March 17, 2004

Support for Income Tax?

I very seriously doubt the results of the poll refered to in a news report off of WSMV Channel 4's website.

Nearly 60 percent of Tennesseans say they would support a state income tax if it were paired with sales tax cuts, according to a new poll.

The poll by Middle Tennessee State University found 59 percent support the measure, down from 62 percent in a MTSU poll last fall but still within the poll's 4 percent margin of error.

This sounds like another state university attempting to make an appeal for a state income tax, and I don't buy it. Not to mention that it is being touted by a pro-income tax news station (which was not very receptive to the Taxpayer Bill of Rights Town Hall Meeting a couple of weeks ago).

Update: I found this official press release from MTSU regarding their most recent income tax poll. There you will find the questions that were asked as well as the analysis surrounding the poll. Feel free to read it and draw your own conclusions as to its accuracy. Just remember that this poll was conducted by a state funded university.

Comments:

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All poll results are shaped by their questions, and this poll's questions are biased in favor of the income tax.

The people are asked various questions of whether they would support an income tax with a certain exemption, or with a reduction in the sales tax. But they are NOT asked if they favor or oppose an income tax with a sales tax cut "if there was nothing to stop them from raising the sales tax later," for example.

It's a push poll.

Posted by: Bill Hobbs at March 18, 2004 06:15 AM

I find it convienent that this 'poll' is released when a TaBOR is being considered and the so-called 'independent commision' is set to release it's 'conclusion' this summer. The timing of this is nothing more than a transparent setup - and the media is sucking it up.

Posted by: DocB at March 18, 2004 07:25 AM

Have you heard much yet about the push for a flat tax? Supposedly they're starting to discuss it seriously... heard about it on Quinn & Rose (http://www.warroom.com/)

Posted by: Mary at March 18, 2004 08:00 PM

There are several small grassroots efforts to scrap the graduated income tax we have right now and move to a flat tax (and some that want to scrap the IRS and move to just a consumption tax). Head over to www.fairtax.org to see one group that is promoting a consumption tax instead of an income tax (that's the only group I can think of off the top of my head right now).

The whole idea of completely overhauling our current tax code has been gaining momentum...slowly but surely. We might eventually get there...who knows?

Posted by: Blake at March 18, 2004 11:07 PM