Dishwasher, yes. Stocks and houses would be "investments". The others would be "consumables". National Sales Tax applied to the same things sales tax applies to now... which does not include investments.
why do you care if we discuss something that is not going to happen? I might enjoy talking about why I would not want to date a supermodel. Have I deprived you of anything by discussing something that won't happen? Are you now the one who sets the appropriate levels of curiosity for everybody else? Am I now prohibited from talking about what it wold be like to be free because it probably won't happen? OK, name for me something that will certainly happen and I'll discuss it no matter how boring it might be.
Well if we are being permitted to mention stuff that won't happen, then I want one less F22 built this year (~138 million) and the money saved diverted to the National Endowment for the Arts 2012 budget, which would approximately double the Endowment's budget from ~47 cents per capita to ~93 cents. The Air Force will benefit from not having to maintain and operate another unneeded aircraft and the impact on the Endowment budget would be immense. (If I decide to run for President, I'll make that proposal the centerpiece of my platform along with adopting Oldtime's idea of breaking out war costs as a separate item on everyone's W-2 form! That one measure alone will result in an end to war and a balanced budget as soon as the riots end.)
IIRC the all-in number for 2011 defense spending is around $900B. That's roughly $3000 per capita, or $12,000 per typical family. You want a new fighter jet, or a new family car every two years? It would be very interesting indeed if that number was somehow highlighted on tax forms. It's done for SS and Medicare on every paycheck, so why not?
As you know, its one of the sacred cows that can't be talked about. Lobby interests don't want it to be an option for consideration.
Cain's last "9" is a national sales tax but little detail is available on what is taxed and what is not. However, since his website states that 9-9-9 is step 1 in getting to the "Fair Tax" One can assume that the details for the last "9" are similar to it. HR25 (The Fair Tax Act of 2011) has this summary: "Fair Tax Act of 2011 - Repeals the income tax, employment tax, and estate and gift tax. Redesignates the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as the Internal Revenue Code of 2011. Imposes a national sales tax on the use or consumption in the United States of taxable property or services. Sets the sales tax rate at 23% in 2013, with adjustments to the rate in subsequent years. Allows exemptions from the tax for property or services purchased for business, export, or investment purposes, and for state government functions. " Seneca "
There will end up being more exemptions on this tax than what it actually applies to. Simple? I don't think so. The pizza mans idea of simple is, 999 fits on a bumper sticker, it's works in a 10 second sound bite, it sticks in your head. The guy is a very good promoter/marketer, but I hope the bar for president is set a wee bit higher than that. Do all ya'll "traders" see a trend here? 2000 we get frat boy GW. 2008 we get all talk no action Obama, and now we're seriously considering a f'n pizza promoter? The dumbing down of America has moved from the classroom to presidential elections, and people wonder why we're falling apart as a nation.