GOP Debate: What The Hell is Herman Cain's 9-9-9 Plan?

At the GOP debate in New Hampshire last night, Herman Cain (left) inspires wistful looks from the leader of the pack, Mitt Romney (AP)

Last night was the 756th GOP debate, and all eight candidates did their best to ensure that Republicans will nominate Mitt Romney. As the Washington Post puts it, the party's base has "turned their attention to the latest candidate to capture their fancy," and that man of the hour is Herman Cain, who saw other candidates criticizing his 9-9-9 plan for tax reform. Jon Huntsman said, "I thought it was the price of a pizza when I first heard about it," and Michele Bachmann noted, "when you take the 9-9-9 plan and you turn it upside down, I think the devil is in the details." We are really typing this: Michele Bachmann is right.

But what are the details of this 9-9-9 plan? Herman Cain doesn't really know! But per the analysis of qualified economists looking at the scant details on Cain's website, 9-9-9 apparently stands for "Screw-the-poor." To even get to the meat of the 9-9-9 plan requires a complete overhaul of the tax code to favor the wealthy.

First, Cain's proposal would shrink taxes for individuals and businesses to a maximum of 25%, then it would eliminate all taxes on profits earned by multinational corporations outside the country. This would mean that companies like Philip Morris and Pfizer would pay ZERO taxes on their profits. Then, capital gains taxes would be abolished, cutting off $100 billion in federal revenue every year.

Slash the payroll tax (another $800 billion from government coffers) and the estate and gift taxes, and then we'll implement 9-9-9, which stands for a 9% sales tax, a 9% indvidual flat tax and a 9% business flat tax. What does this mean for the 99%? They pay more taxes, while those in the highest income brackets pay less.

Finally, sometime after we beat back the laser-wielding rat colonies and crawl from the smoking wreckage of the hellscape that is our country, Cain's proposal would have us institute a "Fair Tax," which is pretty much the most unfair thing ever created by mankind (bowling alley claw machines excepted).

Sure, the candidate should probably hire an actual economist to come up with his tax platform, but that's a formality. Who's ready for 8 years of prosperity under President Cain? Or is it President Kang?

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Christopher Robbins in News on October 12, 2011 1:25 PM

Comments [rss]

ANGRYGOD11

This GOP tax plan doesn't address the real problem: How do we pay for what we spend?
The idea of starving the federal government of tax revenue to shrink it is over 30 years old and has never worked. Reagan couldn't do it and George W could not do it with a GOP majority in Congress. Why a clown who came in third in his last election is going to succeed is beyond explanation.

mr666

9% more taxes for everybody, 9-9-9 stands for a 9% sales tax, a 9% individual flat tax and a 9%
business flat tax. What does this mean for the 99%? They pay more
taxes, while those in the highest income brackets pay less. Turn 999 upside down, hell is all over it. Herman Cain is a Buffoon!

steinpiaz

Go ahead, bash Herman Cain all you want, but I love his 9-9-9 plan. He may be the greatest utopian thinker our modern world has seen and could be the earth's best hope. As millions of people avoid a consuption tax and move to a cash and barter economy buying only used items at yard sales, flea markets and thrift stores, this tired old planet will finally get a respite.I'm thinking we should even take it further and go for a 0-0-0 tax. Just eliminate taxes altogether. Nobody likes paying taxes so it would be a very popular platform and even the dimmest bulbs on the Christmas tree can do the math. We can just call it a day and shut down the roads, the ports of entry, airports, military, schools, libraries, fire departments, universities, parks, hospitals. Rich people can keep all their cash and live in guarded compounds. If they need a road to get their products to market, I am sure they will use rational self interest and build their own. The rest of us can live in hobbit shacks in the great woods and weave our own cloth and live on potatoes, poke salad and cabbage. We will treat our sick and elderly with poultices made with comfrey and slippery elm and use pretty rocks and possum pelts for currency. We will all live happily ever after in an Objectivist dystopia. And, we will walk lightly on the planet. We need to get politicians to take a new pledge. NO NO TAXES!

Victor Rodriguez

Is it fair that, according to the IRS, only 53% of income earners pay federal income tax, yet the 47% that legally don't pay federal income tax can vote for higher taxes on the 53% that do? With the 9-9-9 plan, everyone will have skin in the game and everyone has an incentive to decrease the size and cost of Government.

Is it fair to the poor and the unemployed/underemployed that the current "progressive" tax system makes it so difficult to save up enough money to retire at an early age, thereby making it harder to free up one's position in the labor force sooner for an unemployed person to fill, thereby increasing or stagnating unemployment levels? With the 9-9-9 plan, people will be able to save more, and leave
full-time employment earlier, thereby allowing someone else to fill those positions.

Is it fair to the poor and the unemployed/underemployed that the current "progressive" tax system makes it more difficult to maintain a high standard of living on a single income, thereby incentivizing two job/income households, when otherwise only one job slot would be filled, leaving the other job slot available for an unemployed or more needy person to fill? With the 9-9-9 plan, fewer spouses will be
required to work, thereby allowing someone else to fill those
positions.

Is it fair to the poor and the unemployed/underemployed that the current "progressive" tax system significantly limits one's buying power? With the 9-9-9 plan, people will have more disposable income, therefore spending will increase, which will support an expanding jobs market, which will benefit the poor and/or the unemployed.

Is it fair to the poor and the unemployed/underemployed that the current "progressive" tax system does not collect taxes from much income derived from cash transactions or from income derived from criminal activities such as prostitution, drug trafficking/dealing, etc, thereby making the tax burden of law abiding citizens significantly higher? With the 9-9-9 plan, the 9% sales tax will collect taxes from these individuals.

Barbara Starkweather

Well, this proves that Bachmann not only sees things in a backward way, but upside down as well.

Mordicai

Amazingly, we live in a world where Republican candidates insinuate that other Republican candidates are the Anti-Christ-- hey Michelle Bachmann, I'm looking at you!-- & still be taken seriously. Seriously, that crack about 9-9-9 & 666? That actually happened! This isn't an SNL skit?

publikhan

Fuck the Gothamist. The new bloggers have turned this website into a liberal rag.

edgie168

So.. you're saying that Gothamist--the last Bastion of Right Wing Idealism On The East Coast--is now.. gasp.. a LIBERAL mouthpiece now?!?

oh, woe is me.

Mordicai

I might argue that the Right Wing imploded inward, pandering increasingly to extremists & feeding fables about Atheist Commie Muslims coming to murder your children--& that any attempt to portray those dog & pony shows as what they really are hardly makes the source a "liberal rag." You act like a fool, you can't get all angry when someone calls you a fool.

Erik Lyngved

I'm not speaking for the plan itself, but the 9-9-9 plan is a terrible name. "Turn it upside down..." That was a no-brainer.

ktinnyc

"That was a no-brainer."

And that's why it was presented by Michelle Bachmann!

whiteiris

juvenile.

ktinnyc

Coming from you that's a compliment. You are probably the most ill-informed, ignorant poster on gothamist right now. You just troll away and cite "facts" from Alex Jones and the National Enquirer. I honestly don't know if you're just not very bright or have just been completely duped. So, once again, thanks for calling me juvenile, whitey.

Mordicai

What, the genius satirist?

jibbly

Ooooooh! Snap!

Booya! Bada! Whatever other noise Jon Stewart makes!

Roger_the_Shrubber

"Finally, sometime after we beat back the laser-wielding rat colonies and crawl from the smoking wreckage of the hellscape that is our country,..."

How much does the DNC pay Gothamist to write these ridiculous partisan hit pieces?

Gabby Anderson

PSA: it's not partisan when it's the truth.

Detex

Have you watched any of the debates? They don't need any help!

H.e. Pennypacker

protip: gothamist writes these articles because mouth-frothing dumb fucks like you will post on anything political. it's called comment bait.