taxes, debt and regulation.

“Representative Foxx’s pro-taxpayer score of 89 percent was one of the best in the entire House,” NTU President Duane Parde said. “By consistently voting to reduce federal spending, taxes and debt, Foxx has led by example in the fight to ease the burden on taxpayers everywhere. This is an achievement for which she should be proud.”

“Protecting North Carolina taxpayers’ money is a daily challenge in a Congress where compulsive tax-and-spenders hold the gavel,” Foxx. “But it is a fight worth fighting and I am pleased that the National Taxpayers Union has recognized my efforts on behalf of the taxpayers.”