This is basically a thank you post and acknowledgement that the knowledge by the players here is helpful as can be.  I visited one of the economics thread after running into a situation where I just could not get my Altaran economy off the ground.  I would eventually run into the red and my poulation dwindled to nothing no matter what I did.

The thread stressed that population is the key to taxes and the economy.  High population = more money.  How do you get a high population?  Zero tax rate or as close to it as possible to get 100% happiness. 

I scoffed.

Where will the money come from then?  Are you kidding me?  But I decided to test it out on my last game as Torians.  I expanded out quickly then dropped my taxes to like 2%.  100% happiness and I'm running yellow.  I was unhappy since my economy was already the strongest and here I am potentially sapping it.

Then something incredible happend.  Within a few turns I was suddenly green again and some turns after that I was surging ahead in bcs and leaving the others in my dust and my population??  BOOMED.  Granted I was Torian and we tend to do that but still, I was hitting my pop caps on all my worlds save the largest 20-22 worlds in no time.  I was sending an endless wave of colony ships into the void and unlike my other games where my economy tanked during my initial colony rush mine kept surging.

Hats off you fine players you have taught me some vital lessons.