A recent Herald Forum commentary was essentially about how, “Everyone knows that an income tax is the solution” (“It’s long past time for lawmakers to reform state taxes,” The Herald, Jan. 10)
My first read-through left me with more questions than answers, but, I didn’t want to assume. The income tax voted in by state voters in the mid ’30s as the, “foundation for our unfair, flat-tax system” isn’t satisfactory — apparently — “but if the right proposal is presented to the people that is finally fair, it will get approval.”
Taxes are collected from a variety of sources, mostly from working stiffs, but that’s our current system. If, our automated future holds true, there will be few, if any jobs to be had by humans, so an income tax isn’t the answer. Good intentions notwithstanding. Another subtle, understated comment that mystified me was that, somehow, state lawmakers would make use of these extra monies from a state income tax more efficiently, “to fill those potholes, fund schools and replace our ferries.”
The warning signs are there, but it’s gonna take more than a foghorn to ward off the icebergs. Not to worry, climate change will melt them all beforehand.
Rich Needham
Everett
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