It’s almost as though there’s a tax virus that has infected nearly the entire Northeast – with the exception of New Hampshire, the Live Free or Die State. Rhode Island just became the fourth blue Ssate (after Washington, Maine, and Hawaii) this year to raise tax rates on their richest citizens. The millionaire tax raises the highest personal income tax rate in Rhode Island from 6% to 9%. The tax is phased in over three years.

All Republican lawmakers in both houses voted against the budget, blasting its unsustainable 6% growth in state spending and the controversial millionaire’s tax.

Meanwhile, Rep. Teresa Tanzi, a South Kingstown Democrat, said: “I urge my colleagues to support the 80%. Not the 1%, not the millionaires.”

Except those evil 1% pay a big share of the state’s taxes. They may start packing up and joining the stampede out of the Northeast by heading south where income taxes are as low as zero in three states. Then who’s going to fund Rhode Island’s flabby government?

Notice the millionaires tax is popular only in the northeast and on the left coast.