Sixteen years ago, the New York Times reported (excerpts):
Warsaw, — President Lech Walesa surprised few Poles when he announced that he would refuse to pay higher income taxes and encouraged voters to follow his example.
Mr. Walesa chose the tax issue to challenge Mr. [Waldemar] Pawlak in an effort to draw support from average wage earners. In an opening sally last month, he made clear he would veto the budget bill if it included the higher tax rates that were in force in and that the Government wants to maintain this year.
To avoid a debate in Parliament on the higher taxes, the Government pulled the tax regulations from the bill and announced it would set the income taxes by decree. Mr. Walesa and his lawyers said that was illegal and called on a constitutional tribunal to rule on the matter.
The tax rates of 21 percent, 33 percent and 45 percent, imposed for the second year in a row, supplant the old rates of 20 percent, 30 percent and 40 percent. In Mr. Walesa’s case, economists say, the higher rates would mean he would pay $590 a month in taxes on his $1,560 monthly salary instead of $530. The average Polish monthly salary is now $300.
Mr. Walesa said on that he would not pay his taxes at the new rate because as far as he was concerned it was not legally in force. “If you respect the President you should follow suit,” he said.
Mr. Pawlak, of course, said he would abide by the new tax rates “like a good citizen.”
