It’s been a busy few weeks for your favorite Democrat (that’s me, I hope). I had an art show open (my art project for last year - Forest Park 365 – a year in America’s most diverse urban park) on the 30th at Norton’s Fine Art & Framing (2025 S. Big Bend Blvd, 63117). I had over 365 photographs to select, crop, label, print and mount, all while doing radio and television interviews and speaking to local Democratic organizations. As you can imagine, this took some time. The work for the show is completed (the photos are on display at Norton’s through the end of May), but there is plenty of other work to do!

Yesterday, after taking my daughter to school and a quick, 10 mile bicycle ride in Forest Park, I assembled a wedding album for a client (I had already ordered the parts and prints), I designed an album and sent a proof to the client for approval, updated some of my web sites, paid some bills and wondered why my creditors can’t seem to pay as promptly as I do.

I’ve also been reading. This week’s book is about the Fair Tax proposal. I’ll give you a brief overview and then you should read about it yourself. I’m sold on the idea.

Fair tax eliminates all withholding taxes (we get to keep every cent we earn) and eliminates all of the pain of keeping track of expenses and dealing with the IRS, in exchange for a Federal retail sales tax that is collected by the states and remitted to the US Treasury. It’s necessary to read all the way through to see how it works, but, having done that, I can say that it really is a big improvement over our existing system. Although as a businessman I would have to collect and remit the tax, it would still dramatically reduce my paperwork and simplify my life (for starters, it would eliminate the week of unpaid work that it takes me to keep, sort, file and calculate my yearly income taxes).

Check it out and let me know what you think.