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By Chuck Ring (GadaboutBlogalot ©2009 – 2010)

Quote Freely From The Article – Leave The Pseudonym Alone

Fancy that and who would have thunk it?  I’m not sure that state income taxes in and of “themselves” (unless extraordinarily high) have an impact on population exodus, but taxes  levied as a whole might have such an effect.  The Washington Examiner plunks down a story by Barbara Hollingsworth suggesting that income tax, with no mention of the overall tax bite, will have an impact on the 2010 census and the tax load will increase the decrease (sorry about the pun or whatever) for the future:

Migration from high-tax states to states with lower taxes and less government spending will dramatically alter the composition of future Congresses, according to a study by Americans for Tax Reform

Eight states are projected to gain at least one congressional seat under reapportionment following the 2010 Census: Texas (four seats), Florida (two seats), Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, South Carolina, Utah and Washington (one seat each). Their average top state personal income tax rate: 2.8 percent.

By contrast, New York and Ohio are likely to lose two seats each, while Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania will be down one apiece. The average top state personal income tax rate in these loser states: 6.05 percent.

But wait, there’s more.  More like compulsory union membership for the losing states and right-to-work for the population gainers:

And, as ATR notes, “in eight of ten losers, workers can be forced to join a union as a condition of employment. In 7 of the 8 gainers, workers are given a choice whether to join or contribute financially to a union.”

Imagine that: Americans are fleeing high tax, union-dominated states and settling in states with lower taxes, right-to-work laws and lower government spending. Nothing sends a message like voting with your feet.

There’s a small additional paragraph to read from the article if you click here and as always don’t forget to follow any links which might be found below.

Thanks and a flip of the lid to Ms. Hollingsworth and The Washington Examiner.

Related Articles

• Income and Corporate Taxes By State (turbotax.intuit.com)
• Utah doesn’t figure into national personal income tax debate ()
• Income tax day (politics.ie)
• “The Deficit Commission’s Plan for Personal Income Taxes” and related posts (politicalcalculations.blogspot.com)
• Taxes and Moving to a New State (turbotax.intuit.com)