Benchmarks of Public Success

(Community Matters)  I’m reading about southern states increasing state sales taxes and eliminating income taxes, resulting in higher taxes on the poor . . . . and reading economic development justifications. The metric of public economic success shouldn’t be the size of a public entity’s economy, the absolute wealth of that economy, nor even simple employment figures . . . . we should expand the benchmarks to include greater employment at liveable wages, higher rates of education attainment, lower rates of poverty, sustainability (infrastructure & environmental investment & stewardship) and yes also the robustness and competitiveness of an economy so as to continue supporting and encouraging entrepreneurial investment. Admittedly, it isn’t easy to balance these ambitions, but I fear we too often don’t even try.

Income Tax Could Be Eliminated By Many Republican-Controlled States