We need a local version of able Cain's 9-9-9 tax plan

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21: One of the beauties of not being American, or Bermudian for that matter, is you simply have no family heritage or institutionalized burden to follow a certain party bias when it comes to politics.

Which is good when observing upcoming elections. Take the increasing interest in both the US Republican candidate race, and our own national election build-up.

We are about a year away from the US Federal Election, and — let’s guess here — perhaps three months away from our own vote day?

The Republican candidates are out there battling to win the nomination to take on President Obama.

We have all become privy to the bi-elections and inter party candidate races here of late.

In the US, there are about 10 still in the race, but it’s an open horse race. Come November 6, 2012, I reckon the US have a black leader again. And Bermuda will, too.

It will be either the incumbent, Mr Obama, or the charismatic Republican Herman Cain. We know who will take on Paula Cox here at home, are the similarities are compelling.

The GOP (Grand Old Party aka the Republicans) boasts around 55 million registered voters, thousands of whom are included among the 10,000 US citizens currently living here in Bermuda.

The GOP champions the roles of Christianity, nationalism and economics at its core.

Cain has conservative views on abortion, heterosexual marriages, attending church, and he possesses a work ethic based on honesty, street smarts and diligence.

He is a devout Christian from a middle class upbringing, and the kid who made good despite his beginnings.

Familiar

Sounds a fair bit like our own Craig Cannonier. Cain’s father held three jobs, and his mother worked as a maid, just to put Cain through school.

And he excelled in his studies, earning his degree in mathematics from Morehouse College, before obtaining his MSc in computer science from Purdue while working for the US Navy.

And again like Cannonier, Cain’s politics are comparable to the man himself: grounded, pragmatic, sound, conservative and nationalistic — that is he’s for a better America.

A confident and articulate speaker, Cain has emerged as a formidable opponent in any debate, and his lack of political experience means he has no baggage — another attribute he shares with Cannonier!

The American is a self-made multi-millionaire and he has on the election table this thing called the 9-9-9 plan.

Orator

He is passionate about its effectiveness from a national debt recovery standpoint, and his oratory skills are by far the best of the GOP candidates.

So, what is the 9-9-9 plan exactly?

Well, it eliminates the existing tax code and replaces it with a 9 per cent tax on personal income, a 9 per cent business tax, and a 9 per cent national sales tax.

There is no estate tax, no payroll tax, no tax on capital gains, no death tax, and no deductions, except for charitable contributions.

So, if imposed, this tax trifecta shifts the onus away from production to consumption.

At the heated GOP debate in Las Vegas this week, Cain’s GOP rivals attacked the plan, although Newt Gingrich said he saluted Cain for being bold enough to raise the important issue of taxes.

Cain’s response was: “It does not raise taxes on low income people and would be revenue neutral. It is also not a value-added tax.

“The reason our plan is being attacked so much is because lobbyists, accountants, politicians, don’t want to throw out the current tax code and put in something that’s simple and fair,” he said.

“They want to continue to be able to manipulate the American people with a 10-million-word mess.”

It will come under further scrutiny, but mark my words, one year and one week from today it will be Obama versus Cain because of 9-9-9!

We just need Mr Cannonier now to come up with a similar plan to offset the debt here.

That could make him our able Cain.