I’ve written before about whether California is the Greece of America, in part because of crazy policies such as overpaid bureaucrats and expensive forms of political correctness,
And we all know that California has one of the nation’s greediest governments, imposing confiscatory tax rates on a shrinking pool of productive citizens.
So it is hardly surprising that the Golden State is falling behind, losing jobs and investment to more sensible states such as Texas.
But not everybody is learning the right lessons from California’s fiscal and economic mess.
There’s a group of crazies who want to increase the top tax rate by five percentage points, an increase of about 50 percent. And they have made Kim Kardashian the poster child for their proposed ballot initiative.
I’m relatively clueless about popular culture, but even I’m aware that there is a group of people know as the Kardashian sisters. I don’t know who they are or what they do, but I gather they are famous in sort of the same way Paris Hilton was briefly famous.
And they have cashed in on their popularity, which may not reflect well on the tastes of the American people, but it’s not my job to tell other people how to spend their money.
But not everybody share this live-and-let-live attitude, which is why the pro-tax crowd in California produced this video.
I suppose I could criticize the petty dishonesty of the proponents, since they deliberately blurred of the difference between “tax rates” and “taxes paid.”
Or I could expose their economic illiteracy by pointing out that higher tax rates would accelerate the emigration of investors, entrepreneurs, small business owners, and other rich taxpayers to zero-tax states such as Nevada.
But I won’t do those things. Instead, like the Nevada Realtors Association and Arizona Business Relocation Department, I’m going to support this ballot initiative.
Not because I overdid the rum and eggnog at Christmas, but because it’s good to have negative role models, whether they are countries like Greece, cities such as Detroit, or states like California.
So here’s my challenge to the looters and moochers of the Golden State. Don’t just boost the top tax rate by five-percentage points. That’s not nearly enough. Go for a 20 percent top tax rate. Or 25 percent. After all, think of all the special interests that could use the money more than Ms. Kardashian.
And if somebody tells you that she will move to South Beach or Las Vegas, or that the other rich people will move to Texas, Wyoming, or Tennessee, just ignore them. Remember, it’s good intentions that count.
In closing, I apologize to the dwindling crowd of productive people in California. It’s rather unfortunate that you’re part of this statist experiment. But you know what they say about eggs and omelets.
By the way, here’s some humor about the Golden State, including a joke about the bloated bureaucracy and a comparison with Texas.
[…] the moochers and looters than run the state aren’t learning the right lesson. They think that successful people are a pinata that can be endlessly beaten in the search for more […]
[…] rates also lead people to “vote with their feet.” Laffer and Moore look at migration patterns. Over the past decade, states without an income tax […]
[…] rates also lead people to “vote with their feet.” Laffer and Moore look at migration patterns. Over the past decade, states without an income tax […]
[…] the real test will be this November, when voters will be asked whether to vote for a huge income tax increase so that Governor Jerry Brown and the crowd in Sacramento can keep the gravy train rolling along for […]
[…] wrote that year that the last job creator to leave California should make sure to turn off the lights. I doubt that will be necessary since the electrical system probably will have failed by that time. […]
[…] lines here at home. There is a wealth of data on successful people leaving jurisdictions such as California and New York that have confiscatory tax […]
[…] lines here at home. There is a wealth of data on successful people leaving jurisdictions such as California and New York that have confiscatory tax […]
[…] is a wealth of data on successful people leaving jurisdictions such as California and New York that have confiscatory tax […]
[…] friends on the left. There is a wealth of data on successful people leaving jurisdictions such as California and New York that have confiscatory tax […]
[…] rates also lead people to “vote with their feet.” Laffer and Moore look at migration patterns. Over the past decade, states without an income tax […]
[…] rates also lead people to “vote with their feet.” Laffer and Moore look at migration patterns. Over the past decade, states without an income […]
[…] rates also lead people to “vote with their feet.” Laffer and Moore look at migration patterns. Over the past decade, states without an income […]
[…] Barbara Boxer is any sort of example, no wonder California is such a mess, losing jobs and investment to other […]
[…] Barbara Boxer is any sort of example, no wonder California is such a mess, losing jobs and investment to other states. Rate this: Share […]
It is certainly better that they pick on celebrities than bankers and entrepreneurs. Athletes next? What is the betting that Hollywood gets a free pass?
I grew up in California. I’m on vacation here now. I still dream of being able to move back because the weather is amazing and the people are nice (nicer than New Yorkers anyway). Thus, I’d be happier if Californians didn’t take your advice Dan 😀
As is typical of these situations — where a once successful environment blows it by stepping on the HopNChange free lunch — once the tide turns on California it’ll be already too late …
What if she doesn’t want to fund education and critical services. There may be others who would want to. Is there any compulsion to support a cause? By what standards of democracy can you make someone forcefully want to pay for charitable services?
Reblogged this on The Conservative New Ager.