Now I have a Flat Tax Plan, Ho Ho Ho

[Uthrecht]

So, Rick Perry has a flat tax plan to counter Herman Cain's. I'd heard that he'd put one together, but this CNN article mentions some of the details.

Where I get confused is this:

Rick Perry said Tuesday his plan of giving Americans a choice between their current income tax rate or a 20% flat-tax would "set our people free" from burdensome tax law.

I don't immediately see further mention, but that makes it sound like his flat tax plan would be optional. Which doesn't sound like a flat tax plan, it sounds like a tax cut for the higher brackets. So perhaps I'm misunderstanding that part.

Flat tax... flat tax... I've heard that before somewhere...

Businessman Steve Forbes, who himself proposed a flat-tax when he was running for president in 1996 and 2000, told CNN Tuesday the Perry plan was superior to Herman Cain's "9-9-9" tax plan, which proposes levying a flat 9% tax on income.

Oh, hello Mr. Forbes. So nice to see you again.

Flat tax plans seem to be a boomerang that just keep coming back. It's like some folks decide to trot it out every now and again in the hopes that the public will buy it this time. At least Cain is tossing out a new spin on it.