Problem
A. To reduce the amount of overspending in each year's federal budget, do you more strongly support raising taxes or reducing spending? If you are in favor or raising the federal income tax, specify what level of annual household income should be taxed more? If you are more inclined to reduce spending, which of the highest spending areas of Defense, Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid would you target? Explain your choices.
B. Do you agree or disagree with the plan proposed by some Republicans to reduce the cost of Social Security by raising the retirement age, reducing payments, or disallowing wealthy Americans from receiving payments? If you don't agree, why not? If you do agree, what do you believe the retirement age should be, and/or what would you say to wealthy Americans who have paid into Social Security throughout their lives but will not receive a retirement benefit?
C. What do you think about the Fair Tax Act 2023 proposal to replace paycheck deductions of federal income tax, Social Security, and Medicare with a 30% national sales tax that would apply to all or most purchases? Explain why you do or don't support it.