Why is real tax reform needed? What does true reform mean? It means removing abuses, eliminating bad practices and change for the better.

Our Constitution was written to prevent the tax system of tyrants, the direct taxation of income. The wisdom of our founding fathers was neglected with the passage of the 16th Amendment on Feb. 3, 1913. Approaching its 100th birthday, the tax code has become 74,000 pages through the years.

The federal tax code drives jobs, companies and capital out of our country. High business taxes drive up prices so U.S. goods and services cost more and are less competitive in the world markets. We, the final consumer, pay more than 22 cents per dollar in hidden taxes.

We have regressive taxes on jobs, payroll taxes, paid by both the employer and the employee. Want less of something? Tax it. We have a 15.3 percent income tax on self-employment jobs.

Tax lobbyists outnumber elected officials by a ratio of 32-to-1 in Washington. The tax code is used by politicians, lobbyists and special interests to their advantage to gain tax breaks, funding and to pick winners and losers.

 As a nation we spend $450 billion per year to comply and file taxes. The Internal Revenue Service consists of 110,000 employees with a budget of $13 billion. Tax code complexities alone lead to a 16 percent noncompliance rate.

The solution is to move the tax base from income, savings and investments to a tax base on consumption with a progressive national consumption/sales tax system. The solution is the FairTax bill, HR25/S122.

Call your U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison. Ask him to co-sponsor the FairTax bill HR25 and move it to the House floor for tax-reform debate and a vote.