Charles Shiflett Column December 12, 2004

Fear of Freedom?

Americans talk a good game when it comes to freedom. We like to proclaim ourselves to be the freest
people in the world. However, I bet some of my Libertarian friends could fill this page with examples of
how U.S. citizens aren't really free at all.

Every law on the books adds layers of costly bureaucracy that taxpayers must foot the bill for… not to
mention the time spent complying with the regulations. Many have joked that a requirement should be
made so that for every law passed, two others must be repealed. I'm afraid we've reached a point
where it might require repealing five or ten laws for each new one if we are ever going to streamline our
lives.

So would you really like to be free the way our founding fathers intended? Or do you have “Linus
Syndrome” and require a security blanket? Below are several Libertarian style suggestions that have
been floated around to restore Americans to what many would refer to as true freedom. For each
suggestion that makes you cringe, give yourself one point.

• No More IRS: Totally eliminate the IRS and the income tax, and replace it with a national retail sales
tax like the Fair Tax proposed by Congressman John Linder. Individual state governments would be
responsible for collecting the sales tax, just as most already do with their own state sales taxes.

Individuals would never have to file another tax return or keep any records. Businesses would no longer
be required to keep payroll records. Plus business decisions would be based upon what's best for the
future of the business, not what's best for minimizing the bite of our current unwieldy tax code.

• Abolish Social Security: I'm not talking reform here… scrap the whole system. Plus there would be
no more IRA's, 401k's, pensions, 403b's, SEP's, 529 plans, or any of the other tax-advantaged savings
accounts floating around. All Americans would set up their own “Lifetime Account” at birth. It could be
used for college, medical expenses, and retirement, but nothing else. No money going in or coming
out could ever be taxed.

Anyone whose account assets fall below a certain level at retirement age would receive a minimum
welfare subsidy. If you can't save for your future, then you better hope your family will take care of you.
Sounds kind of like the way it was for the first 150 years of our nation's existence.

• Eliminate Public Housing: A few years ago, I read a study of a public housing system where they
added up what had been spent to build, maintain, and remodel the housing units over a twenty year
period. It worked out to over $200,000 per unit. It would have been cheaper to just build homes and
give them to the tenants.

Many public housing complexes occupy prime real estate. Bulldoze them and sell the property.
Require families to take care of their own. The government could pay to place those with severe mental
or physical handicaps in privately operated personal care or nursing facilities. Of course private
charities could also provide assistance.

• No Minimum Wage: When applying for low skill jobs, many times applicants are told, “this is a
minimum wage position.” It sounds official, but some businesses use the law to create an illusion.
Without this artificial wage crutch, low skill workers would be emboldened to demand more. Even a
greeter at Wal-Mart is worth $10 an hour.

Of course this will only work if illegal immigration is stopped and those illegals already here are
shipped back. Otherwise our labor supply will continue to be larger than our labor demand with wages
kept unrealistically low.

• Get Rid Of Food Stamps: Persons unable to feed themselves would be given USDA surplus
commodities. No processed foods like cookies, candy, colas, and other junk… just simple basic
wholesome foods.

• Legalize Marijuana: Hundreds of billions of dollars have been spent in a losing effort to fight the drug
war. Billions more are being spent annually to incarcerate those who may have been convicted of
growing, selling, or possessing marijuana. Make pot legal, but enact stiff penalties for those who would
drive or injure others while under the influence.

So how many points did you receive? If you scored zero by agreeing with everything above, then you
are most surely in the minority. It's easy to see why the Libertarian Party will remain a footnote in
American politics for years to come. Many Americans probably agree with some of the concepts, but
giving up that blanket is tough… just ask Linus.