if you drive a car, I'll tax the streets...

OpinionJournal has an interesting tax proposal - swittching to a flat tax, but making it optional and then slowly phasing it in.

I like the idea of a flat tax. Having read Amnity Shale's The Greedy Hand years ago, I tend to see most deductions as handouts to special interest groups with the most power - ie Realtors(c), who love the home-interest deduction. I also like the idea of filling out my taxes on a postcard, instead of sending piles of paper to my Dad to do my taxes. I never really know how much I'm going to owe, but I always feel it's too much.

I know most people's reactions to flat taxes are that it's not fair because the rich will pay a lower percent than they do now. Of course, the rich don't pay as much as the percent they pay makes it sound, since they get a ton of deductions and can afford to pay the best preparers and financial advisors to take advantage of those aformentioned deductions and loopholes.

I like the idea of phasing it in and letting people decide. It seems like a good answer to the idea of how to phase in a flat tax and let people see it's advantages. Give the WSJ's article a read, and give it some thought.