Letter: This country needs FairTax immediately October 19, 2009 There has never been a time in our lives when we needed the FairTax so much. Total unemployment stands at 17 percent nationwide (including those not seeking work). Youth unemployment is above 50 percent. The tax gap averages $350 billion per year. This is the amount the IRS cannot collect with our current tax system. You and I have to make up that difference. It costs us well over $300 billion every year to fill out our tax forms. We spend more than seven billion hours filling out tax forms. The only ones who benefit from our tax system are those who know how to cheat the system, politicians who reward friends and punish enemies with it, and half of the lobbyists in D.C. who make seven-figure incomes from clients. Passage of the FairTax immediately frees up $650 billion to grow our economy. Estimates are that the GDP will grow between 7 percent and 10 percent the first year the FairTax is in effect. The Dow Jones Industrials is expected to double quickly because of the FairTax. The FairTax means a 25 percent increase in spendable income for workers. How do we pass the FairTax? The first thing is to make people aware of the FairTax. Americans for Fair Taxation has raised $250,000 as a first step in creating TV ads educating 140 million taxpayers. In June, the Rasmussen Poll found that 43 percent of Americans favor replacing the income tax system with an undefined national consumption tax! That's real progress. If we want change we must look to ourselves. It is up to each of us to ask people we know if they have heard of the FairTax. Then direct them to www.fairtax.org. We also offer webinars the fourth Thursday of each month at www2.gotomeeting.com/register/476518786. You must pre-register. Tell your congressmen you want the FairTax. Al Ose Regional Director WI, IA (volunteer) Americans for Fair Taxation Wisconsin Rapids