A blow-by-blow of public testimony at a committee hearing is a punishment too heinous to inflict upon civilized humans. Other than Eyman's group, the Evergreen Freedom Foundation and the Washington Policy Center, most of the testimony has been against SB 6177/I-747. No surprise given the public entities and interest groups whose fingers are in the pie.
A curious circumstance has been the number of codewords which have been dropped today. "Reforming the property tax", the current tax system is too "regressive", the state needs a more "fair" tax. The current system hurts the poor and middle class. The government needs a tax system which generates a reliable income.
It all appears to be a wink, wink; nod, nod towards working in the next legislative session on creating a new means to generate tax revenue.
Can anyone say state income tax?
Even democrats couldn't be that stupid, could they?
Posted by: drw on November 29, 2007 12:30 PMNow, just adding an income tax on top of our sales taxes is a recipe for economic disaster. The skilled workers driving our hot local economy are mobile. Tax them like they're in New York or California and don't be surprised if they just move to New York or California.
Posted by: replace the sales tax on November 29, 2007 12:32 PMAs such, they want to be more like other states that have limited the freedom of their citizens more than WA, and tax them at a much higher rate, lowering their quality of life, and opportunity to create wealth with more dispensable income.
Thus, the means to creating an ever larger government with all of the same kinds of largess as say, California, is to also create the same number and type of tax revenue streams as California.
But what will be the result? In California, it's very difficult if not impossible to get by without two incomes. Parents who value having one stay at home parent will have to have quite a large income from the other parent, or take extreme measures such as two or three hour commutes, in order to have the same quality of life that many Washingtonians now enjoy. Service costs will rise for all, and it will be much harder to start new small businesses, while simultaneously bearing the enormously high monthly expense costs.
Reject Progressive government expansion here in WA. Think different. There's no reason we have to have a large and ever growing government here, just because other states have made those poor choices. It's assumed that more tax revenue will only lead to good things. But why then do we pay around $10K per year per student for public schools, and not get the same consistent high level top-notch students as private schools that actually cost less per year per student? And the list goes on.
If we suckle up to the teat of government, we may get some benefits, but it will be at a far greater cost to us all, than if we had fended for those needs privately, and asked our government for better stewardship of our existing revenue.
WA is at a crossroads. Hopefully she will choose the path of her forefathers who were independent and resourceful pioneers, and not the path of a relatively few elitist Progressives obsessed with 19th century German collectivism.
Posted by: Jeff B. on November 29, 2007 12:42 PMIn the very same Marxist Kommunity of Pt. Townsend that rushed like glutons to take Banked Tax Capacity.....The Pt. Townsend School District is now proposing a $30 million Capital Improvement Bond to build new schools in a Kommunity that has had declining enrollment 9 straight years.
It's outrageous.
The ONLY answer is to take away the money.
It shouldn't have to be that way.
But that is what it has come down to.
The Bureaucratic Blob's appetite for tax dollars is NEVER satisfied.
The regressives who want "progressive" income taxes just want to go on a social services spending spree.
Posted by: John425 on November 29, 2007 12:58 PMI don't buy that "give us a state income tax and we will eliminate the sales tax" crap. Any implementation of a state income tax here in Washington would just be another tax that they would raise...and raise...and raise...and raise.
Posted by: NW Denizen on November 29, 2007 01:07 PMEven with an income tax, I doubt they would get rid of the sales tax because o good protion of the sales tax goes into the local county/city coffers and they are not going to give up any tax money without a fight...
Posted by: rbb on November 29, 2007 01:15 PMWhere is Stefan?
Posted by: Good Captain on November 29, 2007 01:22 PMOn a different note, it would be interesting to see the convoluted state income tax system that these jokers come up with. Can you imagine how screwed up it would be and the exemptions, deductions, and other special interest perks?
Posted by: danno on November 29, 2007 01:32 PMAdding an income tax to the current taxes is a terrible idea.
Posted by: replace the sales tax on November 29, 2007 01:33 PMAnd that's exactly what the Progressives want. This will be a classic bait and switch. They will say that they want to trade the Sales tax for an Income tax. And then we'll just end up with both. That's why we must always fight government increase.
The steady state of government budgets is: spent. And the steady state of government is: growing.
It's either resist letting them have it in the first place, or suffer from then on.
Posted by: Jeff B. on November 29, 2007 01:40 PMDon't do it folks!
Posted by: Army Medic/ Vet on November 29, 2007 01:43 PMGet out the word. 2008 is an election year and WE NEED TO SEND A MESSAGE LIKE NEVER BEFORE.
Everyone wanted to teach the republicans a lesson with the 2006 election by voting for the democrats. You get what you vote for. Now we are staring at property taxes that will force many of us to relinquish our property because of all of those tax loving democrats, regardless of what Mr. Pope may think. I personally voted republican because I saw this catastrophe coming.
And now, to make matters worse, we have to fight against the State Supreme Court on top of everything else. I thought Judges were supposed to interpret the law, not interpret my vote.
I-747 was written by Jim Johnson, who sits on the Washington State Supreme Court. He wrote a good law, and an alcoholic judge turned around and dismissed it as unconstitutional, not because of it's wording, but because she didn't think WE understood what we were reading. It's not her place to determine what WE understand. Now, conveniently, she's retiring. Well, we need to retire a few more judges, not to mention most of the Washington state congress and it goes without saying the Gregoire has overstayed her welcome.
Posted by: Cathy on November 29, 2007 02:11 PMThey have
Fed Income tax
State Income tax
City(Phila) Income tax
Sales tax
Cue music:
"...Let me tell you how it will be
There's one for you, nineteen for me
Cos I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman
Should five per cent appear too small
Be thankful I don't take it all
Cos I'm the taxman, yeah I'm the taxman....."
NEW GRADUATED STATE INCOME TAX: For married couples, 2.2% of the first $49,900, then 3.5% up to $120,650, and 6% over that. For singles, the 6% rate starts at $60,325. Personal exemption of $2,950. Tax credits for B&O and utility tax paid. Standard deduction of up to $10,000 for married couples, $5,000 for singles. Exemption and standard deduction are indexed for inflation, but not the tax brackets. Mandatory employer tax withholding.
REDUCES THE STATE PORTION OF THE SALES TAX from 6.5% to 3.5%. Local sales taxes remain intact.
ELIMINATES THE STATE PORTION OF THE PROPERTY TAX. That's $3.60 per $1000. The aggregate "regular" property tax rate is reduced from $10 per $1000 to $6.40 per $1000. Voter-approved levies above that remain intact.
It's just a scam to build an even more intrusive, money-grubbing, inefficient government. This one's worth armed intervention to prevent.
Posted by: Politically Incorrect on November 29, 2007 03:41 PMThe only way the dumbocruds can get such a change is through a constitutional amendment.
Posted by: MrConservative on November 29, 2007 04:02 PMBut their initiative got 45% of the vote!
So they have refined their ballott measure, and I just found out this week that they just got over 100,000 signatures, a challenge-proof number, to put a new initiaitive on the ballott!
This time, they will win. They have more funding, they have a better law, and the media can not ignore them this time!
I think when this measure passes in MA, we in WA will be able to look at the progressives who want to pass a state income tax here and say one word:
Eyeman.
We Libertarians love you, Tim! You are a better defender of our lives, liberty and property than the government ever could be. I wish I could send 75% of my tax bill to you instead.
Posted by: Bruce Guthrie on November 29, 2007 04:13 PMThank god for Tim Eyman, EFF, and WPC working to protect the taxpayers from the Christine and the State employees Union
Hey Hey
Ho Ho
Tax and Spend have got to go
We believe that states, counties & cities should be able to get along with the current taxes & fees which are already too high. Those taxing entities already have too much power to raise taxes willy-nilly; they need to practice better budget control, leaner administration & cut programs that don't produce results.
The Democrats in Olympia are too willing to pass another tax or increase a current one without taking into account other methods to achieve the same ends, such as more privatization, more pay-as-you-go, & fewer state employees. We're really tired of the government at all levels using our taxes to achieve social goals that we don't necessarily support. If something is so wonderful, the users should be willing to support it without additional taxes from the rest of us.
Posted by: Clean House on November 29, 2007 07:36 PMI can't say that I trust the wisdom of Sammy Hagar, but when Van Halen released the 5150 album in 1986, they told their concert audiences that 5150 was a police code for criminally insane. If true, it fits the democrats' bill.
Posted by: Anthony on November 29, 2007 09:07 PMThis bill isn't in final form yet - there doesn't appear to be an emergency clause - how can that be?
Posted by: SouthernRoots on November 29, 2007 09:43 PMGo Rossi!
Posted by: gs on November 29, 2007 11:07 PMAt least admit you are a hypocrite.
Posted by: swatter on November 30, 2007 10:11 AM