Our first installment of Tax Talk 2010 features Jon Runyan, the Republican candidate for New Jersey’s Third Congressional District. I emailed Mr. Runyan a set of six questions related to tax. Follows are his unedited answers:
1. What’s the single most important tax issue facing Americans today?
ANSWER: It’s tough to nail down just one issue. That’s why I outlined an eight-point plan to cut taxes to help create jobs and improve our economy. I recommend people go to my web site at www.runyanforcongress.com and read more about it. In short, our current tax policy disincentivizes job creation, entrepreneurship and long-term savings. While the government gets bigger and bigger, we will be forced to pay higher and higher taxes to fund it. That’s wrong. My opponent, incumbent Congressman John Adler, voted for more than 100 tax and fee increases as a State Senator in NJ and now he votes with Nancy Pelosi more than 90% of the time. He’s the worst choice for voters concerned about higher taxes.
2. If you could only make one “quick fix” in terms of an extra credit, a disallowed deduction, whatever – what would it be?
ANSWER: End the estate tax. Why should people who worked so hard their whole life be forced to share that wealth with the government, instead of their families? It’s un-American.
3. Which is a more egregious tax on the American public: the AMT or the federal estate tax?
ANSWER: Trick question? They are both awful, and both should be eliminated.
4. It has been suggested that the IRS should be eliminated. Do you believe that this makes sense, and if you do, what would you establish in its place?
ANSWER: We need tax reform, but I am not ready to commit myself to one specific way of doing it. I want to do more research on the ideas that have already been proposed. What I do know is that it can only be accomplished through Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle coming together to make it happen. There will be no Republican or Democrat solution. It must be bipartisan.
5. Do you think that significant tax cuts are possible considering the current state of the economy?
ANSWER: Not only are they possible, I think they are critically necessary. More spending and higher taxes will not create jobs or improve this economy. The only way out of this recession is to put money back in the hands of the American people and allow the private sector to lead this recovery. The Obama-Pelosi-Adler approach has failed.
6. And just for fun, if Uncle Sam handed you a huge refund check right now, what would you do with it?
ANSWER: Put some away, and then do my best to personally stimulate the economy!
Thanks to Mr. Runyan for his participation! You can find out more about Mr. Runyan here.
I am happy to see that he participated, although his answers are typical R responses without much substance. It is easy to say cut spending and reduce taxes but where exactly are you going to raise the lost revenue? Repeal of the estate tax and the bush tax costs have been listed as costing approximately 2.5Trillion and 1.3Trillion. Where are you going to cut almost 4Trillion $’s out of the budget? I love the argument that R’s make about taxes and how the top is just going to trickle down to everyone else and stimulate job growth and everyone wins, however where is the evidence of this? During Bush the income gap between the top and middle class continue to grow at an exponential rate and the salaries of the rich increased approximately 500x that of the average worker. I would like see some actual policy on how lower taxes and lower spending actually will help our country, not just sound bites that the government is bad. Thanks Jon, but no thanks!
Wow, suggesting that the Democrats under Obama have raised taxes, and mentioning that the estate tax is the unAmerican and holding back the layman, looks like this guy doesn’t read your blog, Kelly!
Can someone inform politicians on both side of the aisle that it would be refreshing to hear their opinions without the negativity towards the other side? I understand that they disagree with each other, but I’d rather vote for someone trying to be a good candidate than someone trying to be the better candidate.
And if you’re going to attack them, don’t attack them for voting with their party 90% of the time, because it’ll just look dumb if you win and end up doing the same thing.
Hi Tax Girl
I still would like to know what the new health care TAX will mean for working Americans in the state of New Jersey like my self. I am paying $417.00 Bi-weekly for my family’s Health care and the coverage is good at best. I would like to have the congresses health care program or, I would like congress have my health care package and see what they would do about it . Please let me know what will change with my health care, If anything that you hear. Looking forward to hearing from you again.
Thanks
Don Smith