If you’ve followed the John Locke Foundation’s work, you know that each year brings a new version of the By The Numbers report, which ranks cities and counties in terms of the cost of providing local government.
A blurb in the latest U.S. News suggests reports like BTN help dispel some myths:
Americans aren’t too smart when sizing up our personal tax burden, but
we know we don’t want more. A new poll from the Winston Group finds
that most of us think we pay just 27 percent of our income in taxes,
think we should pay just 18 percent, and want the rich to cough up 27
percent. Fact is, says David Winston, when you add up
all your federal, state, local, phone, gas, sales, and other taxes and
fees, the typical bill is higher, over 30 percent. But one thing the
poll found is that we’re dead set against new taxes, especially during
the downturn. By a 71-to-27 percent margin, Americans say now is not
the time to raise taxes. A larger majority feels that if Congress
doesn’t rush to extend the 2001 tax cuts, taxes will surge. “They are
looking at their overall costs, gas, phone, food, and they’re getting
infuriated,” says Winston, who polls for the GOP. His advice to the
party: Pledge to hold the line on taxes?and mean it.
A 71-to-27 margin is relatively close to the 66-to-34 margin that rejected local tax increases in North Carolina this week.
