Since sociologist published 鈥淭he Myth of Millionaire Tax Flight: How Place Still Matters for the Rich鈥 in 2017, countless media outlets have quoted him and cited his work, such as a . But little did he expect that his work would one day be the focus of a getting thousands of views.
Created by video journalist, comedian and activist Jeff Seal, the production advocates for higher taxes on top earners, focusing on Young鈥檚 book.
In the video, Seal describes how millionaires threatened to leave New York City if their taxes were raised. 鈥淯ntil one day a man came along," Seal narrates, "and asked, 鈥榳hat if they were lying?鈥欌 In a spoof of the movie 鈥淭he Princess Bride,鈥 Seal poses as a Peter Falk look-alike reading Young鈥檚 book to his grandson.
Young, on-screen, explains how he came to the conclusion that millionaire tax flight is 99% myth: 鈥淢y research draws on confidential access to IRS tax returns filed by every top income earner in the country. That鈥檚 45 million tax returns filed by people who make a million dollars or more a year,鈥 says Young, associate professor of sociology in the 麻豆视频 and 麻豆视频.
The video mixes in street interviews in the upper east side of Manhattan, using the comic device of a fake moving company offering to help millionaires move to lower-tax states. None of the wealthy New Yorkers they met said they wanted to move to a lower tax state, some adding colorful responses.
鈥淚 like to use humor in the classroom,鈥 Young says, 鈥渢o keep learning fun. This video took that to a whole other level.鈥
Young even performs a 鈥榮hredding鈥 guitar solo in the video, to humorously highlight a key finding in his research. 鈥淭hey wanted to have some guitar effects,鈥 Young says, 鈥渁nd asked me 鈥榗an you shred?鈥 I was like 鈥榞uys, I learned guitar in the 1990s, of course I can shred.鈥欌
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