The very reason for suggesting an Executive Order instead of continuous Congressional debate is that it can be immediately effective with the flourish of a pen.

It can avoid bureaucratic entanglements through the will and power and determination of the chief executive.

An outright elimination of the national income tax can do more for consumer spending than one or even several “stimulus” packages.

It can provide visible evidence of the extra monthly cash remaining directly with an employee, whether a barber on Main Street or an honest, hard-working executive on Wall Street.

They can individually choose whether to spend or save. The recent financial debacle on Wall Street has given many a sufficient pause to see the folly of their ways. If they choose to save, so much the better for investment. After all, there are only two choices between spending and saving!

What’s more, the elimination of the income tax is understandable. It doesn’t need to be “sold.” No more income tax. Simple.

Most of the nation hardly understands the actions of the Federal Reserve, Worse, almost any proclamation by the chairman of the Fed is likely to be treated with hostility and suspicion – no matter how well thought out and designed.

If President Obama’s landslide by popular support is an indicator, an elimination of the federal income tax will be overwhelmingly welcomed by the majority of voters.

An Executive Order gives the President both the power and the freedom from the bureaucracy with “politics as usual” to permit swift and sure execution of the policy.

Even more enticing: the numbers for the proposed national sales tax are far smaller than the median income tax burden on the average, working taxpayer!

This is not the idle dream of an armchair philosopher or retired professor. It does not depend on bi-partisan “willingness” … it depends only on executive ability and leadership to act swiftely and decisively..

But what’s killing me is that Ben Bernanke and his governors actually have much of the power you’re referring to. We are caught in a deflationary cycle, and Dr. Bernanke made a career out of studying and proclaiming he knew the solution to deflationary cycles. He said he knew how to escape depressions sooner. And he could push it through if he really believed- but he hasn’t.

Yes, more money, in the right places. I know the Fed has expanded it’s balance sheet, but much of that money has gone to foreign governments and banks that are hording it. What would be better is to use that money to purchase Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities to further lower interest rates, and then perhaps buy oil as a hedge against inflation. And inflation, we want.

The sooner we’re worried about new and alternate sources of supply to counter price increases- the better. And we don’t need Obama to have some lawyers interpret new powers for policies we both know he’d never implement. Ben can do it now.