Tax Guru – Ker$tetter Letter

More From The Tax Cut War Front

The Bad Guys:

Tax cut danger

Lay Off the Tax Candy

Mixed Feelings on Scaled-Back Tax Cut

Bush Is Using the War to Justify Risky Tax Scheme

The Good Guys:

Short-sighted senators must rethink their position on the Bush tax-cut plan.

As is normally the case, the media’s overwhelming left-wing bias does mean that we are outnumbered in terms of media coverage.

Dismantling Prop 13

25 years ago, the voters of the PRC passed a ground breaking property tax reduction measure and limit on future taxes.  It shouldn’t be any surprise that, given the deep financial hole the rulers out there on the Left Coast have dug for themselves, they are looking for ways to unravel the tax limits in Proposition 13.  Just as no tax is temporary, no tax limit is permanent.  

KMK

California closer to Net sales tax

This will start a trend around the country. 

Tax Cuts Still Possible

It was good to see this claim that the friends of capitalism are going to keep up the fight for the full Bush tax cut.  It seems that the only way the Senate was able to reduce the plan, as it did last week, was because a couple of dim bulb GOP Senators fell for the Social Security lock box scam and voted with the DemonRats. As has been illustrated countless times, intelligence is no requirement to be elected to positions of power.

KMK

CCAGW Warns Congress Not to Use War Supplemental as an Excuse for Pork

That’s as realistic as asking Bill Clinton to keep his hands to himself when he visits a Hooters restaurant.  Some impulses are truly impossible to resist or control.

State Taxes

This is an interesting look at the issue of the tax burden on residents of various states, as the rulers of the PRC debate increasing their income taxes even more.  The wiser among them realize this will just compound the problem even more by motivating more people and corporations to move to nearby states with no income tax, such as Nevada and Washington.

As pointed out in the article, income taxes are just one piece of the overall tax burden.  Most states without an income tax make it up through other means, such as sales and property taxes.  This is why there is no cut and dried answer to the question of which state has the lowest overall tax burden.  The answer would be different if you are a property owner or a renter. 

However, the cited examples of average per capita state taxes are interesting.  For 2000, Alabama had the lowest ($2,117) and Connecticut the highest ($4,600).  With the PRC’s average burden rated at the tenth highest ($3,550), it seems like too many rulers in Sacramento feel safe in raising taxes. 

Also interesting in this article is the almost universal appeal of soaking nicotine addicts with increasing taxes.  They have become virtual pariahs of our society, supposedly deserving of increasing financial punishment for their sin.

KMK

Making tax cheats pay up can pay off

However, before striking it rich by turning in all of the tax cheats you know, make sure your house is in order.  I have seen plenty of cases where informants had the whole thing bite them in the butt when the tables were turned on them.  That’s in addition to the inevitable retribution from the persons being turned in.