A new study released Wednesday by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) debunks myths which advocates of higher taxes use commonly—and wrongly—when attempting to justify tax increases.
Using overwhelming theoretical and empirical evidence, Tax Myths Debunked confirms what is clearly proven in Rich States, Poor States: The key to economic prosperity at the state level is in free-market, pro-growth policy. Co-authored by economists Dr. Randall Pozdena, former vice president of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, and Dr. Eric Fruits, Tax Myths Debunked shows the fallacy of seven popular tax myths commonly used by advocates of higher taxes:
- Myth 1: Increased government spending stimulates the economy during recessions
- Myth 2: Lower tax rates are bad for the economy in a recession
- Myth 3: Raising tax rates will not harm economic growth
- Myth 4: Austerity in the form of spending cuts will harm growth and employment
- Myth 5: Real household income has not grown in the past 20 years
- Myth 6: The distribution of income is increasingly inequitable
- Myth 7: Raising tax rates on the rich will not harm the economy
Tax Myths Debunked exposes the degree of data manipulation that “progressive” groups will use to make their case for higher taxes and larger government. For instance, the Iowa Policy Project and Good Jobs First used cherry-picked data and inaccurate statements to argue for higher taxes in their pamphlet, “Selling Snake Oil to the States.” They claim that the rankings in Rich States, Poor States has no impact on state economic growth. However, Dr. Randall Pozdena and Dr. Eric Fruits prove the clear relationship between Rich States, Poor States rankings and strong state economic growth.
Click here to read Tax Myths Debunked.
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Personally, I dislike the use of the word “myth” as a weapon to demolish a contrary viewpoint. It implies that there is, and cannot be, a counter argument. The fact that liberals use it as frequently as conservatives is no excuse. Still, I suppose it must be endured. This article might become the basis for a useful debate, but I expect the response will be that ALEC receives money from the evil Koch brothers so it is irredeemably tainted and must be disregarded.