June 8, 1995 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H 5741

fact, it was recently reduced by a small

amount.

One major problem with a sales tax is

that it tends to become a turnover tax.

It is important that only the final sales

are taxed. For example, we should not

tax the sale of rubber sold to Goodyear

Tire, for example, and then tax the full

value of the tires when they are again

sold. This fundamental concept is clear

in theory, but there are numerous difficulties in actual implementation that

we have pretty much solved in our

Michigan system. The problem with

services is especially severe.

Finally, the flat rate income tax has

some important advantages. It is simple, it has the same economic effect as

the ideal consumption or sales tax, and

the taxpayer, if withholding is eliminated, will be very knowledgeable

about the rate.

There are two negatives with a flat

tax, as I see it. First, it would not

allow the repeal of the 16th amendment

and dismantling of the Internal Revenue Department, and thus special interests could again come and complicate the existing Tax Code.

Second, there are problems with the

tax treatment of U.S. exports. While

the economic effect of the Armey flat

tax is identical to a value-added tax,

GATT may preclude us from removing

a flat tax on our exports while governments using a VAT could remove the

tax on their exports.

In summary, each alternative to the

current income tax system has

strengths and weaknesses, but each

method is far superior to our current

invasive system that we have today. In

‘‘The Wealth of Nations,’’ Adam Smith

spoke against the income tax, saying

the necessary invasion of privacy to

enforce tax would be too much for citizens to bear. Today his words ring true,

and we must move forward with this

opportunity to replace the current tax

system.

previous order of the House, the genThe SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a

ftleman from Illinois [Mr. LIPINSKI] is

recognized for 5 minutes.

[Mr. LIPINSKI addressed the House.

His remarks will appear hereafter in

the Extensions of Remarks.]

previous order of the House, the genThe SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a

ftleman from California [Mr. RIGGS] is

recognized for 5 minutes.

[Mr. RIGGS addressed the House. His

remarks will appear hereafter in the

Extensions of Remarks.]

SETTING THE STAKES ON THE

BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

fThe SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a

previous order of the House, the gentlewoman from Texas [Ms. JACKSON-LEE]

is recognized for 5 minutes.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker,

I ask unanimous consent that I be recognized ahead of Ms. JACKSON-LEE for 5

minutes.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there

objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Florida?

There was no objection.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker,

will Ms. JACKSON-LEE join me, and my

colleague from Orlando, Mr. MCCOLLUM

from Florida.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas [Ms. JACKSON-LEE].

Ms. JACKSON-LEE. Mr. Speaker, I

thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues,

GENE GREEN and KEN BENTSEN from the

great city of Houston and the great

State of Texas in a full-throated support of defending our world champion,

yes, you might be thinking, Houston

Rockets.

To Ms. BROWN and Mr. MCCOLLUM,

who are from Florida, and their Orlando constituents, all of you have

much to be proud of in their young

Magic team, a team that promises to

be a strong NBA contender for years to

come—in the future. But I am confident that in this instance, the veterans experience of Hakeem the Dream,

Clyde the Glide, and the rest of the

tested Rocket squad, will be a decisive

advantage over the strong shoulders

and young, young legs of Shaq, Penny,

and the talented Magic lineup.

The Houston side of this friendly

wager offers a basketball signed by all

of our team, but particularly our allstar center. And our staffs, now, listen

to this, are prepared to provide the

Floridians when you lose with a delicious Texas barbecue meal. We do not

think that this will happen, that we

would have to prepared that for you,

but, however, in the good spirit of good

sportsmanship, we look forward to receiving a signed ball from Magic and,

as well, I look forward to enjoying a

delicious meal prepared by your staffs

in the true Floridian style, and I know

you know how to get a good meal

going.

So I hope you will accept this friendly wager for the Houston Rockets

World Champion to do it again.

I yield to Mr. MCCOLLUM.

Mr. MCCOLLUM. I thank you both

for yielding. I must say having Orlando

Magic, with CORRINE BROWN and I representing Orlando, we are mighty

proud of them, and we are ready to step

up to the challenge that you have just

made to us.

We understand the talent the Houston Rockets have, and we saw them

last night as they won a very, very

close game. I think, however, the closeness of that game and the excitement

of it just proves how evenly competitive these teams are. And it is our

judgment, and I am sure CORRINE

BROWN and BILL MCCOLLUM will both

agree, that when the chips are down

after the whole series is completed, our

young Magic are going to surprise your

Houston Rockets and we are going to

be able to be the ones receiving the

meal.

We are more than happy to provide a

basketball if indeed we are on the short

end of the stick, but we do not think

we are going to be. We have got Penny

Hardaway, we have got Shaq and Anderson and Scott and Shaw and Grant

and a whole list of others, Bowie and

Royal, and I could go on down the list,

Turner.

Those are players who have never

had the chance to be where they are

today, with the exception of Grant,

who was with the Bulls for a few years,

and they are hungry. And we got a feeling that they are just as hungry, and in

fact more than we are for a meal, they

are hungry for the championship.

We are looking forward to the next

few games as we meet the challenge

you have offered. We are proud in Orlando of our Orlando Magic.

For the moment I will yield back to

my colleague, CORRINE BROWN.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Ms. JACKSONLEE, not only do we accept your challenge, I am prepared to raise it.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE. Oh, my goodness.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Not only do

we stand by our men in Orlando, the

Magic, but we will throw in a couple of

Disney tickets and Universal Studio

tickets. And I understand we have

some of the sweetest corn in the country. We are prepared to provide sweet

corn and peanuts. And someone from

your delegation asked for an alligator.

But what we are prepared to do, is the

Houston team will be alligator bait.

Mr. MCCOLLUM. If the gentlewoman

will yield, before that, about the corn,

we have zellwood sweet corn in season

right now. If we do not make it, and we

think we will, we are going to bring

some of that up here and we are going

to serve you some of the best sweet

corn you have ever eaten.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE. My goodness, it

looks like two on one. But my colleagues who are in absentia will join

me in accepting the challenge. We have

got beets, we have got good fruit, we

have a variety of other talent going on

in our great State, along with Sam

Cassell, Kenny Smith, Mario. We have

got a whole list of those on the fine

Houston team. I do realize that all of

this that we are betting on the friendly

wager will go to charity for all of our

good efforts in our respective States.

But I tell you standing here in the

well, I am feeling embellished and

strong to accept your challenge, for the

world champion Houston Rockets will

do it again.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. We will see

you tomorrow night at 9 o’clock in Orlando.

Mr. MCCOLLUM. We will indeed. And

we look forward to seeing you in a couple of games after that too. We are sure

we are going to be around right to the

end, and we are looking forward to this

challenge.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE. Thank you. We

are all very optimistic.