Fool’s Gold: Tax Freedom Day

by David Safier

I'm delighted to say I had nothing to do with this edition of Fool's Gold. Full credit goes to Jim Nintzel on The Range.

My delight comes from seeing others are on the lookout for Goldwater Institute lies, mis-truths, half truths and general inanities. I talked with someone else in the media who said about G.I., "They're all a bunch of liars."

Few things would be better for Arizona than a new cottage industry: a loosely connected network of G.I. debunkers.

Nintzel's headline is, Goldwater Institute Spreads Bullshit About Tax Freedom Day.

The Goldwater Institute is crowing about how Easter Sunday was "Tax Freedom Day" in Arizona . . .

The only problem: Tax Freedom Day came a long time ago for the "average Arizonan."

Because of the progressive income-tax structure, the entire premise of Tax Freedom Day is flawed—and Goldwater's Byron Schlomach is smart enough to know that he's passing along a big stinky load of horseshit.

The basic problem with the Tax Freedom Day concept is, when you average the percentage of their income people pay in taxes, you include the lowest and highest ends of the spectrum. In fact, only 20% of U.S. taxpayers pay enough for the so-called Tax Freedom Day to come this late in the year.

It's like averaging two net worths: mine and Bill Gates. Turns out we average out at about $15 billion. Man, does that make me feel flush! I'm gonna go out and splurge on a package of tube socks. And I'm paying retail, man!

I appreciate Nintzel ending his piece with an acknowledgment of my "G.I. claims bus drivers are bureaucrats" posts.

Come on, there's plenty enough to go around. Everyone can join in.

So much G.I. bullshit; so little time.