A prominent practice these days is to use the “Big Lie” in proposals. An example of this is a bill pending in the Missouri General Assembly– the “Fair Tas” measure.  It is a blatant lie in that the tax would impose a 14% pr 15% sales tax on numerous transactions and/or purchases.  The average to lower income segments spend all or nearly all of their incomes on purchases and would therefore have most or all of their income taxed.  At the same time an income of, say  $500,000 would not spend it all and would pay no taxes on the amount left over.  For even higher incomes, the amount untaxed would grow.  What is fair about taxing all  middle and low income and giving an exemption from taxation on most of the upper incomes? The argument is that we need to have less reliance on the income tax.  It would be helpful if the proponents of this idiotic not to say insane proposal would explain where people get the wherewithal to pay taxes except from their incomes.  Every tax is a tax on income.  The only question to be asked is whose income is to be taxed and how heavily.  We do not avoid taxing incomes regardless of the name we give to a tax or the manner in which it is implemented.  Any time anyone suggests less reliance on the income tax, they should be immediately challenged to explain how some taxes do not require the taxpayer to surrender a part of  income to pay a tax or taxes. The proposal with the misnomer “Fair Tax” is nothing more than an attempt to impose a heavier burden on those with lesser ability to pay and lessen the tax burden of those with greater ability to pay.  It is the most regressive tax a government can levy.