08/30/05 - Florida Taxpayers and the Plucked Goose

by J. Robert McClure, III
August 30, 2005

The finance minister for France's King Louis XIV had it right: "The art of taxation," said Jean-Baptiste Colbert, "consists in so plucking the goose as to obtain the largest amount of feathers with the smallest amount of hissing."

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Point-of-View

• 2008 Sept - Government Policies Encouraged Wall Street's Risky Business
• 2008 July - Paying $224 Million for an Omaha Stake Won't Protect Florida from Fiscal Disaster
• 2008 July - Will Emissions Rules Give Floridians Sticker Shock?
• 2008 July - Thanking Milton Friedman
• 2008 May - Letter to the Editor: Regarding "The Business of Green"
• 2008 April - How a Minor Storm Could Bankrupt Florida
• 2008 January - Evacuation Disaster: Insurers Fleeing Florida
• 2007 October--Renewable Energy Policy: Not as Good as It Sounds
• 2007 August - "Bad Idea: Tobacco Tax to Fund Health Care"
• 2007 June - JMI Is a Nonpartisan Institute
• 2007 June - Florida's Real Insurance Crisis Lies Ahead
• 2007 June - Georgia City's Experiment Shows How Florida Cities Could Cut Costs
• 2007 May - A Proposal for Property Tax Reform
• 2007 May - Hometown Democracy Amendment Threatens Economoby, Property Rights, Affordable Housing
• 2007 May - Reforming Medicaid's Disability Coverage
• 2007 May - Save Medicaid Reform from Crib Death
• 2007 April - Federal Urge to Meddle Reaches College Campus
• 2007 March - Court's Blown Call Caused Property Tax Woes
• 2007 February - Rx for Florida's Health Care Malaise
• 2007 January - Mr. Governor, Don't Go Wobbly on Education
• 2007 January - Tax & Budget Panel: Opportunities & Risks
• December 2006 - Bring Competition to Cable TV in Florida
• December 2006 - Coming to Florida: A Rare Chance to Reform Taxes & Spending
• December 2006 -- From Gushers to Trickles: Aging of Oil Fields Could Spell Disaster
• November 2006 - Life after Amendment 8
• November 2006 - Private Property Rights: "Slamming the Door on Kelo"
• October 2006 - For My Successor: Five Lessons I Learned as Governor
• October 2006 - Tallahassee's Uncertain Road to Economic Growth
• September 2006 - First Rumblings of a Property-Tax Revolt
• September 2006 - From Gushers to Trickles: Aging of Oil Fields Could Spell Disaster
• August 2006 - Pre-K Choice: The Next Target of Voucher Foes?
• August 2006 - Dropouts' Lament: Schooling Lacks Relevance, Fun
• August 2006 - For Schools: Spend More or Spend More Wisely?
• July 2006 - Soaking the Poor to Aid the Rich
• July 2006 - The NEA's Unrepresentative Assembly
• June 2006 - Is Anti-Wal-Mart Legislation Good for Us?
• June 2006 - Your Private Property Rights: Safer, but . . .
• May 2006 - Florida's Innovative Medicaid Project
• May 2006 - Massachusetts Health Plan Deserves Mixed Reviews
• April 2006 - Reform Social Security to Tame a Tsunami of Red Ink
• April 2006 - Why Florida Needs "Paycheck Protection"
• 03/20/06 - Why Government Is Hungry All the Time
• March 2006 - Doctors Fleeing Florida's Sue-Happy Lawyers
• March 2006 - Reward Teachers for Superior Performance
• 02/07/06 - Business Has Issues for the 2006 Legislature
• February 2006 - Florida Spends More, Not Less, on Education
• February 2006 - Floridians Misinformed on School Spending
• February 2006 - Riviera Beach Tiff Shows
• 01/26/06 - Now's the Time for Florida to Cap Government Spending
• January 2006 - Court Erred in Voucher Ruling
• 12/28/05 - More Bad Math From The Teachers Union
• 12/01/05 - Medicaid Plan Saves Money, Improves Care, Curbs Fraud
• 11/29/05 - A Better Approach to Hurricane Recovery
• 11/22/05 - Gulf Drilling Can Help Florida's Environment
• 11/07/05 - Floridians' Property Rights Need Added Protection
• 10/27/05 - TABOR: A Name You'll Be Hearing
• 10/25/05 - Low Taxes Can Keep Florida's Economy Humming
• 10/17/05 - If Power Corrupts, What About Unions?
• 09/16/05 - Happy Constitution Day, America
• 09/06/05 - Public Employee Unions: 'Political Kryptonite'
• 08/30/05 - Florida Taxpayers and the Plucked Goose
• 08/24/05 - Could 'Blight" Happen to You?
• 08/17/05 - It's Time to Fight 'Judicial Imperialism'
• 07/20/05 - Florida's Growth Management Follies
• 07/05/05 - Property Rights Are Basic to Liberty and They're Under Attack
• 06/29/05 - Property Rights Battle Now Shifts to the States
• 06/05/05 - School Choice: The Civil Rights Issue of the 21st Century
• 05/31/05 - Showdown on School Vouchers
• 05/24/05 - State Taxpayers Need Lasting Protection
• 05/06/05 - Embracing Competition as a Policy Tool
• 04/25/05 - Improve Medicaid Quality with Market Reforms
• 04/22/05 - Inclusionary Housing: What the Research Tells Us
• 04/19/05 - Governor Bush's Medicaid Proposal: A Bold Step in the Right Direction
• 04/07/05 - Health: Public vs. Personal
• 03/21/05 - E-Tail vs. Retail? Five Reasons To Ax Florida's Proposed Internet Tax
• 03/17/05 - Can Florida Afford Tax Cuts?
• 03/17/05 - How -- and Why -- Should Florida's Sales Tax Exemptions be Reviewed?
• 03/01/05 - Competing Improves Government
• 01/18/05 - Offshoring Crusade Washed Up
• 01/18/05 - School Choice and the Blaine Game
• 01/18/05 - Government Should Take Inventory and Have a Garage Sale
• 01/18/05 - Now is the Time to Repeal Florida's Intangibles Tax
• 12/13/04 - Florida's Pre-K Quandry
• 12/02/04 - The Public Gains When Government Embraces Competition
• 10/29/04 - School Choice Revving Up
• 10/21/04 - Raising Florida's Minimum Wage: A Solution in Search of a Problem
• 10/21/04 - S-9 Lawsuit's Damage Could Rival That from This Year's Storms
• 10/21/04 - To Save Florida's Fiscal Future, Voters Must Stop High-Speed Rail
• 04/23/03 - The Right Answer Is Both Simple and Difficult: Understanding Florida's Medical Malpractice Problem
• 04/02/03 - Charter Schools: Bringing Accountability To This Popular Program
• 01/13/03 - It's Been Said Before, But Government Needs Reminding: Nothing In Life is Free
• 12/09/02 - Increasing Productivity in Florida's Public Schools: An Alternative to Increased Spending
• 11/15/02 - Dwindling Membership, Failed Election Scheme Make FEA Irrelevant
• 11/04/02 - Palm Beach House race is a case out of TV's Columbo
• 08/30/02 - Labor Day: Fewer and Fewer Labor Union Members Share the History
• 08/23/02 - Teacher Union Bureaucrats Paid Eight Times More Than Teachers They Claim to Represent
• 08/15/02 - Just Say 'No' to Petition Initiatives
• 08/15/02 - Mr. Mack Steps to the Plate
• 08/12/02 - House of Twelve...A New Branch of Government
• 08/12/02 - Proposed Sales Tax Amendment Should Not be Passed
• 08/08/02 - Be Careful... You Might Not Get What You Wish For
• 08/06/02 - Judge Rules: Protecting Union Teachers More Important Than Protecting Children
• 08/01/02 - Paying For Smaller Classes: Considering the Options
• 07/24/02 - Lying About Infrastructure Costs: Implications for Florida High-Speed Rail
• 07/15/02 - Teachers Union Selling Out Its Members in Constitutional Amendment Drive
• 07/03/02 - Good Job, Dr. Gainous. Bad Job, FAMU Board
• 07/02/02 - The Sorcerer's Apprentice
• 06/27/02 - Those With Nothing to Hide Have Nothing to Fear
• 06/20/02 - Falling For the Teachers Union
• 06/13/02 - Transit's 40-Year Record Low
• 06/06/02 'Sensitizing' Shakespeare
• 05/28/02 - Using Vice to Fund Something Virtuous
• 05/21/02 - Goodbye to All That
• 05/16/02 - Florida Needs to Take Two Steps Forward on Health Care Reform
• 04/18/02 - The Florida Legislature Can Help the State's Economy by Implementing the Federal Bonus Depreciation Allowance
• 03/19/02 - What the Oscars Can Teach Florida Lawmakers
• 03/15/02 - Seeking Conservative Solutions to Government Spending
• 03/06/02 - The Nature of Our Enemy
• 02/13/02 - Florida's New Chief Financial Officer
• 02/13/02 - Free Market Principles and Leaner, More Efficient Government Cornerstone to Reorganization
• 01/31/02 - Insuring Proper Policy Consideration in Tax Reform Efforts
• 01/25/02 - Florida Energy 2020: Is it Deregulation or Musical Chairs?
• 01/24/02 - Pork of a Different Sort
• 01/04/02 - A Partnership With Florida
• 02/01/02 - High-Speed Rail: All Are Not Aboard!
• 12/21/00 - Lawsuits or Legislation?
• 10/13/00 - Would You Want a Train In Your Backyard?
• 09/19/00 - Workforce Deficiencies: Let Free Labor Markets Work out the Problem of Labor Supply and Quality
• 09/01/00 - Chicken Little Meets Nostradamus
• 06/05/00 - If You Care About Education, Read This
• 05/26/00 - With a Heart and a Head, Bush Can Have It Both Ways
• 04/26/00 - Some Thoughts on an Easter to Remember
• 04/19/00 - Calm Down, Mr. Lee. Everything is Alright
• 04/17/00 - Liberty and Freedom for One Small Child
• 01/24/00 - OSHA Releases Alligators into Sewer System
• 01/11/00 - The Internet Sales Tax
• 12/17/99 - A Christmas Bonus?
• 12/01/99 - Capital Punishment: Time is Money
• 07/30/99 - Not Another Tuition Increase!
• 07/17/99 - Drug Abuse Has Become Too Matter-of-Fact Among College Students
• 10/01/98 - What Happened to Real Science?
• 07/01/98 - Private Automobile License Tags
• 07/01/97 - Why Does the Government Want to Pick on Uncle Bert?
• 02/01/97 - Taiwan, China, and Politics in the World Trade Organization: Why Should Floridians Care?
• 10/01/96 - Is the Proposed Sugar Tax a Good Thing?
• 09/01/96 - Florida General Elections: How Much Choice Do We Really Have?
• 07/01/96 - Teen Pregnancies and Kids Living in Poverty: Should Taxpayers Do More?
• 05/01/96 - Legislature Slows Spending Machine
• 03/01/96 - Charter Schools and Political Power
• 03/01/96 - Florida's 'Bad for Business' Law is Bad for Workers Too
• 03/01/96 - What Florida's University Graduates Don't Know About History and Government
• 02/01/96 - Determining Gubenatorial Incapacity: It's Time To Reform the Florida Constitution
• 02/01/96 - Electing the Superintendent Is A Poor Way To Run Our Schools
• 02/01/96 - Property Rights and the Notion of Givings
• 01/01/96 - Economic Freedom and the Wealth of Nations
• 04/22/05 - Why Protect Car Dealers from Competition?
• 2007 March - New State Leadership: What Does the Future Hold?

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