I would not mind a consumption based tax. If we don't try something different, then how do we find out what works?

No kids.
No house.
Not blind.
Not disabled.
Filing taxes as 'single.'

Spending days in the mountains or traveling across the country is the best vacation I can ever ask for. I don't buy too many items (and the ones that I buy last for a long time). I don't have kids. I don't want to have kids.

People who want to have kids should accept the fact that kids cost money. So make just as many as you can support even during the worst times. People who buy more than they can afford will learn sooner or later. If tax was based on consumption, how many people would get things that they cannot afford to begin with? I know some people who ripped themselves a second a-hole in order to get a house which they clearly cannot afford [without eating cat food for the next 30 years]. Those guys make the sub-prime market go ape shit which may turn into higher rates overall.

Yes, there is that threat in terms of black market. However, how many people are cheating on their taxes now? Is buying something w/o tax different than padding your charity contributions or avoiding taxes altogether? I just think that we should try something new. After years of bullshit we should be able to say, "Okay, this did not work. Next idea, please."