Perry's Flat Tax Proposal Puts Him Back in the Saddle Again

Around lunchtime on Tuesday I sat down in front of my computer, opened foxews.com, and immediately texted my brother: “Gov. Perry is back!” I did this because the largest portion of the Fox News homepage was taken up by a photo of a confident looking Gov. Perry telling Americans about his economic plan – “Cut, Balance, and Grow” – and it was obvious he was swinging at pitches that were in his wheelhouse.

In such a setting, and on such a topic, Gov. Perry exudes the kind of confidence that took him to the top of the polls in August.

Far less complicated than McRomney’s “59 point” plan, Perry’s plan can be easily summed up thus:

Introduce a 20 percent flat rate on individual and corporate income, down from the current top rate of 35 percent.

Provide an exemption of $12,500 per person, so that a family of four would face no tax on its first $50,000 in income.

Preserve deductions for mortgage interest, charitable donations, and state and local taxes on incomes below $500,000.

Allow anyone to file under the current system if they choose.

Shift to a territorial system of corporate taxation, allowing corporations to repatriate profits still parked overseas at a 5.25 percent rate.

This plan is a winner for Gov. Perry because it’s self-explanatory, brief enough for everyone to get their minds around, and, most importantly, rooted in the pursuit of decreasing the size of government while simultaneously increasing liberty.

The brevity of Perry’s plan also highlights the absolute ridiculousness of McRomney’s 59-point plan: a plan which is so complicated that when printed out, it forms a “160-page book” (How big of a government does Romney want if his economic plan takes up 160 pages?).

Again, the brevity of Perry’s plan proves the truth of his oft-spoken desire to make the federal government as inconsequential in the lives of Americans as possible.

If I were advising Perry’s team, I’d tell them to get ready to make McRomney explain his plan point by point in the next debate. And when he says he doesn’t have time or if he says “I’ll explain mine if you explain yours,” Perry can sum his up his five points quickly and let everyone see McRomney for what he is – another big government politician who’s trying to trick us into thinking he’s a conservative.

Although no one knows what’s going to happen as the primary season continues, one thing is for sure; it’s good to see Gov. Perry climb back in the saddle again.