Bad ideas that refuse to die

Pennsylvania is considering joining the host of states that have instituted "Screw me" “Tax Me More!” initiatives to raise more revenue, despite the awful track record of the scheme.

[Arkansas Governor Mike] Huckabee's "Tax Me More Fund" was a response to legislators who insisted that tax increases or other measures were needed to offset $142 million in budget cuts. To date, it has taken in between $2,000 and $3,000, according to his spokesman, Jim Harris.

Meanwhile, here in the “Commonwealth” of Massachusetts, the voluntary income tax rate isn’t fooling many people:

VOLUNTARY TAX- Citizens for Limited Taxation (CLT) announced that according to the Department of Revenue, only 504 taxpayers have chosen the new option of voluntarily paying a 5.85 percent rate on their 2002 income tax rather than the mandatory minimum 5.3 percent. CLT sponsored this option that was approved by the legislature and says it was reaching out to the 1,055,181 people who voted against the 2000 ballot question reducing the income tax by giving them the opportunity to pay a higher tax rate and "put their money where their politics are." CLT has also challenged legislators and interest groups who want their pro-tax hike position to be taken seriously, to disclose whether they chose to pay the higher tax rate.

Controlling spending – is that ever an option?