After reading the Everett Herald’s editorial on April 3; “Tax increases meet two goals,” of course I was not surprised that the editorial board would support more taxes.
First, the increase in B&O tax that would generate $530 million on services from professionals, these are physicians, lawyers, real estate agents, but will it cost them or the people using their services. It will raise the cost we pay for these services because they will not just take the increase as a negative impact on their income. It is another way for the House Democrats to levy more taxes on the middle class.
Second, is the creation of a capital gains income tax. The tax is painted as a tax on the rich of just 5 percent on the investment income but it opens the door for a state income tax which is a stated goal of the state Democratic Party. It is easy to say, sure tax those rich people they have enough and can afford more, but is it moral? Is it fair to tell someone else that they must pay more of their money, they earned, and use to invest in companies that we work for?
I believe it is immoral and wrong to allow the Democrats in the House to use envy to further their cause of raising more state revenue just to pay off the unions that donate to their campaigns. Where will it end? Once you begin any type of state income tax, it is only a matter of time before it is expanded to include all of us.
Why not talk about why the House Democrats want more revenue ($1.5 billion more in taxes for 2015-17)? How about pay raises for Service Employees International Union, the Washington Federation of State Employees, and the Washington Education Association. These unions will claim (falsely) that they have not received pay raises in years but while they have not seen a cost of living raise, they receive their STEP increases. STEP increase, for each year still employed they receive a raise called a STEP it is not called a raise, so the unions just say no raise occurs.
Of course the editorial board at the Everett Herald would never, ever mention these ideas because it would pull back the curtain of lies told by the House Democrats, their union cronies that financially support them, or the other progressive agenda groups that only want to keep digging their hands in the pockets of hard-working Washingtonians.
Why not inject truth into the mix. The state Senate budget funds education, McCleary decision, first and ensures that the state meets it’s requirements. The House budget makes education spending dependent on the tax increases; B&O and capital gains just to name a couple. I believe that was left out by the editorial in the Everett Herald also. Most people don’t realize that the state revenue, which is done every two years (biannually) has never been less than the years prior. Even during the so-called “Great Recession” — insert ominous music — the state still made 2 percent to 3 percent more in revenues. The increase in revenues from the 2013-15 to 2015-17 will increase $2.9 billion. Also, the Senate Republican budget lowers college tuition 25 percent which ends 30 years straight of tuition increases.
Todd Welch is a Lake Stevens resident.
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