"All deductions adversely skew economic behavior and burden others who cannot take the deductions."

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This is, of course, is poppycock. A dollar not collected in taxes is not a dollar paid by someone else. It also assumes the IRS gets first crack at every dollar in the economy, which is the height of arrogance and stateism.

To assume that one person's deduction or exemption is a "burden" on others is an astounding depth of ignorance. If you have a mortgage, you get to legally deduct the interest paid; if you don't have one, you don't. But then you aren't "burdened" with the cost of property ownership. If you have large medical expenses one year, you get to deduct some of them; if you don't have them, you don't. And you also aren't "burdened" with the expenses that aren't deductible.

If you're so eager to get deductions on your tax forms, take out a loan or get surgery. You might find your cash flow better without those expenses to begin with.