Who Wants Higher Taxes?

It has long been one of my pet peeves that many of the people who support high tax politicians have a very different attitude when it comes to their own personal taxes. The word hypocrisy fits perfectly here.

As a kind of experiment, in the 2000 income tax organizer we sent to our clients, I included a question as to who they voted for in the 2000 presidential election. The purpose wasn't to be any kind of scientific poll or contrast with the Florida recount stats, because I expected most people to be on the same wave-length as me in support of the more anti-tax candidates. That was the case, with most people who answered the question (some did refuse) indicating their votes for George Bush or Harry Browne. However, I have already seen about a half dozen honest (or foolish) enough to indicate that they voted for Al Gore. Now the point. Did these clients ask me to go easy on their tax return and make sure they could do as Al Gore believes, and pay in as much tax as possible? Fat chance of that.

Here in Arkansas, Governor Mike Huckabee is doing a similar thing to expose hypocrisy. As this article in the Washington Times describes, he set up a "Tax Me More Fund." In spite of a daily onslaught of letters to the editor in the Arkansas papers screaming for higher taxes, only $260 has been collected in this new fund. As word gets out about this fund, maybe it will grow; but I doubt if that will happen. High tax advocates only want them for everyone else. According to this report in Arkansas Business, even the Gov is not planning to contribute to this new fund.

KMK
- posted by Kerry M. Kerstetter, MBA~CPA~ATP~ATA @ 12/10/2001 12:59:00 PM Send this post: