Eliminating the state income tax

Kansas, Oklahoma, Indiana, Arkansas, as well as Missouri with the boldest plan of all, are moving toward reducing and eliminating the state income tax to make them more competitive as a business-friendly development state similar to no income tax states like neighboring Texas and Tennessee. Raising income tax rates believing that will raise real revenue dollars to the treasury is a proven myth. Illinois implemented a huge income tax increase last year. Now in his "rendezvous with reality," Gov. Quinn announced the closing of 59 state facilities, from Health and Human Services to prisons. due to revenue shortfalls. The only way to create a sustainable stream of real revenue dollars is by allowing private sector businesses to grow unimpeded by government. Private investments produce real jobs for more people than investments of taxpayer funds by politicians.

Make-work government jobs and bartering tax credits are simply corrupt political bribery targeting specific entities for special reciprocal favors, or vote pandering for specific voting blocs. This produces bitter partisan wrangling over taxpayer funds to promote selfish political interests. Eliminating the income tax, replacing it with a slightly higher sales tax on a broader base of new goods and services, feeds more money into the treasury through voluntary purchases. This sanitizes power broker corruption in government to a large degree. Now wonder why the political establishment, and their bedfellow organizations with great-sounding titles benefiting unfairly in the current system, attack and smear the initiative to eliminate the Missouri income tax?

JOHN McMILLEN, Sikeston, Mo.