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January 25, 2012
Maine Liberals: Why Cut DHHS...
When you could just as easily raise taxes?
Engage Maine said the state’s wealthiest 1 percent pay an effective state and local tax rate that’s 12 percent lower than the average Mainer’s. Making residents who earn more than $350,000 a year pay “their fair share” at the average state tax rate and restoring the 2010 tax rate for those earning more than $200,000 annually would generate $72 million a year, said Garrett Martin, executive director of the Maine Center for Economic Policy, a member of Engage Maine.A revenue problem?He pointed out that the state is spending less General Fund money than it did in 1998, in inflation-adjusted dollars.
“We don’t have a spending problem here,” Martin said. “What we have is a revenue problem.”
Yeah, not so much.
Maine's 2009 state and local tax burden of 10.1% of income is above the national average of 9.8%. Maine's tax burden has remained relatively constant from 10.1% (23rd nationally) in 1977 to 10.1% (9th nationally) in 2009. Maine taxpayers pay $3,832 per capita in state and local taxes.Combine an above-average tax rate with a below-average per capita income, and it adds up to a simple truth: there's not a lot of money left for the government to take.
The progressives, though, have only one playbook, containing variations on one play - they believe they are entitled to more of your money, all the time. Their appetite for taxes will never go away, and never wanes. The only way to keep them from taking it is to keep them out of office.
Posted by slublog at January 25, 2012 06:07 PM
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