Should the State Income Tax be abandoned?

WTNH reports that "Think tank says state's income tax should be abandoned". The Yankee Institute for Public Policy, a conservative think tank, indicates that the state income tax has hampered Connecticut's economy, and blames low job growth, increased homeowner tax burdens, and slow population growth on the income tax. You can read the report , entitled "Fifteen Years of Folly: The Failures of Connecticut's Income tax" online.

When the income tax was put into place by Lowell Weicker 15 years ago (remember, his campaign promise of "No State Income tax, because that would be like throwing gasoline on a fire"), I remember the fake "license plates" that came out that proclaimed Connecticut the 'Tax Us to Death" state. It certainly has contributed to businesses moving out... it's hard to attract good workers for reasonable rates here.

For those interested, there's an interesting article on the history of Tax Reform and the State Income Tax in the state of Connecticut - from 1993. While the story is angled to discuss the issues facing the progressives and Democrats, and that you can enact progressive tax reform and still win elections, it's still a fascinating read on the history of the state income tax.