LETTERS: WalletHub says study isn’t flawed

To the editor:

Thanks for citing WalletHub today [Brack: State’s tax structure needs work, not praise]. I just want to clarify one of your points:

“Simply put, the flawed WalletHub study doesn’t rely on basic economic tax fairness principles like equity (ability of people to pay), adequacy (whether the system raises enough money for people’s needs), neutrality, transparency and simplicity.”

I want to make sure you don’t think we merely took a survey of taxpayers’ opinions and left it at that. We actually contrasted it with the ITEP’s 2015 Report and its measurement of South Carolina’s tax regressiveness. This nationally renowned report also fails to address your points, but that does not mean it’s “flawed.”

I know today’s article offers your commentary, but I hope you understand our methodology enough now to consider retracting that word — “flawed” — from your post. Of course, let me know if I can provide you with anything else from our research team.

– Diana Popa, communications manager, WalletHub.com

EDITOR’S NOTE: Thanks, but we stick by our assessment. The study is flawed because it starts with subjective opinions. It doesn’t start with applying empirical, generally-accepted economic principles to make the rankings. Using opinions as a starting point is dumb because nobody thinks taxes are fair.

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