Let's play Kerryopoly!

The fun new game that's sweeping Taxachusetts and maybe The Peoples Republic of Seattle!

Check it out:

http://www.gop.com/kerryopoly/

That's pretty good...I like pot shots at both sides

$1000.00 for a haircut is that for a year?

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KK,

You forgot to factor in that Taxachusetts is one of the few states in the union that have both a state income tax (9.4% in 2004) and a state sales tax (5% in 2004).

KK,

The stats you quoted were not the sum of all parts (the tax stats cited were from '01 and were idenified as 'income taxes'. Sales tax is a seperate entity altogether.

I know about cumlative taxation because I did a paper on it in college--but that's going back many moons. My thesis was (and is) that you can have either a state income tax or a state sales tax to meet state expenses (there's no need for both).

I don't know of a website that compares both state income and state sales tax (if applicable) to that of others.

You can Google Massachusetts income/sales tax and add them together and compare them to other states (they're aren't that many that have both--for good reason).
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Speaking of Massachusetts, taxation and representaion, isn't it TYRANNY that Massachusetts residents are paying taxes while Senator Kerry draws a Senators salary and benefits while missing over 75% of the senate votes while running for president?

Bob Dole did the appropriate thing and resigned from the senate when he ran for president in 1996. He did this so his constituents in Kansas could have representation in the senate while he was preoccupied with running for president.

Wasn't it a James Otis (from Massachusetts) that said, "Taxation without representaion is TYRANNY"?

You'ld think a well educated Beacon Hiller like John Kerry would be familiar with that quote.

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Overall tax burden: Taxes as a percentage of income. (incl. Local, State and Federal taxes) 2004

US Avg: 27.8%

NY: 32.3%

Mass: 29.6%

WA: 28.8%


MA doesn't look too far out of line...........but don't let that get in the way of a good story.

I thought the same theing, KK. I would imagine they use income forecasting and known taxation rates to calculate the overall tax burden.

The numbers for 2004 look very similar to years past.

What should be noted is that we in this state have the least amount of deductions that we can take against our Federal taxes (ie state income)of almost any state. So our effective tax burden is higher and other states are lower. Tim Eyeman is making that gap wider with each initative.

TK,

WA ranks #34 in tax burden based on state and local taxes. When you figure in Federal taxes, we jump to #7 in tax burden as a % of income.

Sales tax isn't our friend.

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[BLANK] TAX revenue as a % of personal income.

[BLANK] TAXES as a % of of personal income.

Maybe I missed something, but those two statements seem to reference the TAX on INCOME as a %.

How can one read those two sentences and conclude that they include sales tax of varied individual consumer consumption?

KK,

Issues--something you apparently have some knowledge of. Firsthand?
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Are you suggesting that Massachusetts had a progressive state income tax structure?

Sales tax is a fixed %.

Admit it--you're figures didn't include the sales tax factor.

You can ramble on all night and day--it's not going to make your original figures the 'sum of all parts' if one of the parts is sales tax.

Do you know how many states have both state income tax and state sales tax?

It's not going to make "Taxachusetts" a valid nickname either.

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1.) Massachusetts has a flat income tax.

2.) It's also interesting that you identify the 80's as when Massachusetts had a very high ranking tax burden.

Isn't that when John Kerry was the states Lt. Governer working under Governer Michael Dukakis?

Locally, goobernatorial candidate Ron Simms wants higher taxes too. He supported Michael Dukakis in '88, and he supports Kerry in '04.

For all of you who are in favor of higher taxes:

Simms and Kerry '04!

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That ranking looks good until you factor in the residents of the state also pay sales tax.

It's when you add sales and income tax together (when applicable) that you can accurately compare individual states rankings.

I'm curious, since you seem to think it's a good idea for an individual state to levy BOTH an income and sales tax---Do you teach economics at Evergreen college?

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When did I edit out the word 'thesis'? I only used that word once in one of my posts--and it's still there.


Tying flies is a constructive hobby--but try to get outside and breath some fresh air.