Legislature needs to learn to save

Some comments and questions for all the writers who have been advocating a state income tax:

1. Oregon has a state income tax — and the politicians want a sales tax.

2. California has both — and look at the mess that state is in.

3. The problem is not so much that the state needs more tax money, but that the Legislature (and governor) spend any extra as fast as they can.

I agree with the writer of Saturday’s guest commentary, “It’s past time to fix state’s tax system”; as a taxpayer, I am willing to pay taxes, but do not like to have them wasted by the Legislature and state agencies, as the recent articles about waste in the ferry system point out.

The Saturday writer also said his household does not yo-yo between feast and famine, so I will ask him this question: If you have some extra income, do you rush out and spend it on something that has continuing payments that you may not be able to make when the extra runs out? I think not, but that is what our Legislature does — they start new programs, or add to existing ones, and then cannot or will not cut back when the extra runs out.

It is also true that whenever there is a “shortage” of tax money, the Legislature threatens to cut back on essentials, seemingly with the idea that taxpayers will agree to an increase just to keep those services.

Finally, do you really believe that if we had both a sales tax and an income tax that the Legislature would not try to increase either or both of those taxes? And somehow, it will never be enough.

Gaylen Divine

Everett

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