Everything that’s wrong with Washington state politics can be summed up by today’s smirk of an editorial in the Seattle Times, “Gasp! Another try at an income tax.”
STATE Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, D-Spokane, is reaching for fairy dust in her proposal for a state income tax. It’s not going to happen.
That’s right, the Times ridicules Sen. Brown, not for being misinformed or unserious or on the wrong side of a policy issue, but for merely trying. You wanna know why we elect so many mediocre politicians, incapable or unwilling to display even an ounce of leadership? It’s editorials like this.
See, we hate leadership here in WA state. We hate boldness. Oh, we like to whine over the lack of it, but the minute a politician dares to assert it, or even (“Gasp!”) tries to start a fucking conversation about a difficult issue, we heap scorn on them for their arrogance or giggle at their foolish stray from executing the paramount duty of government: taxing poor people to build more roads.
And as for the Times’ blunt statement that an income tax is simply “not going to happen”…? Oh, you mean like last year’s rail-only Prop 1?
A graduated income tax would require an amendment to the state constitution, meaning a two-thirds vote of both legislative houses and a majority approval of the voters.
No it would not! Jesus… have you even read the goddamn Gates Commission report? (Or, for that matter, your own paper?) The consensus conclusion is that the 1933 decision would likely be overturned. Where did you go to law school? What makes you think you’re a more qualified constitutional scholar than Williams Gates Sr. or Prof. Hugh Spitzer?
Stop lying to your readers.
Even if a 1-percent, flat-rate tax would be constitutional, it would still require approval by voters, who are the very people expected to pay it. Voters have rejected income taxes several times before by landslide margins, and in a time of job cuts and economic worry, would almost certainly do so again.
Actually, a millionaires tax would fall on only 0.1% of the voters asked to approve it, and if precinct results from the last income tax measure are any guide, a majority of these fortunate few would likely vote yes too. And a broader tax on incomes over $200,000 would only fall on 4% of households. But let’s not let details get in the way of your scare tactics.
Advocates have long promoted an income tax as a way to tax fairly, and the people have long suspected that the real motive was to tax more. Here the cynics are admitted to be right. The obvious motive of this proposal is to raise more money for the state.
I mean, God forbid we try to tax people more fairly, right? And who in their right mind would want to raise more revenue at a time we’re slashing hundreds of millions of dollars from K-12 education, eliminating 10,000 slots from our colleges and universities, and kicking 50,000 people off the health care rolls?
Certainly, the state is having a money problem. But people who have lost their jobs or taken deep losses in their retirement investments also have money problems. Their interest is in a quick and vigorous business recovery, which is made less likely by new taxes.
But we’re not talking about taxing people who have lost their jobs, or about taxing people’s retirement investments. We’re talking, under your scenario, about a one percent tax on household incomes over $1 million a year. That means, if even in this economic downturn, you earn $2 million, you’d pay an additional $10,000 in state taxes a year. $10,000 out of $2 million. And we should feel their pain?
Some advocates say they would tax only the high earners. But it doesn’t raise enough money: a 1-percent tax on joint incomes above $1 million would raise less than one-half of 1 percent of state revenues. The state makes its big money in taxing the broad mass of people, which is also the broad mass of voters.
No, a 1-percent tax on millionaires doesn’t solve our budget crisis, but it’s sufficient to maintain outpatient senior care and save a few thousand higher education slots, while still leaving more than enough money left over to pay for that B&O tax reduction on newspapers for which you lobbied so aggressively.
Sen. Brown is said to be interested in being elected governor some day. She might recall the last such candidate who championed an income tax. It was Ron Sims, who was beaten in the Democratic primary by Christine Gregoire.
Hear that, Sen. Brown? The editors at the largest newspaper in our state, our alleged watchdogs of democracy, are cautioning you to choose personal political ambition over taking a bold stance on principle. No, you wouldn’t want to do anything potentially unpopular would you, even if you believe it the right thing to do, because it might cost you the governorship. Just look at Ron Sims.
Like I said, this editorial is an example of everything that’s wrong with Washington politics. Its attitude is a recipe for timidity, gridlock and stagnation, which, not surprisingly, is exactly the situation we find ourselves in today.
So you know what? I say be a leader, do what you think is right, and just tell the Times to piss off. It’s not like you’re going to get their endorsement in four years anyway—that’s going to Republican Rob McKenna—assuming there still is a Seattle Times in four years.
Be bold. A 1-percent tax on millionaires doesn’t raise enough money to satisfy the Times? Then expand it to those households earning over $200,000 a year; at the rates suggested by the EOI, that raises a substantial $2.5 billion per biennium, but still only falls on the top 4% of households.
And then, be creative: put this high-earners income tax on the ballot tied to a half-cent reduction in the state sales tax. 96% of voters would see their taxes go down, even while saving crucial government services. As for the millionaires? Fuck ’em! They’re the Wall Street fatcats who sold out our nation and got us into this mess in the first place, so let them pay to pick up the pieces. (And don’t worry about whether that sentiment is grounded in reality or not, that’s the sentiment that’s out there, so you might as well use it to your advantage. That’s what your opponents would do.)
And the icing on the cake is that our friend Mr. Eyman has made your sales job all the easier, his reprehensible I-960 totally deflating the Times’ inherent slippery-slope argument. Voters don’t trust the Legislature not raise back the sales tax or expand the income tax to reach into the pockets of middle class families? I-960 won’t let you! At least not without a two-thirds majority in both houses, or the approval of voters at the polls. Hey… thanks Tim!
In fact, the Times’ fact-free prognostication to the contrary (they apparently haven’t seen the polling data that shows a high-earners income tax surprisingly popular), now is the perfect time to put such a measure on the ballot. Now is the perfect time to offer a stable social safety net and a cut in the sales tax to struggling families who currently hold little charity toward the wealthy who will be asked to pick up the tab… you know, the same wealthy who benefited most from the bubble that set up this devastating bust. For as the election of Barack Obama and his continued popularity proves, voters are in a mood to take a chance on politicians who are willing to actually do something, even in the face of smug mockery from status quo defenders like the Seattle Times.
Be bold, Sen. Brown. Be creative. Shove this editorial back in the Times’ face, and be a leader, whether you’re ultimately rewarded for it or not.
“You wanna know why we elect so many mediocre politicians, incapable or unwilling to display even an ounce of leadership? It’s editorials like this.”
Oh, I don’t know about that, Goldy. The rightwing MSM has so little credibility left that I doubt anyone takes them seriously. If I read ST editorials at all, it’s purely for entertainment. The Seattle Times is a modern version of Mad Magazine, and Frank Blethen is an impersonation of Alfred E. Neumann.
Why this town keeps supporting the Seattle Times boggles my mind. It’s high-time to have a real dialogue that modernizes our state’s income streams. Is the High Income Tax the right way to go. That can’t be said with 100% certainty right now. But what is certain is that we need to start the discussions now.
If one more Reagan Republican yum-yum starts with cutting taxes for Bill Gates and Paul Allen, please spare us your pathetic, narrow-minded and failed political theories. We’ve tried them for nearly 30 years and the final verdict is in: it FAILED. The notion of slashing revenue to the state will in some way generate more revenue later is an unmitigated fallacy.
I’m all for reducing expenses, eliminating fraud, abuse and waste. Quite frankly, those items are an integral part of the conversation to solving this crisis.
BTW, looks like the Dow will post it’s 4th weekly gain in a row. Not certain when the last time that happened, but more than 25 years to be sure. Thankfully, God sent us President Obama.
Roger @1,
The point is, it’s not just the Times. The attitude expressed by the Times is representative of the conventional attitude across voters as well. We hate leadership and encourage passivity and mediocrity.
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[Deleted — off topic, see HA Comment Policy]
@3 Most people don’t immerse themselves in politics — they’re too busy struggling to make a living and trying to raise their families — and tend to make knee-jerk responses to tax issues (and other public issues). That’s why we have such bad policies across a broad spectrum of issues. The more people get educated about Washington’s regressive and unfair tax system, the sooner it’ll change.
The BIAW tried to play on that knee-jerk tendency last fall when they spent millons of taxpayer dollars on smear ads portraying Gov. Gregoire as coddling sex offenders. Unfortunately for them, the credibility of their ad campaign was destroyed when law enforcement solidly lined up behind the governor. What we need now is a criminal investigation of BIAW’s theft of millions from taxpayers.
Yes, they are convinced it will fail because it failed the last time it was proposed — in 1973.
Democrats/progressives have no leadership in this state. They haven’t for the twenty plus years I’ve been here. With the majority of the population behind them you’d think they could show a hell of a lot more progress and be a lot more aggressive in their actions. Maybe most of them are just Republican lite; did you see that Cantwell and Murray were among the small number of D’s to vote for the inheritance tax break that will benefit 2% of the nations families?
And McDermott, as progressive as he is, is no leader.
If you are bothered by occasional or frequent constipation, look in the mirror and repeat the following phrase three times in succession when symptoms occur:
If that doesn’t scare the shit out of you, then you are probably destined to be backed up for the rest of your life.
There is no need to thank me for this advice, I’m just doing a public service.
GBS–
People support the Times because they act like grown-ups…as opposed to empotional, knee-jerk, never-think-things-thru KLOWNS.
Has it ever occured to you GBS that you are part of the 14%ers….aka Fringe Lunatic Left?
It’s becoming more & more evident.
Wise up.
Grow up.
Trun in your red rubber nose, floppy shoes and yarn hair for cryin’ out loud!
Just say NO to KLOWNS!
@10 Why should we believe that advice would help us when it clearly doesn’t help you?
For you dumbcluck wingers who don’t get it, @12 subtly insinuates that Mr. C is full of shit.
Mr. C @ 11:
WOW! Your anger shows through. It must suck for you being on the wrong side of history and what’s good for America for so long.
Well, as they say, the proof of the pudding is in its taste.
You Reagan Republicans have totally screwed up America with your bad policies and stubborn refusal to admit when you’re wrong.
It’s time for you and the rest of the Culture of Crime Conservatives to yield your patriotism to America instead of your blind allegiance to a clearly failed ideology that is out of touch and out of step with America.
@13 “Mr. C is full of shit”
When his head exploded last November there was no doubt shit on walls, ceiling and floor. He probably never did clean up the mess he left. Republicans never do.
Mr. C @ 11 cont.
Actually, it doesn’t matter any more what you do. Continue supporting policies that hurt America, just like the Taliban would like for you to do.
The American people, through the wisdom of our Liberal Founding Fathers, have completely and thoroughly rejected your “ideas” on governing.
Like the shame of McCarthyism that was also rejected by the American public, so too, has Reaganism. Like McCarthyism, Reaganism has been totally discarded never to be used again.
Only a few deadeners like yourself will refuse to analyze the results we have achieved, or better put, not achieved of following the wisdom of Ronald Reagan.
If you did an honest assessment of where this country stands, and you were patriotic to American principles first, you’d join the majority of Americans who have abandoned conservatism.
Good luck with your anger problem.
Goldy’s Quixotic jousting at income tax windmill’s is amusing to watch, but just a little bit tiresome already. “Goldy whines “but why can’t we have an income tax? why,daddy,why? “
Shhaddddup already. The courts have decided that Washington’s constitution requires a “uniform and equal rate of assessment and taxation on all property in the state, according to its value in money.” So, an income tax based on how much one earns violates this uniformity clause, which the courts have held time and again.
Quit your whining and find a pacifier already. The intelligent people in this state would never vote for another tax that some dim-witted, Spending addicted Democrat could their grubby paws on more of our money for
pie in the sky programswastefull projects. Grow up and get a job,Goldy. Then you can whine about an income tax….when you’re actually earning an income.@10: Cynical fool
Repeat after me idiot:
My financial and physical security was (or could have been) in the hands of the following incompetents:
GW Bush, Brownie, Dick Cheney, Henry Paulson, Sarah Palin, John McCain, Phil Gramm etc.
I am much more confident in the democrats than in the incompetent fool republicans who got us into this mess.
Poor Cynical: Part of the 25% trogolodytes that supported the idiot bush and that don’t like Obama – you are in the minority. The know-nothing, do-nothing, racist, whiners with no new ideas and the same old crap that got us into this mess.
Thanks for demonstrating your ignoprance once again. Calling people KLOWNS is your one trick – and that pony has died.
@16
“Continue supporting policies that hurt America, just like the Taliban would like for you to do.”
Loser Boy hasn’t been their yet. We still have a lot to give away.
If you notice the sad face on China’s rep. face he’s counting Loser boys give aways.
This income tax proposal is the thin edge of the wedge.
@10
Your forgot Frank Chopp.
Pravda@20 is incoherent as usual.
Conservatives killed the Republican party in Washington so quit your whining about the Democratic majority. Maybe your leader Tim Eyman can make an initiative for a 90% majority to pass any bill in the Legislature.
@19
correctnoright,
After reading yours and other like minded on this board over, the last few months. Looks like we have some smoke coming over the horizon.
Your slams on Republicans proves the party is still viable.
This post is the biggest load of crap I’ve ever read. Fair taxing is taxing those who use the most tax money. Despite the maniacal ranting of the trogosphere around here, that means lower income people. They blow through police/fire and healthcare like it’s nobodies business. Wealthy and middle class people subsidize leftist bullshit behavior.
GBS–
How about this–
Estate Tax History Versus Myth
Source: Bruce Bartlett, senior fellow, National Center for Policy Analysis, July 19, 2000.
Mr. C.
Isn’t the NCPA a non-profit, non-partisan organization?
Also, didn’t Bruce Bartlett get his start in politics as the head brew master at the People’s Temple in Guyana?
Try again.
Mr. C.
PS: did you read your cut-n-paste job??
Let me point out the critcal flaw in your arguement.
“But estate planning makes the tax virtually voluntary, according to estate tax experts.”
WTF are you bitching about, then?
Brown consumes too many calories and exercises too little.
She needs to reduce her consumption and get on her bike and ride.
Like Brown, the state is bloated. It needs to diet and reduce its consumption. It needs to get more efficient.
Operators, laborers, teamsters are paid roughly $50 per hour with benefits on public works projects, and the union halls are full, as one would expect in a contraction. Eliminate Davis-Bacon and state prevailing wage laws, and public construction could flourish. Let’s get people working.
What’s Brown or the Dems doing about this issue. SWF.
@30
You are talking completely out your ass.