Death Tax? I Forgot

Sometimes you simply cannot make things up. In New York, Governor David Paterson was on the radio and revealed an astonishing gap in his knowledge about taxes.

The New York Post noted:

Gov. Paterson was caught clueless yesterday when he appeared unaware of the existence of the state's almost $1-billion-a-year estate tax.

The Democratic executive made the grave oversight during an interview on WNYC 93.3 FM when a listener asked whether the state had an "inheritance tax" and, if not, whether it would be worth enacting one.

"I don't know if New York has one or not," host Brian Lehrer said.

"I don't know either," Paterson replied. "Maybe by the end of this program I can get someone to get us an answer to that."

No one should be surprised that taxes are so high in New York. Apparently, leading politicians cannot remember what taxes are already imposed.

Raymond J. Keating
Chief Economist
Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council