Calblog

Taxes and the Economy

There's an interesting article in today's LA Times about the differences in the Davis approach to a sluggish economy, raising taxes, and the Bush approach, cutting taxes. How would you be able to tell in a couple of years which worked? If CA lags ahead or behind the rest of the country? I can think of numerous variables that would adversely affect the objectivity of such a look.

I have not looked at the numbers yet, but I wonder if the fed tax cut plus the state hike will result in any net gain or loss to CA residents. Maybe we're just moving federal money into the state coffers without the usual negotiations and restrictions. Later this week, I'll write a piece about the usual tension in that area -- looking at federal special education funds.