The blue-state suicide pact
Any move to raise taxes on the rich — defined as households making over $250,000 annually — strikes directly at the economies of these states, which depend heavily on the earnings of high-income professionals, entrepreneurs and technical workers. In fact, when you examine which states, and metropolitan areas, have the highest concentrations of such people, it turns out they are overwhelmingly located in the bluest states and regions. …
The ironic geography of the Democratic drive can be seen most clearly by examining the distribution of the classes now targeted by the coming purge. The top 10 states with the largest percentage of “rich” households under the Obama formula include true blue bastions Washington, D.C., which has the highest concentration of big earners, Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, California and Hawaii. The only historic “swing state” in the top six is Virginia, due largely to the presence of the affluent suburbs of the capital. These same states, according to the Tax Foundation, would benefit the most from an extension of the much-lambasted Bush tax cuts.
Blowback
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Starve the Looters and let the go to Hades.
Schadenfreude on December 5, 2012 at 4:29 PM
Why has no one written a book called What’s the Matter with Connecticut?
Red states need to put in domestic immigration agencies. No Democrats will be allowed to move here from blue states.
juliesa on December 5, 2012 at 4:30 PM
If it only/mostly affects blue states, then raise the tax rates to 100%. Please.
The Rogue Tomato on December 5, 2012 at 4:33 PM
Why not include government workers here? It is pretty common to see to married civil servants pulling down 250K as a household employed as teachers or administrators in government. The same with law enforcement, etc. This hits the blue states the hardest as those have the most government employees.
Rocks on December 5, 2012 at 4:34 PM
Well, blue states have an ever shrinking middle class, left only with the poor and the elitist left who fancy themselves the new aristocracy. They are willing to pay a little more to keep any of the plebes from joining their ranks. Plus, they generally have only 0-2 kids, giving them extra resources (so a little more in taxes doesn’t affect their lifestyle). And they are willing to pay a little extra (e.g., in taxes, in buying a Leaf, etc.) in order to pat themselves on the back.
besser tot als rot on December 5, 2012 at 4:34 PM
Amen to that. One of the reasons my beloved AZ is turning pink is because of all the braindead lib transplants from CA who decided they didn’t want to live under the policies they voted for there.
Kataklysmic on December 5, 2012 at 4:36 PM
You know the libs have gotten particularly bad when greedy self-interest on their part would be an improvement.
Mr. Prodigy on December 5, 2012 at 4:36 PM
Because their entire salary comes from the earnings of private workers. They are takers, not makers. And the taxes may nominally “hurt” them, but will generally correspond with a pay bump paid for by soaking the makers that more than makes up for the tax loss.
besser tot als rot on December 5, 2012 at 4:37 PM
The reality is that the “rich” can hire good tax lawyers; it is the working man, even if he’s making 250K, who will be taking in the shorts.
Income Taxes are about punishing hard work and success, for making others feel bad, not making sure the “rich” pay their fair share.
LincolntheHun on December 5, 2012 at 4:37 PM
It’s not really a suicide pact because the whole idea of socialism is to take from others – in this case other states. So it doesn’t matter that California, for example, is broke. They have a sugar daddy. The very fact that those liberals states have no trouble attracting and keeping all those high earners proves that those states are not suicidal with their tax policies.
keep the change on December 5, 2012 at 4:38 PM
Bwahahahahahahahaha!!!!
GWB on December 5, 2012 at 4:38 PM
Well, many of those transplants from CA probably came from somewhere else before coming to CA, ruining CA, and then moving on to another state to ruin. I’d like to apply this retroactively to CA to start 30-40 years ago.
besser tot als rot on December 5, 2012 at 4:39 PM
Not to go all off-topic and all.. But could we dispense with current designation of the socialist states being blue?
This was just another way for the left to muddy the waters on political evil – for most of it’s evil life, Socialism has been designated with the color Red – why do we have to play into their hands using the left’s label lying?
Chip on December 5, 2012 at 4:41 PM
Same thing in NV.
I’ve been thinking lately that Republicans need to put together a program that will target new people moving into their state via change of address info, then send them targeted mail that describes the problems of the state they left, why Democrat policies are to blame, and why they seriously should consider talking to Republicans in their new precinct why they should register and vote as Republicans.
Reno_Dave on December 5, 2012 at 4:42 PM
You’re probably right. I’d take it back about 50 years though.
Kataklysmic on December 5, 2012 at 4:48 PM
This is so simple. Now you know who the so-called “Club For Growth” really represents. A bunch of fatcats living in Democrat ruled sates.
Tax the hell out of them, I say. Raise the top rate to 45%. Throw on a surtax of 10% for incomes over $5 million. Kill the deduction for state and local taxes.
Then, exempt ALL small business income from taxation. Most of these high-salaried people are bureaucrats of one kind or another, either in goverment or large corporations. They wouldn’t know how to take risks and be entrepreneurs if their lives depended on it.
Would be funny to see how fast a lot of liberal lawyers would give up the fat partnerships and become solo practitioners.
rockmom on December 5, 2012 at 4:50 PM
It’s a MURDER-suicide pact. They sure as Hell don’t plan on going down alone.
logis on December 5, 2012 at 4:53 PM
That’s fine. My family has been here longer than that
besser tot als rot on December 5, 2012 at 4:55 PM
Leaving aside the disastrous financial aspects, the death of the concept of public service amidst all the lucre seems like even deadlier poison.
Check out the horror stories from Costa Mesa if you’d like a taste of the extreme case – but the animating spirit of that situation (the astonishing arrogance and complete absence of any public service mindset) is present throughout CA (and, obviously, a few other places, such as OH and WI).
Everyone from cops to fire-fighters to college professors make multiples of what their predecessors made – and in most cases (excepting police, and most hard science faculties), their sectors have become less onerous to work in and are providing continually lower levels of service.
Check out the CA teachers’ union video. Remember, this outfit represents TEACHERS. Twenty years ago the ugly and idiotic content of that video would have only come from the looniest fringe groups, and would have been regarded with contempt and disgust by everyone in the public square. Today? Nope – welcome to Khmer Rouge Kampuchea with better infrastructure, my friends.
IceCold on December 5, 2012 at 4:55 PM
Like Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon, when he handcuffed himself to that jumper. The difference is, they had a soft landing.
Why not approve the debt limit $100 billion at a time, letting it run out each time for a few days. And finally, don’t approve it. That’s how it should go.
Paul-Cincy on December 5, 2012 at 4:57 PM
You have a good idea..:)
Dire Straits on December 5, 2012 at 5:05 PM
THIS
+60-80 Trillion. You beat me to it.
Rixon on December 5, 2012 at 5:22 PM
Yep, this is why we should let it burn. Bob and Betty BoBo think they are feeding starving people in the ghetto by giving up going out to eat once a week. Let their taxes hit the roof. Let it cost them more than a latte a week, and they might just start paying attention.
Sekhmet on December 5, 2012 at 5:25 PM
Thank you. Suicide and murder-suicide are two entirely different matters.
WeekendAtBernankes on December 5, 2012 at 5:28 PM
This would make me happy if I didn’t live in California.
Chuck Schick on December 5, 2012 at 6:29 PM
Reno_Dave on December 5, 2012 at 4:42 PM
Seriously, yes, outreach! And the GOP should encourage retirees to move to certain areas to turn them Repub. Swing states anyone?
PattyJ on December 5, 2012 at 6:31 PM
Actually, it’s more like a jumper handcuffing himself to the guy trying talk him off the ledge — and then loudly blaming the rescue worker all the way down to the pavement.
logis on December 5, 2012 at 7:36 PM