One of the original taglines for HA was “an (almost) daily blog on Washington state politics and the press,” and my original intention was to focus mostly on media criticism. I was a child of Watergate who grew up idolizing journalists as defenders of democracy, but my accidental adventure as a subject of media coverage gave me a personal tour into how the sausage was made that left me, well, more than a bit disillusioned.
And thirteen years later, disillusioned I remain:
Republicans and Democrats in Olympia worked hard to produce thoughtful education plans, but both fall short. Trying to spend as little as possible is usually the right thing for them to do. But in this case, it’s likely to prolong the legal fight that’s kept the state in limbo and shortchanged students for decades.
Oh Jesus. First, Republicans and Democrats in Olympia most definitely did not work hard to produce thoughtful education plans. The Republicans were obstructionist as usual, gleefully seeking to use the McCleary crisis to stick it to Seattle homeowners while strategically defunding the rest of state government. There is absolutely nothing thoughtful about their levy-swap smoke and mirrors—it was bullshit when Rob McKenna ran on it, and it is bullshit today. Their only goal is shrinking state government, period, whatever the cost in human misery, because they are a stupid, deceitful, mean-spirited, and profoundly pathological party. (Notice the lack of the word “thoughtful” in that string of adjectives.)
As for the Democrats, I don’t question their motives, but my God could we possibly elect a bigger bunch of fucking cowards? Vote to raise taxes, goddammit—bigly!—and then run on your record of trying to get something the fuck done! You lose elections when you stand for nothing. Try standing for something besides “values” for a change, and you may be pleasantly surprised at the polls.
Second, “trying to spend as little as possible is usually the right thing for them to do”…? Really? Try supporting your goddamn thesis, Brier, instead of laying this steaming turd out there like it’s some undisputed gem of fiscal wisdom! It’s not. It’s a steaming turd. In reality, the big problem in Washington State has long been that we are not spending enough money—on education, on mental health, on our foster care system, on transportation, and on many other crucial public goods and services. And we’re not spending enough money because we’re not raising enough money. Which brings us to the third sentence of this trite piece of editorial fluff:
Um, you know who’s really “shortchanged students for decades,” Brier? Your fucking garbage pit of an editorial board, that’s who!
Yeah, sure, I agree with the main thesis of your column, but you and your fellow editorialists need to take a little personal responsibility. Your publisher and your ed board have aggressively opposed meaningful tax reform for decades, despite being repeatedly confronted with actual math that proved our current funding crisis was inevitable. INEVITABLE, goddammit! Totally unavoidable! We have a structural revenue deficit. It’s baked in to our absurdly antiquated (and cruelly regressive) tax structure. This is what comes from an over-reliance on a sales tax that grows revenue slower than the natural rate of growth of the cost of providing public services at a constant level. There’s no getting around it.
So instead, of vague platitudes and half-hearted half-references to the need for “new taxes,” it’s time for you and your paper to get out in front of this issue and demand that legislators pass an income tax. Because you fucking well know that taxing income is the only option that raises the “ample” funding you claim you want. And while we don’t need you to apologize for the selfishly destructive role your paper has played in creating this crisis, you damn well better acknowledge it if you and your ed board ever want to be taken seriously on budget issues again. (Assuming you ever were.)
Wait. No, actually. Fucking apologize. Because honestly, your paper has been so fucking dishonest on this issue that none of you deserve even an emphysematous whisper of a voice in this debate until you issue an institutional mea culpa for being so goddamn awful for so goddamn long.
And oh, if you think this rant was worded a bit too strong, prove me the fuck wrong.
” … a sales tax that grows revenue slower … ”
That’s not even it’s biggest fault. The real problem with the sales tax is that it’s voluntary. People don’t HAVE to buy an expensive new car — they can buy a cheaper car, a used car, or you can do like me and keep driving your 15-year-old car and pay no sales tax at all. (Or, if you’re Doctor Dumbfuck, you probably register your high-end pickup and shiny new horse trailer at your vacation cabin in Oregon.*) For smaller purchases, you can avoid the sales tax by shopping online at some retailer other than Amazon. Or, you can spend more on food (which isn’t taxed) and less on clothing (which is taxed). In fact, you can bet that many of the people who voted for ST3’s sales tax had no intention of paying it. Or, you can do like Roger Rabbit, and use your money to buy stocks (which isn’t taxed) to get even more income from capital gains and dividends (which aren’t taxed), and spend next to nothing on stuff that’s taxed. Does anybody think I give a shit whether the sales tax is 5% or 10%? I don’t, because I’m not paying it.
* I can’t prove Doctor Dumbfuck has an Oregon vacation property, but that’s a reasonable conclusion. People who buy horse trailers usually own horses. If Doctor Dumbfuck rides his horses on his own Whidbey Island property, he doesn’t need a horse trailer. People who own horse trailers ALWAYS take their horses somewhere. How many horse trails are in western Washington? And who the hell wants to ride a horse in eastern Washington in the cold winter or hot summer, or in spring or fall, for that matter? Doctor Dumbfuck MUST be taking his horses to Oregon, and if he is, he MUST own vacation property in Oregon, i.e. the kind of property you can ride horses on and take hobby farm tax deductions on. Betcha dollars for donuts his high-end pickup and shiny new horse trailer sport Oregon plates, and it’s all perfectly legal, because we all know Doctor Dumbfuck doesn’t want to get caught doing something illegal because then he’d have to hire a lawyer and he hates lawyers.
” … if you think this rant was worded a bit too strong … ”
Well, if it is, you won’t get a job offer from the Seattle Times.
The income tax thing might be a tough sell.
Income tax? No, thanks. Soda tax? No, thanks. Homeless levy? No thanks. I already pay enough taxes, thank you very much, and I’m not looking to pay any more.
The only thing we have in common is our hatred of Trump.
I was thinking of going to your Drinking Liberally thing, but now I know it would be a waste of time.
@ 1
Capital gains taxes are, to a certain extent, voluntary as well. Institute one in WA and Bezos might move his for-tax-purposes domecile somewhere else.
WA Paramount Duty
@WAParamountDuty
WA is giving up $70 M a year from Bezos’ stock sales by not taxing cap gains as 42 other states do. #waedu #waleg
9:06 PM – 5 Apr 2017
Or perhaps it would no longer be in Bezos’ interest to diversify by selling some stock, if doing so would incur a capital gains tax in addition to eliminating his opportunity to participate in future gains. He could, instead, buy puts against his own stock, reduce his tax bill by incurring that put expense, and maintain his holdings while having protected himself from a decline in the value of the stock.
Hell, had he done so in 2010 (following link from 2012)
If money meant much to Bezos, he would be kicking himself right now. Dude sold that 900,000-share lot in 2010 for nearly $100 less than AMZN is worth per share today. Imagine if he waited. Two years ago, Bezos left like $81 million on the table.
https://www.thestreet.com/story/11788258/2/filthy-rich-jeff-bezos-sells-200-million-worth-of-amazon-stock.html
he would have been a far, far richer man today.
It’s what’s wrong with any attempt to use capital gains taxation to fund a program that needs a consistent revenue stream. California knows this. Our governor doesn’t.
Check out # 11:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidmarotta/2014/06/01/fourteen-ways-to-avoid-paying-capital-gains/2/#7b3dcd9769fa
@4, 5 – What do you want from government? How should we pay for it? Who should pay? That is the question.
Some will argue you don’t necessarily get better schools by throwing more money at them. Even if this is true, you do get lousy schools — every time — by chronically underfunding them.
But that’s not even the issue on the table. Rather, in Washington, the school funding question revolves around whether the state will provide adequate funding for public schools, or school districts have to make up for chronic state-level underfunding with local levies.
Even though the state constitution provides a clear-cut answer to this, the real-life situation is more nuanced, because constitutions and laws carry force and effect only to the extent that someone can enforce them. So far, the state supreme court has been trying to make the legislature comply with the state constitution for five years now and counting.
Republicans want to make urban property owners subsidize rural county schools. The problem is that property values don’t correlate very well with incomes, so chances are this is just another regressive tax piled on top of our existing heap of regressive taxes.
For example, while I feel 99% certain that Doctor Dumbfuck is not paying his fair share of state and local taxes, I don’t know Paula’s circumstances; for all I know, she could be living on a $36,000 salary in a Seattle house she inherited from her parents that now has a market value of $800,000, which does her no good whatsoever, and she would be unable to afford higher property taxes to support schools in places like Raymond and Waterville.
Higher-income households are grossly undertaxed in this state, and if more revenue is needed for schools on an absolute basis, then they’re the people who should be taxed for it. A capital gains tax restricted to the top 10% of households is not unfair; it is eminently fair, because this group is not paying their fair share of the state and local tax burden in Washington.
And yes, to some extent, it’s a voluntary tax — all Jeff Bezos has to do is not sell stock and live like the rest of us. If he wants to cash in some of his Amazon stock in order to live it up a little, then he’d have to pay taxes. But you know what? I don’t remember Bezos hiring Doctor Dumbfuck to speak for him. Maybe Doctor Dumbfuck should ask Bezos how he feels about that before shooting off his mouth. Although, frankly, I don’t think Bezos would give DD the time of day. He has better things to do with his time.
Washington is the only state with a B&O tax. It’s levied, at least in the service industry (that includes medical and legal offices, among many others), on gross revenues and is independent of the level or even existence of profit – the state gets 1.5% of revenues, off the top. I don’t suppose an income tax proposal acceptable to Goldy would include a repeal of the B&O tax. No, didn’t think so.
That B&O tax is a substantial top-line hit and is a de facto income tax on businesses. Even those without an income. Eventually, it’s a hit on the income of those who work in those businesses.
Here’s what the DOR has to say about it:
No income tax in Washington State
Washington State does not have a personal or corporate income tax. However, persons that engage in business in Washington are subject to business and occupation and/or public utility tax. These taxes are based on gross receipts of the business.
http://dor.wa.gov/content/Find.....fault.aspx
It’s essentially a (flat) tax to the entity that employs me of just shy of 4% of my gross income. For some of my colleagues it is precisely 5% of their gross income.
It’s a hit on income to someone in the chain, and it’s unique to the state of Washington.
@7 ” I don’t suppose an income tax proposal acceptable to Goldy would include a repeal of the B&O tax.”
I don’t speak for Goldy, but I’d guess you’re wrong. The Gates Commission study commissioned by the legislature (remember that?) recommended replacing the 6.5% state sales tax and the B&O tax with a revenue-neutral state income tax. Small businesses are taxed more in Washington than in other western states, therefore are in line for tax relief, and getting rid of the B&O tax is the best way to give it to them. I’m sure Goldy is familiar with the Gates report and knows this.
While Goldy tends to focus on the existing tax system’s inability to adequately fund public services, like everyone else, he also knows that our state suffers from a severe maldistribution of the tax burden.
Specifically, the bottom income quintile pays roughly 5 times as much of their income to state and local taxes as the top income quintile. If one chooses to use revenue neutrality as a baseline, it is obvious that tax reform should redistribute tax burden from lower income households to higher income households. A state income tax is the best way to do that, but lacking such a tax, and assuming one can’t be enacted without amending the state constitution or at least getting the state supreme court to abandon some of its existing precedents, a capital gains tax is a way to meet the need for new revenue to satisfy the state’s obligation to fully fund public schools in a way that helps rebalance the overall state/local tax burden in the direction it needs to go.
@5
Stanford University
File this one under “never let an actual researched issue get in the way of my politically motivated feels”
@8
Our resident Dr. has a hint of truth in some of what he says but doesn’t know why.
Mr. Bezos is much more likely to spend his vacation days out of state so pays nothing to Washington for what he consumes. The solidly middles class family is far more likely to head for Ocean Shores or Long Beach where they will spend a larger % of their annual income on Hotel tax, sales tax on a kite, tax on a double Cheeseburger….
Tax flight is going on all the time by the upper ends of Washington earners but it’s because of the reliance on sales tax which must be collected at the point of purchase.
Ask anyone who lives in Vancouver, WA.
One thing never discussed is the quantity of non-teacher administrators in our education system. Can we eliminate some of those positions and thus have more money to pay the actual teachers instead of overhead administrative positions?
It’s worth considering even if the WEA fights such a move.
@ 8
The Gates Commission study commissioned by the legislature (remember that?) recommended replacing the 6.5% state sales tax and the B&O tax with a revenue-neutral state income tax.
Revenue-neutral doesn’t help Goldy’s cause, does it?
@ 10
Ask anyone who lives in Vancouver, WA.
There’s a liquor store in the Kenton neighborhood of north Portland, which has a much larger selection of bourbons than the other OR liquor stores.
Every time I’m in Portland I stop there and buy 12-15 bottles of bourbon.
And I don’t even live in Vancouver.
“12-15 bottles of bourbon”
That might explain some of your more unfortunate comments.
@ 13, 14
The liquor store on 15th in Ballard, near the plasma donation building, also is known for having a better-than-average supply of bourbons.
@13
I’m a beer guy so I go to John’s Marketplace. Not to save taxes but because their selection is truly mind numbing.
http://www.johnsmarketplace.com/Bottles/
This is making the Twitter rounds today.
Apparently the exact timing of DerTrumper’s twitter blame-o-thon today coincides with his brief visit with press pool member’s kids on take your kids to work day.
So the example set is that even a President is too addicted to his phone to put the screen down for 15 minutes and interact with the kids. “Dad, can I Pokemon Go on your phone?” “No, you’ve had enough screen time.” “But he does it all the time and he’s President!”
@17 Better he tweets idiocy instead of groping the kids.
1,
People who own horse trailers ALWAYS take their horses somewhere.
The vet. Over, and over, and over again. At about $500 a pop.
I was going to say it’s like a sailboat that smells bad and shits everywhere. But sailboats are smarter.
That there’s a wise retirement plan. Like Fuckface Von Clownstick is getting lots done.
@19 – A boat is a hole in the water that you pour money into. The two happiest days in a boat owner’s life is first the day he buys the boat and then the day he sells boat.
But I’m sure owning a horse is just as expensive.
@12 Mr. Gates wrote his report according to the parameters the commission was given by the legislature. They were not asked to address future revenue needs, quite possibly because the legislature viewed that as their function.
I shouldn’t have to explain this, but duh, you can’t expect a radiologist to know anything about public policy procedure.
Speaking of radiologists, it looks like Doctor Dumbfuck’s days of employability may be numbered. What was he bleating about robots? Oh yeah, fast food workers will lose their jobs if they ask for more than slave wages.
http://www.nbcnews.com/mach/sc.....rs-n752011
@13 “Every time I’m in Portland I stop there and buy 12-15 bottles of bourbon.”
That explains some things.