I would have offered a proposal very near to what Charles Murray does. Don’t change the tax code. Don’t promise anything. Rather, just end withholding and have workers pay their income taxes just like they pay their cable bills, cell phone bills, and every other bill they are used to paying. What could you possibly argue against such a plan? Would it be a little more costly to administer? Perhaps, but I would be happy to pay for that. Do you think the response of the people to such honesty and transparency would be ridiculed as “astroturf“? You bet. And that should tell you why it is a good idea.