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« Good News on State Tax | Main | How Refreshing » January 14, 2003Paula's PostscriptBiased Memphis Commercial-Appeal legislative 'reporter' Paula Wade's latest column ends with a little postcript about the income tax: As a postscript, it appears that everyone except the most stubborn reformist dreamers and the most paranoid anti-taxers acknowledge that a state income tax is a dead issue in Tennessee. Take it from someone who witnessed its tortured life and agonizing death - it's gone. Or don't take my word for it - do the math. Tax reform had 45 votes in the 99-member House last year. Fifteen of those supporters are gone now, by either voluntary or forced retirement. Thirty votes in the House, none in the governor's office, and about six in the Senate won't get you a cup of coffee in the legislative cafeteria.And then there's this snide snippet at the end: Tennessee is the third most regressive state in the country, meaning we tax our poor a lot more heavily than the rich, and that's not likely to change. I guess we just like it that way.Would somebody please tell Paula Wade that the study purporting to show Tennessee had the third-most regressive tax structure in the nation was produced by a left-leaning "think tank" with a very liberal agenda on taxes. The Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy is backed by some of the most liberal foundations in America and does not favor the fairest form of income taxation, the flat tax. And ITEP's rankings are based on subjective estimates and assumptions based on the organization's political leanings. ITEP is NOT an "independent, nonpartisan" think tank, as some media have described it. The organization's bias is very well documented. Wade could have learned that in just five minutes or less using Google - and told her readers. My guess is she already knew the facts about ITEP and didn't want to tell her readers because it would undermine her pro-income tax argument. Comments
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