Regarding your Oct. 19 endorsement of Dino Rossi and his promise to “make immediate moves to improve the state’s business climate”:
A study was released last week touting Washington’s business climate as comparing favorably to other states. No local media bothered to report on the study.
The Tax Foundation, a conservative think tank, issued the study comparing the states’ tax environments in terms of “business-friendliness.” Washington ranked ninth best in the nation. The study rates states based on their sales and gross receipts taxes, unemployment insurance taxes, corporate and individual income taxes.
Also last week, a national business lobbying group, the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council, measured dozens of state government policies – everything from minimum wages to workers’ compensation costs – to determine which were most friendly to small business. Washington ranked fourth best in the country.
Dino Rossi has based his campaign on the myth that Washington is a bad place to do business. The only way to promote job growth is to cut business taxes and regulations even further. Cutting unemployment insurance and worker’s compensation benefits are at the top of the list. Doing away with protections for people who lose their jobs and workers who are injured on the job.
Things can be done to make Washington’s business environment better. There are some fundamental changes that both sides agree upon, such as investing in transportation to improve freight mobility, and higher education.
Remember, we are here for a reason. Washington is a great place to live, work, and to have a business. Dino Rossi will be bad for workers and bad for Washington.
Don Sorenson
Stanwood
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