Taxes are bad for ... ooops ... nevermind.
Submitted by James Protzman on Sat, 08/19/2006 - 12:38pm
Yesterday's Friday Follies at NC Policy Watch put the smackdown on one of the oft-repeated lies of tax reformers here in North Carolina. Take a look, and put these talking points in y our pocket for the next time a free-marketeer starts blabbering about the economic costs of taxes.
The rabid right wing folks over at Americans for Tax Reform, Grover Norquist’s group, will have some explaining to do the next they complain about tax rates in North Carolina.
ATR recently released a report on state tax policy across the nation and among the conclusions drawn from the report by a national conservative group was that “states with high tax burdens continually lose residents and their income to lower tax states.”
Norquist and his misguided disciples in North Carolina constantly claim that North Carolina is a high tax state and that tax rates are hurting economic development. Neither is true and now we have proof of that from their own report. The U. S. Census says that from 1990-2000, North Carolina grew faster than every other Southeastern state, except Georgia. From 1995-2000, it was the fifth fastest growing state in the nation and forecasters predict that growth will continue at even higher levels.
North Carolina ranks third in the country in projections of the number of people who will move here from other states from 1995-2025.
So, let’s see. Grover “drown government in a bathtub” Norquist says that people are fleeing high tax states and yet people are flocking to North Carolina in record numbers.
Don't expect anything so quaint as a bunch of pesky facts to blunt the rhetoric of those who want to crush public services. They have their minds made up.
Government = bad.
Greed = good.
It's enough to make a sweet Lord cry.
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Race to the bottom
I'll never understand people who talk about excellence and innovation in business but dig in their heels when it comes to public sector performance. They're happy to invest to achieve personal wealth, but investing in the government services, well that's an alien concept.
I used to think of this as hypocrisy, but I'm not even willing to offer that benefit of the doubt. I fear it's more like greed.
It's greed and hatefulness
Instead of empathy all they seem to be able to feel is hate. Now, they will give money hand over fist to their big business buddies without regard to how it is used.
Click on the hat to see all Citizen Journalist files
Republicans want to SQUASH Social Welfare
But will throw tantrums, cry, and get red in the face if you talk about reducing Corporate welfare...WTF?
I'm all for better governmental oversight of social welfare programs, hell I'm for better oversight on corporate welfare, but the America I grew up in took care of it's poor, wretched, homeless and tempest-tossed. Why as the Christian right asserts more of it's influence, does greed seem to be the deciding factor?
Started watching the Grapes of Wrath today, I just couldn't continue, I shut off the tube instead.
Loved Henry Fonda in this movie, his line at the end is the best "We don't need no stinking grapes!" Brings tears to my eyes every time.
Greed & the Christian right
Interesting you should mention that "as the Christian right asserts more of its influence, ... greed seem[s] to be the deciding factor." Apparently they have forgotten that greed is listed in the Bible right alongside of homosexuality.
Isn't greed one of the
7 Deadly Sins?
success breeds success
A lot of Pennsylvanians move to the RTP because there are few jobs in PA, but there are good jobs in NC. I also know of people that move down for blue-collar jobs building houses at twice what they could make at home.
Education and healthcare draw businesses, businesses draw employees, employees buy stuff.