RICHMOND — State lawmakers can rule out Virginian’s offering up more of their hard-earned money to fix the $1.4 billion budget shortfall Gov. Tim Kaine announced this week.
At least that is what a peek at the so-called “Tax Me More Fund” suggests.
Since its inception in 2002, the fund has collected a total of $10,217.04.
Megan McArdle writes, “This is what economists call “revealed preference”. What most of us are really in favor of is higher taxes on other people. If we wanted higher taxes on ourselves, we’d give the money to charity”.
More here, here, here, here, here and here.
If I were given the choice of donating to a charity or donating the same amount of money to a government function which I could designate I would probably donate the money to the government. Therefore, the issue (at least in my case) is not that I don’t want higher taxes on myself (as McArdle suggests), but rather that I don’t think the government would spend my additional taxes the way I want them to be spent.
An interesting poll: Ask a sample of Americans to construct a simple, hypothetical federal budget that would conform to their best wishes, then compare that composite budget to the actual one. I’m sure this has been done somewhere by someone - I’d love to see it.
Okay - but even that still doesn’t invalidate McArdles point. After all, the connection between increased taxes and government functions one likes is always loosely connected.
So in the end, it’s true, “What most of us [the left] are really in favor of is higher taxes on other people. If we wanted higher taxes on ourselves, we’d give the money to charity”.
Much like Bush’s tax cut policies have this economy booming…especially for the working and middle classes..right HP..
I don’t think the tax cuts have done much either way…but as a general principle I do side more with tax cuts than tax increases.
I think the people are much better at spending their own money than government is at spending it. See here.
I wish you wouldn’t frame it as “right vs. left” HP. I think it’s pretty much universal that no one wants to pay higher taxes, and that everyone thinks the government should spend less. Where or not I am “right” or “left” is mostly irrelevant in this particular discussion.
I don’t want to pay more taxes, but I am willing to pay more taxes if I feel the money is being spent wisely. I think that’s generally true of most Americans - right or left.
It’s moderates like you that make life difficult for partisans like me.