December 10, 2008
Charleston Post and Courier (SC) Interviews Staff Economist Josh Barro on Gov. Mark Sanford’s Tax Plan
"Sanford Proposes Tax Changes"
By Yvonne Wenger
Josh Barro, staff economist with the Tax Foundation, gave Sanford's proposal high marks.
Based on an analysis by the Washington, D.C-based nonpartisan research group, South Carolina would jump to No. 6, up from No. 25, in a ranking of state business climates if the governor's proposals become law.
That ranking would put South Carolina ahead of all the Southeastern states, he said.
"It sounds like a combination of really great reforms," Barro said.
For individuals, Sanford's plan would use a 30-cent cigarette-tax increase per pack and a new $3-per-ton tipping fee at landfills to offset a 50 percent cut in the state's top income tax bracket.
