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2/14: Neal Boortz’s Fair Tax book signing, NBC return dates
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I spent a few minutes gabbing with WSB-AM’s Neal Boortz, at a local Borders off Ashford Dunwoody Wednesday night to promote his latest “Fair Tax” book, which is a guidebook for fans of the Fair Tax to face off against critics (including Jay Bookman here at the AJC). Harper Collins, he said, wanted him to finish in three months. It took him five. So it’s coming out this week a little later than he would have liked in the presidential campaign cycle. But at least Fair Tax supporter Mike Huckabee has not dropped out of the race. Boortz doubts Huckabee will win the nomination but perhaps he could get the vice presidential slot and bring the Fair Tax to the White House.
Boortz had a skin cancer removed recently from his scalp and the stitches had not disappeared so he wore a cap. But otherwise, he was in good spirits.
His first 2005 “Fair Tax Book” with Rep. John Linder hit the top of the New York Times bestseller list. He hopes to do the same this time, though he said he has to face off against “Eat, Pray, Puke.” (Actually, Elizabeth Gilbert’s “Eat, Pray, Love.”) “I don’t think Oprah is going to get her sewing circle to recommend a tax book,” he said. He doesn’t know how many of that first book he sold but he knows Harper Collins is making more copies upfront this time. He says he just takes the royalty checks and gives them to charity.
So far, the House of Representatives has about 70 supporters of a Fair Tax. Boortz hopes if the book hits it big on the best-seller, it would keep the subject top of mind inside the Beltway.
Plenty of folks have doubted the viability of a revenue neutral consumption tax. He said the book responds to critiques such as the depth of the tax’s effect on prices, the end of the mortgage deduction and its impact on the poor and middle class. Boortz feels many lobbyists whose jobs are to “game the tax system” and tax experts on the staffs of congressmen are actively against it. And politicians use the tax, he said, to “manipulate votes” by offering up special interest deductions and breaks through the current tax system. The Fair Tax, he says, “would be a massive transfer of power from the government to the people.”
While the Fair Tax would end the IRS, he admits there would have be government compliance of retailers who collect the tax and a way to dispense and track “prebates” given to each household to help the poor.
He isn’t doing a full-fledged book tour for this version. “I just don’t want to do it,” he said. “I’m lazy.” He did fly to New York Tuesday to promote the book on Neil Cavuto and Sean Hannity and locally is doing a couple of Atlanta book signings, including a second one tonight at 7 at a Barnes & Noble at the Ave @ West Cobb in Marietta.
Boortz is now on 230 stations nationwide.
He then jumped on stage to greet more than 100 people for a book signing that wasn’t even finalized until last Friday. He first wore a big black cowboy hat and said, “Am I hot or what? I’m from Texas so I can get away with this.” Then he swapped it out for a red “Fair Tax” cap.
You can buy it on Amazon.com here.
Here are some other photos I took:
ABOVE: Boortz’s right hand woman Belinda Skelton and his relative new producer Cristina Gonzalez
NBC also announced return dates for new episoes of its scripted shows. ER comes back to life April 10, same day as “30 Rock,” “The Office” and “Scrubs.” “Law & Order: SVU”? April 15. “My Name is Earl”? April 3. “Heroes,” “Chuck” and “Life” come back this fall.
And interestingly, ratings for late-night shows which went without writers the past six weeks weren’t affected. Leno continued to beat Letterman and “The Daily Show” held its own, while “Colbert” edged up slightly.
Comments
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By Bob
February 14, 2008 6:14 AM | Link to this
Go to youtube.com and search for Cristina Gonzalez and party trick … I love her.
:-)
By Chelsea
February 14, 2008 3:35 PM | Link to this
Boortz is a tool. If you have an opionion that’s different than his you’re the idiot. The Fair Tax might be something to think about but anyone who thinks the Iraq War was a good idea should have their head examined.
By Royale with Cheese
February 14, 2008 4:21 PM | Link to this
He walks around WSB like everyone wants to hear his thoughts on everything. We don’t…shut up. Save it for the broadcast studio.
By Reid
February 14, 2008 8:44 PM | Link to this
Neal has it right on the FAIR TAX. Some things I don’t totally agree with him on, but, THE FAIR TAX is the one thing that I am 100% behind.
By Reid
February 14, 2008 8:45 PM | Link to this
Neal has it right on the FAIR TAX. Some things I don’t totally agree with him on, but, THE FAIR TAX is the one thing that I am 100% behind.
By Karl Kordecki
February 15, 2008 8:49 AM | Link to this
Neal and Mike Huckabee are strong supporters of the FAIR TAX.The reason Mike Huckabee is in the race is because he believes in it and the thousands of people that follow it across this nation. Go to fair tax.org if you never heard of it. Get involved.It’s what America needs to stimulate the economy and bring jobs to the U.S.A., not the money the government baited you with.
By Tom
February 15, 2008 7:02 PM | Link to this
Chelsea, I’ve had my head examined and yet it’s easy to see that our involvement in Iraq was the right thing to do. Have you read any of the stories in the past three months about the progress we’ve made over there and how the terrorist groups are struggling? Probably not - the AJC, like much of the print media, hardly covers the good stuff but bends over backwards to cover the negative. As frightning as it may be for some people to realize, sometimes armed conflict actually does make the world better in the long run.
By Mark
February 18, 2008 2:50 AM | Link to this
Check out the old guy behind them looking at Cristina`s butt.lol
By Granny
February 18, 2008 11:34 AM | Link to this
Sometimes I wish Truman was still President. A few nukes in the Middle East and we could get back to dealing with our own problems in this country.
By crs
February 21, 2008 10:16 AM | Link to this
boortz lost me when he blamed the virginia tech students for their own deaths. He’s disgusting.