RALEIGH – If North Carolina politicians really meant what they say about tax reform, they wouldn’t do what they do.

Specifically, if there really was a widespread belief among state legislators – as there appears to be among editorial writers – that the state’s tax code relies too much on high marginal income and sales-tax taxes and not enough on a broader tax base, lawmakers wouldn’t continue to raise the tax rates on the current, narrow base.

That’s what the General Assembly has done since 2001, almost every year. The sales-tax rate went from 6 percent statewide (6.5 percent in Mecklenburg County, thanks to an extra transit tax) before 2001 to 7 percent statewide (7.5 percent in Taxlenburg) right now. The top income tax rate also went up, to 8.25 percent from 7.75 percent. Theoretically, those tax rates are scheduled to fall back one-half cent. But lawmakers have said that before, only to reimpose them. I wouldn’t hold my breath.

Now, in the aftermath of the Emerging Issues Forum at N.C. State University, a two-day affair dedicated to discussions of tax reform, there is another round of editorials and columns calling for legislative action, specifically on broadening the sales-tax base. And once again, it seems that whatever politicians may have said before or during the forum, the most likely scenario is yet another rate increase on a narrow base.

Sen. Tony Rand, the powerful head of the Senate Rules Committee, is proposing another fiscal swap involving counties and the state. The first one, in 2002, consisted of state government confiscating what were previously local revenues and then “allowing” counties to raise their sales tax by a half-cent to offset the loss. Essentially, legislators were compelling local governments to be their tax collectors. Now, Rand suggests that in exchange for the “gift” of removing from counties the burden of paying for a share of the Medicaid program, counties should surrender an entire penny of the sales tax back to the state. Then, the state would authorize the locals to levy yet another penny sales tax in its place.

Follow that? The result would be that the combined state/local sales tax would go up again. Assuming that Rand envisions allowing the “temporary” half-cent sales tax initially passed in 2001 to expire on time next year, that would leave the statewide rate at 7.5 percent (8 percent in you-know-where).

Activists on the Left would scream bloody murder, I assume – and they should. The current sales tax, because it applies to virtually none of the sales of the state’s fast-growing service businesses, is steeply regressive. Without a much-more-dramatic broadening of the sales-tax base – there were a few useful changes made in recent years, unfortunately not in the interest of reform but to grab more cash – anyone seriously interested in a modern, fair, less-distorting tax system for North Carolina would have to say no to another sales-tax hike.

That’s what I mean about today’s political leaders: contrary to what may have been said at the forum, or what may be said in the future, most seem genuinely uninterested in pursuing tax reform. What they want is more of your money to spend. They want it because they are convinced they will spend it better than you will. It’s as simple as that.

Hood is president of the John Locke Foundation.