Taxpayer Alert
From: Tennessee Tax Revolt, www.TntaxRevolt.org
Subject: MTSU Poll supposedly showing 60% support
for income tax
Date:
MTSU has released their we need an income tax survey. The survey shows that 80% of Tennesseans do not favor an
income tax when asked the question in a simple straightforward way. However, the survey is always presented to the
news media as showing support for an income tax. The problem, of course, is
that the income tax is only “popular” when you lie about the way it will be
implemented.
The income tax is ALWAYS sold as revenue neutral. In
other words proponents say, “just give us an income tax and we will reduce
other taxes and state revenues will grow with the economy.” The table below
shows this to be the great lie. The income tax is always sold at one rate and
then implemented a higher rate. EVERY state that has implemented an income tax
since 1967 now charges a higher rate.
For those groups that live off the taxpayers hard
earned money, the income tax is simply another way to get more money from the
only source they have available, the taxpayers. This is easily demonstrated by
looking at those groups that have supported the income tax for the last 20 years.
Who supports the income tax? 1- Big corporate vendors
that make money from TennCare and other state programs, 2- public employee
union bosses, 3- state agencies, and 4- city and county bureaucrats who see
state money as “free” money in the same way that state bureaucrats see federal
money as “free.”
A recent article in the Memphis Flyer newspaper was
titled, How taxpayer-funded public relations are shaping the news (See
link below for complete article). This survey is an extraordinarily good example
of this trend. The taxpayers are funding pro-income tax propaganda, plain and
simple.
While MTSU is pumping out taxpayer funded pro-income
tax propaganda, the new Kentucky Governor is reducing the income tax in
Kentucky so “we can compete with Tennessee” and the new Governor of South
Carolina is trying to eliminate the state income tax altogether. The income tax
punishes savings and investment and reduces JOB GROWTH.
We propose the following to gauge how Tennesseans
truly feel about a state income tax:
1- Have all the candidates running for the Tennessee
General Assembly endorse the income tax.
2- Instead of the questions asked by MTSU, ask this
question: “Would you favor a state income tax which will significantly increase
your tax burden and ruin the competitive advantage that
Here is the bottom line: An income tax would be a disaster for the
Table 1: States that
have implemented an income tax since 1967
|
State |
Year Enacted |
Initial Rate |
Current Rate |
Tax Rank |
|
|
1991 |
1.50% |
3.0-5% |
3 |
|
|
1976 |
2.0-2.5% |
1.4-6.37% |
12 |
|
|
1971 |
15% of Fed |
25% of Fed |
15 |
|
|
1971 |
2.30% |
3.07% |
23 |
|
|
1971 |
0.5-3.5% |
0.743-7.5% |
26 |
|
|
1969 |
2.50% |
3.00% |
24 |
|
|
1969 |
1.0-6.0% |
2.0-8.5% |
14 |
|
|
1967 |
2.90% |
4.10% |
10 |
|
|
1967 |
10% of Fed |
2.56-6.84% |
30 |
|
|
|
|
|
48 |
Source for
Current Income tax rates:
http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/rate/ind_inc.html
Source for
Per Capita State Tax Burden Ranking
http://www.census.gov/govs/statetax/02staxrank.html
http://www.memphisflyer.com/content.asp?ID=5605&ArticleID=2
MTSU Survey
Press Release
http://www.mtsusurveygroup.org/mtpoll/s2004/Tax%20analysis%20-%2020040315_204pm.htm