BrianGarst.com

ABC News has discovered that raising taxes* only on people making more than $250,000 harms more than just people making over $250,000:

A 63-year-old attorney based in Lafayette, La., who asked not to be named, told ABCNews.com that she plans to cut back on her business to get her annual income under the quarter million mark should the Obama tax plan be passed by Congress and become law.

So far, Obama’s tax plan is being looked at skeptically by both Democrats and Republicans and therefore may not pass at all.

“We are going to try to figure out how to make our income $249,999.00,” she said.

“We have to find a way out where we can make just what we need to just under the line so we can benefit from Obama’s tax plan,” she added. “Why kill yourself working if you’re going to give it all away to people who aren’t working as hard?”

Dr. Sharon Poczatek, who runs her own dental practice in Boulder, Colo., said that she too is trying to figure out ways to get out of paying the taxes proposed in Obama’s plan.

“I’ve put thought into how to get under $250,000,” said Poczatek. “It would mean working fewer days which means having fewer employees, seeing fewer patients and taking time off.”

“Generally it means being less productive,” she said.

Incentives matter.  Obama is creating disincentives to work and produce.  This is not a recipe for economic growth.

ABC News, predictably, tried to push a biased poll with the story, asking if it’s “fair” that people try and “sidestep” tax proposals.  The premise is stupid, because people have a right to decide how much and how hard they work, so of course it’s fair.  It’s called freedom, and nothing is more fair than that.  And despite stacking the possible answers, their agenda was thwarted.  As of now 5,137 out of 7,799 respondents agreed with that statement, “Yes. I also would find ways to decrease my salary to avoid taxes.” Only 714 agreed with the class warfare statements of “No. The rich have had too many tax breaks. They should be ashamed for finagling the system” or “No. I have to pay high taxes and so should that high-income bracket. They can afford it.”

*Actually, Obama’s energy and environment agenda will raise taxes on everyone, but he continously equates income taxes with all taxes.

Barack Obama