Shepard would support flat rate income tax legislation

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(Host) Republican U.S. House candidate Mark Shepard says he’ll support legislation creating a flat rate income tax if he’s elected to Congress.

Speaking last night on VPR’s Switchboard program, Shepard says the current more progressive rate system actually hurts middle income tax payers because they don’t have the opportunities to shield income the way that many wealthy people do:

(Shepard) “What happens with the system we have now is that there are so many loopholes that people that are wealthy might end up paying very little tax and you call it progressive. But when you get right down to it, is it really progressive? It’s the people in the middle that are caught. And if you have a flat tax it’s just flat you based upon your income, it’s simple.”

(Host) Shepard’s main opponent in the GOP primary is former Adjutant General Martha Rainville.

Shepard says he’s not certain if he’ll support Rainville in the event that she wins the primary election:

(Shepard) “She needs to make her case and needs to make it not just for me but for Vermonters across the state. That’s the way you get elected. And we’ve given opportunities for her to come out and express issues in debates and she’s refused to do that. I think it’s something she needs to do and I don’t think I need to say I’m going to support her while she’s unwilling to come out and have a discussion with me. That’s something she needs to do.”

(Host) Shepard says he’s disappointed that Rainville has decided to accept money from out of state political action committees because Shepard says these PAC groups don’t represent the interests of average Vermonters.

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