Ron DeSantis tells Iowans ‘visitors and migration’ make up for lack of Florida state income tax
Ron DeSantis in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Image via KETV.

DeSantis Council Bluffs
'Y'all should try it sometime.'

Gov. Ron DeSantis is continuing his whirlwind Iowa tour on Wednesday, again pitching Hawkeye State Republicans on his conservative bona fides.

The new presidential candidate extolled Florida’s lack of state income tax in Council Bluffs, before offering some insight into how Florida gets away with not extracting it from citizens.

“It’s a great selling point for the state,” DeSantis said. “Honestly, I get more tax money coming in from the visitors and the migration than if we had an income tax anyway.”

The Governor did not substantiate this claim, which is new to an otherwise increasingly familiar stump speech, before moving on to explain why the lack of an income tax offered advantages over other states.

“So even from a government perspective, having these income tax, like Illinois raising taxes, Massachusetts, it’s counterproductive,” DeSantis said, mentioning two states with more Democrats in power than in Florida.

“People leave the state when they’re not treated well,” DeSantis added. “So it’s much better to not have income tax like we have now when we want to give people tax relief, obviously, we can’t cut those rates because there are no rates.”

The Governor has made a habit of noting that Iowa, unlike Florida, has an income tax, and in Council Bluffs he offered yet another reminder and piece of advice.

“Y’all should try it sometime,” he said, before offering credit to Iowa’s influential chief executive, Gov. Kim Reynolds.

“I know your Governor is working on that and she’s doing a good job.”

Florida’s lack of an income tax precedes the DeSantis era, of course.

In 1924, 80% of voters ratified a Constitutional amendment barring income or inheritance taxes.

The voters’ intent was ratified again in 1968.

Alaska,  Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming also do not have state income taxes.

A.G. Gancarski

A.G. Gancarski has been the Northeast Florida correspondent for Florida Politics since 2014. He writes for the New York Post and National Review also, with previous work in the American Conservative and Washington Times and a 15+ year run as a columnist in Folio Weekly. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter: @AGGancarski


6 comments

  • Dr. Franklin Waters

    May 31, 2023 at 2:03 pm

    Vistors to places like, oh, uh, I dunno…Disney World?

    It’s only THEE most popular tourist destination in the world, but this chump decided to go to war with the states number one cash cow.

    F*cking Idiot.

    • A concerned citizen

      May 31, 2023 at 2:08 pm

      Doctor you sir are like a scab on a dirty bhole. I hope there are not very many like you on this public forum. Disgusting

      • Dr. Franklin Waters

        June 1, 2023 at 11:59 am

        Bless your heart. 😊

  • Michael K

    May 31, 2023 at 3:10 pm

    “Honestly, I get more tax money coming in from the visitors and the migration than if we had an income tax anyway.”

    Memo to DeSaster: It’s not YOUR money. And therein lies the problem with this megalomaniac.

  • PeterH

    May 31, 2023 at 3:52 pm

    Did DeSantis tell his audience that the Grifter State of Florida is the third largest recipient of Federal money?

  • Ed's Marxist Alter Ego 👍

    May 31, 2023 at 3:58 pm

    Yeah right! Sales tax isn’t high enough as it is. Police could easily be paid double yet they aren’t. The sub-apes will accept and vote for anything.

Comments are closed.


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