A good conversation about tax reform

This week we're sharing a quick interview with a Jefferson County member, Linda Stettenbenz. It's just about a minute long – totally shareable – and boils down the reasons that Kentuckians deserve a fairer, more adequate tax structure. If you've been challenged by talking with your friends and neighbors about taxes, this might be a great place to start.

Share the video with your cluster of friends and neighbors, and talk with them about the kind of Kentucky we deserve. Tax reform is a vital piece of getting us there, so what do they (and you) think those reforms should look like? 

A couple of handy things to note:

1) Low- and middle-income Kentuckians pay about 11% of their income to state and local taxes, while the state’s wealthiest 1% pay about 6% of their income to state and local taxes. (Source: Institute of Taxation and Economic Policy, Who Pays Report, 2009)

2) Just since 2008, funding for many functions of our state government has been cut by around 30%, with some cuts up to 38%. Here's a recent report from the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy about the impact of these budget cuts on Kentucky jobs.

A couple of handy actions to take:

1)  Join us for a webinar on July 18th to learn more about Kentucky's tax and budget landscape, and how to participate in the Blue Ribbon Public Input Meetings this summer. You can find more information on the calendar, or on our Blue Ribbon Page.

2) Come to the Public Input Meeting nearest you, or leave a comment online. You can find resources and links on our Blue Ribbon page.

Thanks for all you do, and as always, we'd love to hear how any of your conversations go!