From AL.com:

Alabama collected less in state and local taxes per person in fiscal 2005 than any other state, according to a Birmingham News review of U.S. Census Bureau reports.

Alabama’s state, county and city governments collected a total of $2,569 per person in taxes that fiscal year, according to the Census Bureau’s most recent report on state and local tax collections compared with its state population estimates for July 1, 2005.

The national median was $3,387 that year: 25 states collected more in state and local taxes per resident and 25 states collected less in fiscal 2005, which for most state governments ended June 30, 2005.

You’ve got to love how the author was compelled to describe how the median value is calculated.  I guess he knows that most of the readers are products of our government education system.

Alabama can only claim to be at the bottom in taxes on a per capita basis.  On a percentage basis, state and local governments take 12.14% of our income, whereas “only” 11.72% is pried from the hands of New Hampshire residents.

Of course there are some who think that the government taking over 12% of our income (not including the federal taxes!) isn’t enough.  The article quoted a professor from the University of Alabama as well as Democratic state senator Hank Sanders.  Both seem to think that we are decidedly not over taxed and that there are numerous programs that could use more funding.  Sanders even used the massive Thyssen Krupp subsidy as leverage for more spending on social programs.

Sanders said, “It’s amazing how much we’re willing to invest in huge industry, but we’re not willing to invest in social initiatives.”

I may be crazy, but no matter how you slice the tax numbers they seem like a lot.  Could you imagine writing a single check for $2,569 as opposed to having it taken from you penny by penny over the year?  What could you do with some of that $2,569 in your pocket rather than in Alabama’s coffers?  I bet you could find better ways to spend it than the state.  Maybe you could give yourself a 62% pay raise!  Even as a percentage basis it make my stomach curdle to think that the state and local governments take 12% of what I work damn hard to earn - and they always want more.

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This entry was posted by Brian on Monday, July 9th, 2007 at 5:04 am and is filed under Alabama, Taxes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. Please note the copyright policy.