Home
>
Political
>
Connecticut Does Not Need Further Income Tax Hikes!

Connecticut Does Not Need Further Income Tax Hikes!

Industrial Recruiting. The absence of a state income tax in Tennessee was cited by Nissan Corporation as one of the quality of life factors it considered for its workers when it decided to build a large plant in Smyrna, Tennessee, to produce the Nissan Altima and other vehicles. Similarly, the absence of a state income tax and the quality of life for workers was cited by General Motors in its decision to locate the Saturn production plant outside Nashville, Tennessee. Just last month, Toyota announced that it would build a $100 million dollar parts factory in Tennessee. When was the last time any major automotive manufacturer announced plans to build a plant in Connecticut? If the citizens of Connecticut believe the comments of state Senator William Nickerson that the introduction of Connecticut's state income tax encouraged business and economic activity, then they can marvel at Connecticut's current economic plight and the disarray in the state budgeting process.

Tennessee is a long state in the shape of a parallelogram with common borders to eight states: Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. Each of the eight states bordering Tennessee has a state income tax. Each of the states bordering Tennessee pledged to keep their state sales taxes low in exchange for having a state income tax. In fact, each of these states has raised its sales tax rates slowly over time along with raising the rates on income taxes. The very piece of advice offered by polemics at governing.com and Governing Magazine, that critics of income taxes were flat out wrong when they charged "that once it was installed, it would just be raised and raised again until it didn't pay to get out of bed and go to work" has indeed been borne out by evidence with each of Tennessee's border states.

The citizens of Tennessee view with a mix of contempt and amusement the newspaper stories coming from its neighboring states that, once again, politicians have had to face tough choices and raise the state income tax rates. In 2001, with talk of raising the state income tax rates even higher in North Carolina, angry citizens used to drive by the state capitol building in Raleigh and just blow their horns. The same was true in Tennessee in the late 1990s when the lame-duck governor, Don Sundquist, tried to force the legislature to adopt a state income tax. Do the members of the CCM want their constituents so angry with them that they are blasting their horns and shaking their fists in protest, or do they want a calm and rational discussion about the state budget and its priorities?

High Tax States. Like it or not, Connecticut borders Massachusetts. Ever since Michael Dukakis was the standard bearer for the Democratic Party's 1988 presidential campaign, Massachusetts has been repeatedly dubbed "Taxachusetts" in articles appearing in the national press. The rest of the country views Massachusetts and its neighbors in the Northeast as demanding a very high level of state and local public services, and taxing the daylights out of its citizens to pay for these expenditures. At this juncture in December 2003, it is important for Connecticut to try to distance itself from the woes of its neighbors with government spending barely under control and foster instead a new image of government accountability.

Once again, the CCM cannot learn about government accountability from either Governing Magazine or governing.com. The special report on state tax systems decries giving voters and taxpayers any direct or meaningful say in tax and spending plans. As evidence that ordinary citizens are irrational and automatically vote down any tax increase, governing.com offers the following evidence. "In the first half of the 20th century, many voter initiatives focused on new programs and increased spending. But in the last half of the century, the pendulum moved in the other direction. A study of voter behavior by Bill Piper, of the Initiative and Referendum Institute, shows that from 1978 to 1999 there were 130 tax initiatives on statewide ballots. Roughly two-thirds of them were anti-tax - cutting, eliminating or limiting taxes in some way. Of these, 41 passed. The numbers for more recent times are quite dramatic. A whopping 67 percent of all 'anti-tax' initiatives on the ballot between 1996 and 1999 passed."

Where governing.com finds evidence of taxpayers killing off any reasonable compromise with a tax increase, others would see our democratic ideals alive and at work. Why were politicians bombarding the citizens with 130 tax initiatives on statewide ballots? Why didn't politicians wait for the public outcry for government services to match the politician's spending preferences? Does anyone believe that the 130 tax initiatives were good ideas and would have benefited the statewide societies as a whole? The Florida legislature passed a state income tax, and the citizens of Florida went into open revolt. The Florida income tax was hastily repealed, and this experiment in unrepresentative government wasted millions of Florida taxpayer dollars to set up and then dismantle the state income tax apparatus.

The rest of this article can be found at http://riskmgmt.biz/lawnews/ctbudget.htm

Dr. Michael A. S. Guth, Ph.D., J.D., is a consulting economist, legal brief writer, and law newspaper Editor-in-Chief. He writes a variety of articles on constitutional law, elder care, consumer credit card debt, appellate court term reviews, and law and society. See http://riskmgmt.biz/ for an introduction to his legal work, and http://riskmgmt.biz/ for a listing of many of his articles. Dr. Guth writes legal articles and briefs for other law firms, and he assists pro se parties (those without a lawyer) in preparing documents they can file in court such as motions pertaining to child custody, visitation interference, and child support defense.

move in cleaning service Glencoe ..

In The News:

New TikTok malware campaign tricks users into running PowerShell commands that download Aura Stealer, which steals credentials and authentication tokens.

Gaia Family offers fixed upfront pricing for IVF cycles with unlimited embryo transfers and financial protection, partnering with over 100 U.S. fertility clinics.

The Jetsons Act aims to position Pennsylvania as a leader in advanced air mobility by establishing regulations for hybrid ground-air vehicles.

Fake Geek Squad invoice emails are targeting users with convincing charges and urgent phone numbers to steal personal information and money.

Fox News Digital's artificial intelligence newsletter digs into a robot in Russia that faceplanted, George Clooney's alarm and OpenAI's rivalry with the New York Times.

Major data breach at Conduent exposes personal information of 10+ million people. Government contractor hit by cyberattack affecting Medicaid, child support systems.

Texas startup Janta Power raises $5.5M for innovative vertical solar towers that generate 50% more energy than traditional panels while using just one-third the land.

NASA's twin ESCAPADE spacecraft launched aboard Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket Thursday afternoon from Cape Canaveral, beginning their journey to Mars with arrival expected in 2027.

Learn how to set email reminders on iPhone and Android so you never forget to reply again. Simple built-in features help you stay organized and on top of messages.

Discover how Apple's passkeys revolutionize Mac security by replacing vulnerable passwords with biometric authentication and encryption for ultimate protection.

New survey reveals 78% of parents fear AI scams targeting their kids, yet nearly half haven't discussed these threats. Learn why this dangerous gap exists.

Chrome now autofills passport and driver's license info automatically. Google's latest browser update adds official document support with encryption and user control.

Scammers impersonate Department of Veterans Affairs employees claiming veterans owe money, but real VA communications only direct to VA.gov or official channels.

The AltoVolo Sigma hybrid-electric aircraft flies 500 miles at 220 mph while operating 80% quieter than helicopters, featuring safety systems and compact design.

Google search scam alert: fake customer service numbers can give scammers remote control of your phone. Learn how to spot these traps and protect yourself.

Electric vehicles overtake gas cars in total CO2 savings after just two years of driving, with emissions benefits growing over time as power grids get cleaner.

Louvre Museum reportedly used "Louvre" as password for surveillance system during $100M jewel heist. Learn how weak passwords put even famous institutions at risk.

Bipartisan AI jobs bill from Sens. Hawley and Warner would require companies to report AI-related layoffs and hiring to Department of Labor quarterly.

Joe A. from Shelton, Connecticut, lost $228,000 to a ZAP Solutions cryptocurrency investment scam after his divorce, highlighting rising online fraud.

AI-powered autonomous trucks from Waabi and Volvo target U.S. freight driver shortage with Level 4 self-driving technology and NVIDIA computing platform integration.

Survive flight disruptions with expert travel tips: Book early morning flights, download airline apps and know your refund rights during service cuts.

Apple's iOS 26.1 update delivers major security fixes, performance boosts and enhanced privacy controls for your iPhone. Discover why updating now protects your data.

Russian hackers use fake CAPTCHA tests to spread dangerous malware targeting governments and journalists. Learn how to protect yourself from these deceptive attacks.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Miami-Dade debuts America's first autonomous police SUV with AI cameras, drone deployment and real-time crime detection in groundbreaking law enforcement pilot.

Connecticut Does Not Need Further Income Tax Hikes!

Political