Taxing Success Won’t Fix Broken Budgets with Jack Salmon | LPP 198

​In Episode 198 of the Let People Prosper Show, I sit down with Jack Salmon of the Mercatus Center to discuss one of the most important lessons in state policy: people respond to incentives.

Politicians often claim they can raise taxes only on “the rich” without consequences. But high earners, entrepreneurs, and capital are increasingly mobile. When states raise taxes too aggressively, they risk driving away investment, weakening their tax base, and creating deeper fiscal problems over time.

This episode covers tax migration, wealth taxes, Washington State’s new high-income tax, state competitiveness, and why spending restraint is the foundation of sustainable fiscal policy.

The better path is clear: lower and flatter taxes, disciplined spending, economic freedom, and policies that attract people rather than punish productivity.

Watch or listen to Episode 198 on YouTube, Apple, or Spotify, and get show notes at vanceginn.substack.com.