tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9069955.post3328366485684363529..comments2023-10-26T08:02:44.948-04:00Comments on Connecticut Commentary: Red Notes from a Blue State: Connecticut’s Vanishing SurplusDon Pescihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11167988001948356357noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9069955.post-63569319092393320112012-01-25T11:13:18.935-05:002012-01-25T11:13:18.935-05:00Right. It cannot be mentioned too often that every...Right. It cannot be mentioned too often that every regulation is a cost to business that will be passed along to consumers of products and services in the form of a higher price. If the cost cannot be recovered through a price increase – companies DO want to remain competitive – it will be recovered through salary reductions, most likely by reducing the cost of labor through layoffs, delays in hiring and business expansion. All of which means regulations cost jobs. We’re supposed to be worried about that; see the campaign literature of any politician up for re-election. But is also creates harmful distortions in what remains of a free market. As always, it’s a matter of balance; some regulations are necessary, most are not. The real difference between Republicans and Democrats is this: The Repubs, as well as the founders of the country, want to regulate the government; the Dems want to regulate everything else. I call it rampant Blumenthalism.Don Pescihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11167988001948356357noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9069955.post-40220630828957244342012-01-23T08:50:55.280-05:002012-01-23T08:50:55.280-05:00I've just completed several state sales tax re...I've just completed several state sales tax returns for our consulting company. Most of these are for zero taxable sales (labor is usually non taxable). In CT we pay use taxes on stuff we buy from Amazon.<br /><br />The CT return was a nightmare of changing rates, new categories and confusing objectives. The California one was just outright thuggish. The Texas one was a dream. If you had zero, fill in this box and that was it, thank you Sir!<br /><br />A little example but it says a lot about the business friendliness of a small sample of states.dmoellinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13128088863830769762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9069955.post-72014374092480594842012-01-20T23:37:38.198-05:002012-01-20T23:37:38.198-05:00Don - the incredible thing about the deterioration...Don - the incredible thing about the deterioration of the state's finances is that we actually collected $3/4 billion more in taxes (compared to same time last year) for the first 6 months of the current fiscal year! -It goes to underscore the problem is not "undertaxing", it's overspending. If they merely froze real spending we would be flush right now.<br />-Len Suziolen suzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17444349552834739586noreply@blogger.com