Barney vs Bill

Congressman Frank gives Mr O'Reilly a taste of his own medicine. And Fox News Channel, for good measure. Yay! I should say, however, I agree with O'Reilly on this, and disagree with my friend, Barney.

I'm against progressive taxation and in favor of a flat tax, an end to all tax shelters (except charity), abolition of corporate welfare, and an end to agricultural subsidies. Just to scramble things up, I also favor a raise in the minimum wage. I didn't used to. But I've been persuaded by the evidence that the benefits outweigh the costs, and that its worth has been deeply eroded in the recent past. The plight of the working poor in a globalized economy deserves addressing. I'm not sure whether this policy blend means I'm a liberal or a conservative on tax issues (although it will tick off some libertarians). At this point, I dont really care about the label. I do think we should talk about fundamental reform of an inefficient, overly-complex and unfair tax system. A shelter-free flat tax might actually succeed in increasing economic efficiency and the amount of tax the very rich actually pay. Why not put it on the table?