Tax Foundation Report Finds Hoosiers' Income Fell As Tax Burden Over The Past Decade Grew

Read it and weep. A new study by the Tax Foundation finds that Hoosier taxpayers have the 22nd highest tax burden in the country. Hoosiers earn smaller incomes and pay a larger share of their income in state and local taxes than they did a decade ago. In 2001, Hoosiers' state and local tax burden ranked 43rd in the nation. If that's not an indictment of Gov. Mitch Daniels' two terms in office, I don't know what it is. Contrary to the popular meme of politicians, property tax caps did little to alleviate the growing tax burden shouldered by individual taxpayers. Indiana's tax burden is only 0.2% lower than Ohio's 9.7% rate, and it's 0.7% lower than Illlinois' 10.2%. Per capita incomes are much higher in Illinois and Ohio. Illinois' per capita annual income is about $10,000 higher, while Ohio's is about $3,000 higher. Our tax-and-spend Indianapolis mayor and city-county council are poised to enact another major tax increase this year after jacking our income tax rate 65% in 2007. As we've witnessed, the money was squandered for hundreds of millions of dollars in public subsidies for the state's wealthiest citizens, who have essentially purchased our elected officials to work on their behalf, not the pubic they were elected to serve.

• 2011; 9.5%; 22; $3,385; $35,592
• 2010; 9.8% 25 $3,411 $34,771
• 2009; 10.0%; 22; $3,575; $35,897
• 2008; 9.7%; 27; $3,638; $37,424
• 2007; 9.4%; 35; $3,581; $38,252
• 2006; 9.2%; 33; $3,482; $37,885
• 2005; 9.2%; 33; $3,438; $37,542
• 2004; 8.9%; 38; $3,291; $36,901
• 2003; 8.9%; 40; $3,196; $35,966
• 2002; 8.5%; 41; $3,053; $35,737
• 2001; 8.4%; 43; $3,072; $36,656