Yes, I've read the legislation.

No, I don't listen to the radio show.

No, I'm no stupid, idiotic, dishonest, evil, an employee of the IRS, spouse of an IRS employee, or part of a conspiracy of journalists against the middle class.

Yes, other conservative economists who have asked tough questions about the FairTax warned me to get ready for a gusher of hate mail.

Yes, the fact that the FairTax faction (after reading a torrent of insulting email, that word seems right to me) defaults to abusive speech from the beginning means that they are a movement of zealots with a weak case.

No, my questions are not all answered in the book or at fairtax.org or in the legislation.

No, my questions are not really answered by the emails and posts which I have received. What have been answered are the questions which remind the FairTaxers of other easier questions to are addressed on the web site.

No, the FairTax will not be simple. The debate in response to my latest article proves that.

No, the apologists who responded to me did not even remotely deal with the problem of the interest portion of mortgages.

Yes, I know that that interest isn't supposed to be taxable. But I also know that if all interest remains non-taxable, there will be a massive movement towards discounting house and durable goods sales prices and then making up the difference with high interest rates.

No, none of the fairtaxers seem who wrote to me seem to know that under the legislation, only some of interest is non-taxable.

Yes, that's right the government will decide what a reasonable interest rate is, and then tax you for anything above that. Continued...