Volume 124 Issue 43
kansan.com
Monday, October 24, 2011
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2011
ELECTION
PAGE 5
Cain's "9-9-9" plan raises criticism
Plan would set income tax at 9 percent across the country, but not all approve.
D.M. SCOTT
dmscott@kansan.com
With his poll numbers on the rise, presidential hopeful Herman Cain's '9-9-9 Plan' is receiving more and more attention. But does it have much utility for the lifestyle of Kansas students?
A CNN poll this week found Herman Cain in front of the Republican race for the 2012 presidential nomination. Of Republicans and independents who lean toward the GOP, 34 percent said Cain was the most likeable candidate, according to CNN.
"I's ineffective. A flat tax doesn't work," said Kristin Nance, a junior from Topeka in political science. "And, quite frankly, he not really a runner. He's just a poster child, and eventually he will cut off his nose to spite his face and Mitt Romney will become the nominee."
Experts agree that the '9-9-9 Plan' along with Cain has little chance of succeeding. The popularity of Cain stems from his bold idea and general dislike for the current tax system.
Cain's plan is based on the idea that production generates American prosperity, not government spending. To increase production, Cain wants the government to get off the back of business and allow entrepreneurs to do what they do best: take risks and create jobs, according to his website.
Cain wants to simplify the tax code by implementing a 9 percent business flat tax, 9 percent individual flat tax and a 9 percent national sales tax. A "flat tax" is a fixed tax rate on all levels of income with no deductions or exemptions.
Hank Booth, interim president of Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, welcomes the discussion of new ideas in 'regards to an overly complex tax system.
"Having a simplistic way of look at our taxes is something that is good to have on the table," he said. "Anything we can do to simplify the tax code would be good for the country."
Booth does not endorse Cain's plan, because he thinks it would benefit the economy to make students pay an income tax while they are in school preparing for better jobs. Neither does he like the idea of senior citizens paying more through an overhaul to the system.
Michael Lynch, associate professor of political science, said from his
analysis of the 9-9-9 Plan, on average, people making less money would pay more than they pay under the current tax structure, and higher income earners would pay less.
"Ninety percent of the lowest 20 percent of income earners would pay more in taxes. I assume most students fall into that category," he said.
He said the plan tries to be neither progressive nor regressive. That is, it tries not to place the tax burden on upper-income earners or lower-income earners. The plan is not a regressive tax because it does not force lower-income earners to pay more than upper-income earners. But since low-income earners would pay more than they pay now, it does have a regressive feel, Lynch said.
The regressive feel to the 9-9-9 Plan also comes from the idea that an increase in taxes affects those with less disposable income harder than those with more. An individual with a higher income may pay more in taxes, but they also have more disposable income to spend.
On average, people making less would pay more than they pay now under the current tax structure, and people in higher-income brackets would pay less, Lynch said.
As liberals point to the rich for not paying enough and conservative point to lower-income earners not paying at all, there is common ground for all to agree on: most people don't like the system, which is why Cain's plan is receiving a lot of attention.
"Scrappping the current tax system is a popular idea," he said.
While Lynch respects Cain for his bold ideas, his analytical opinion is simple.
"It has no chance of passing either the House or the Senate," he said. "There's something in it for everyone to hate."
Burdett Loomis, professor of political science, agrees. His assessment of Cain's chances should put to rest any fear students may have to possible cuts in their ramen fund.
"It would affect students a lot, given that they have modest incomes and fairly high consumption," he said. "Cain will not be the nominee or become president. He has no foreign policy expertise at all."
Edited by Ben Chipman
YOUR TAXES UNDER 9-9-9
SOURCES. THE TAX POLICY CENTER AND THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES AND EMPLOYERS GRAPHIC BY BEN PIROTTE AND IAN CUMMNGS
941 INDIANA ST.
MIDWEST
PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
1025 MISSISSIPPI ST.
Our homes are built with you in mind
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lacks record accessibility
SARA SNEATH
ssneath@kansan.com
In the last 10 months, there have been four public censures of University of Kansas faculty. The first of the recent public notices occurred in December of 2010, prior to which the University had not censured a faculty member since 1993. David Guth, an associ-
Guth
ate professor of journalism, was censured last December for engaging in unprofessional, threatening and abusive behav-
Lushington
other faculty member. Following Guth's censure, Dennis Sander, an associate professor of architecture, was censured in July on similar premises. Mahesh Visvanathan, a courtesy assistant professor in the department of electrical engineering and computer sciences, was
ior toward an-
CLASSIFIEDS 11
CROSSWORD 4
Index
censured for plagiarism in October along with Gerald Lushington, a courtesy associate professor in the department of medicinal chemistry.
"The events that precipitated the censures are rare occurrences that simply happened to occur within a short time frame," said Mary Lee Hummert, University vice provost.
Hummert said the University's public censures have always been published in the University's newsletter. All four censures were an-
Office gives legal advice
SEE CENSURE PAGE 3
CRYPTOQUIPS 4
OPINION 5
MARSHALL SCHMIDT mschmidt@kansan.com
SPORTS 12
SUDOKU 4
Whether it's the threat of eviction from an apartment or securing a copyright for a work of art, the office of Legal Services for Students offers critical advice, representation and education for many legal challenges students may encounter while at the University.
"We try to do preventative education, and when something does occur, we are here to help students make good choices," said Jo Hardesty, a managing attorney and the office's director since 1987.
Alyssa Boone, a third-year law student from Wichita, works as an intern in the office and has first-hand experience with the advice that the office gives. Two years ago, an apartment leak caused property damage and she disputed the lease she had signed.
The office began in 1979 as a campaign promise by then student body president Steve Leben, who now serves as a judge on the state's
Punched through a student fee of less than $11 per person, the office does not charge additional fees for its services, which are provided by attorneys and law students under attorney supervision. The office assists many students in settling disputes with their land/ords.
"A lot of people don't know what landlords are required to provide," Hardesty said. The office sees cases in which students are living with perpetual health and safety code violations, as electrical problems and malfunctioning fire extinguishers, that go unattended by landlords. The office helps students report any violations to the city and represents them in court if needed. Oftentimes these issues
"I came and talked to one of the attorneys here, and he showed me how I can hold the landlord accountable for sub-standard conditions," Boone said. "He gave me an objective perspective about the legal context of what I was going
Court of Appeals.
NI contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2011 The University Daily Kansan
create security deposit refund disputes between tenant and landlord, which the office also deals with.
R
SEE LEGAL PAGE 3
SUA is hosting Open Mic Night in the Hawk's Nest on level 1 of the Kansas Union from 7 to 9 p.m.
Today's Weather
Forecasts done by University students. For a more detailed forecast, see page 2A.
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HI: 81
LO: 59
A sunny start to the week
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