The DeLay/Bush strategy has been to buy votes with our tax dollars. DeLay just cares about having seats but has forgotten the purpose of having them in the first place. The Medicare prescription drug benefit, massive Katrina relief and NCLB are just ways to buy votes with our tax money and are opposed to conservative values. I am encouraged by the tax panel's recommendations about removing exemptions and lowering rates but my fear is that Congress will gut the exemptions but not follow through on the rate reductions, or do what they do and make everything phase out above a certain income.

A very discrimatory thing about the income tax is that it does not take into account where the taxpayer lives. So a person making $150,000 in Wyoming, who is probably the richest guy in town, pays the same tax as someone in New York, who can't afford to buy a place to live. So, in essence, expensive states subsidize the less expensive states. We need to move out of this model and stop taxing people on their income.

It would be interesting to see the panel's recommendations implemented, as residents in high tax places such as DC would reel and hopefully there would be an uprising against our high taxes as we could no longer get credits for them. Go Bush on this one!!
Leonardo | Homepage | 11.01.05 - 10:38 pm | #

Adjusting taxes for the standard of living of each state is a great idea.
cicero | Homepage | 11.02.05 - 6:15 pm | #

One reason to love Florida...no state income taxes there. The cost of living is pretty low there and you get to take home more of your pay - a good combo. Only problem is that, in general, salaries are very low...
Minerva Oblongata | Homepage | 11.03.05 - 4:37 pm | #