| Mr. Gramm is also McCain's economic advisor (a nation of "whiners"). The one that got schooled by Goolsbee ("Well, taxes aren't everything!")
His argument seems to be that 3 states did something wrong, and 3 states did something right and that somehow, Obama's plan is the same as Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois's. He fails to mention that Florida, Texas, and Arizona are states without personal income taxes. Only 6 other states forego taxing the income of their residents; the rest are taxed.
I'm going to need a little more hard data and less coincidentalism to convince me that Gramm actually knows what he's talking about.
Nevermind that the problems of Michigan and Ohio are not linked to taxation, but of the sluggish adaptation of companies and industry to retool their businesses in favor of other trades. Ohio's problems run a lot deeper than a coincidentally higher tax rate--simply lifting the personal income tax here won't change things. We are the "Rust Belt" for a reason--the old and decayed remains of industry long removed.
Until there is a way to get competent workers in Ohio skilled labor involving manufacturing or a way to quickly and economically train these people for other jobs (no excuses, we have more Universities and Colleges than any other state), Ohio will continue to be a mess.
Besides, Phil Gramm is just recycling talking points with data that looks close enough to fit, but isn't. He's another brilliant illustration of the McCain mentality--problems aren't one thing or another, they are a whole host and multitude of interlocking problems that you cannot simply look at things ceteris paribus because they are NOT equal.
__________________ "When the last tree has died; and the last river been poisoned; and the last fish been caught, we will realise that we cannot eat money." - Cree proverb | 