The best way to start gutting the government of it's power would be to eliminate the income tax AND most of the IRS with it. They have FAR too much power and the income tax gives the government far too much.
The progressive tax is a great tool for keeping people in their place. It protects the "old money" and "filthy rich" while at the same time punishes hard work at the lower income levels.
NO "fair tax" where you STILL have an almost all powerful IRS to "gift" us of a "prebate", doing us a GREAT favor by returning money they took from us. Just a sales tax, only ONE tax per item. One rate. Paid by EVERYONE. Then the rich, since they buy more, would pay more. Food would be exempt. Basic clothing. Meds. Health care and a primary residence. It would not have to be high, since there would be SO many more paying their FAIR SHARE for the first time in who knows how long. Fix it for 50 years, to provide a stable number so industry and the people know what is going on. Make it 25%, with 5% going to local government, 10% to the state and 10% to the Feds, and then, THAT's IT! No property taxes. No school taxes.
We NEED to gut this government, it is FAR too big and FAR too powerful. We need to break up some states. Make NYC ONE state, get it off the backs of the rest of NY. Break CA into 3. ETC. That would put much greater power in the hands of the people.