Bill would allow creation of local income taxes

[PAL]

David, I like it. Good question of how these things will be paid for.

[mister_coffee]

I just have to ask a perhaps naive question:

Our elected representatives are presumably accountable to us. Is your issue with the fact that they are not accountable or because you do not trust them? And if you do not trust them why would you even vote for them?

It seems that you are arguing that in a democracy we can't accomplish anything. I really just do not understand the logic here.

In all seriousness, we are faced with enormous and expensive problems that will not fix themselves, and in fact have been made into enormous problems by decades of neglect. For a few examples:

1. Wildfires, especially fires in the wildland-urban-interface.
2. Homeless people.
3. Mental health issues, in particular as it pertains to (1) and also to large populations of people who, while not homeless, are obviously not doing well and desperately need help before they become unemployable and then homeless.
4. Busted and inadequate infrastructure.
5. Public health systems. In particular I think it essential that we put in place a better public health system before the next pandemic. Hopefully next time we won't be caught with our pants around our ankles.

Fixing all of those things are going to cost an insane amount of money. And there is no Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny to pay for them -- which leaves us taxpayers on the hook. It is awful and unfair and sucks. But life is unfair and these things need to be done.

To some extent we are in this situation because we listened to elected officials who told us there was a Santa Claus and let those problems fester and metastasize. So maybe the civics lesson here is that we should be more conscientious about who we allow to hold public office.

Also a note to any elected officials reading this forum: if you tolerate stupidity, incompetence, dishonesty, and corruption in your fellow elected officials, you are part of the problem. You won't be able to get things done without a significant amount of trust and respect from voters.

A more constructive response than just "NO!" would be to discuss how in blazes we are going to pay for all of those things that need doing.

So maybe instead of "no income tax, never" maybe you could argue that any income tax should be a function of federal tax liability and has a pretty high minimum cutoff. So maybe you only are on the hook for state taxes if you pay more than $100,000 in federal taxes and then you pay at most ten percent of your federal tax liability?

[realoldtimer]

Lived in a state with income tax, never saw any other tax form reduced.

Do remember a humorous article about how the legislature "just passed first non-income tax reduction" They simply cut the intended, impending raise amending a bill already passed.

I think there's a mindset to never "give a inch"

[PAL]

Right, they could easily increase it. Then it is increasingly on the backs of the workers. But then again if they taxed a much higher tier income and not the middle and lower income, perhaps that would work.
The higher tiered people would scream, unfair unfair. That's an assumption I'm making.

[pasayten]

With an income tax, they would just easily increase it any time they wanted more money... No way would I be in favor of allowing that in WA...

[PAL]

I am tired of property owners shouldering the taxes for a number of things. It continues to build and build and I think it is generally thought, "well if you own property you must be rich." Not so.
And income tax would be more fair. HOWEVER, before that could happen property taxes would have to be slashed considerably. And how can anyone figure out what would be equitable? Some computer program, I guess.
Once a state income tax is instituted there is no going back. And how could property owners be assured that property taxes would be slashed?
They say it's a trade off, but it's a slippery slope to me. If they stop increasing our property taxes, I am all for that. But then there is a shortfall. And I will generalize and say that alot of renters are already stretched. But increasing property taxes may result in steeper rents.
What to do? As long as we can live in our home without our taxes increasing too much more, I'm ok. But there has to be a limit. I've read about people having to sell their home because their property taxes became too high.
Something does need to change, but I have no brilliant ideas. Will let you know if I do.
Pearl

[pasayten]

Screw this!!!!

King 5 LOCAL NEWS

Bill would allow creation of local income taxes, but only following tax cuts

The bill's sponsor says the law would likely face legal challenges in Washington state, where income taxes are unconstitutional.

Author: Drew Mikkelsen
Published: 6:56 PM PST January 20, 2022

OLYMPIA, Wash. — State law prohibits income taxes in Washington state, but a proposed bill would allow cities and counties to create income taxes, with a catch.

Under Senate Bill 5554, after local governments cut taxes like the sales tax or property tax, they would be allowed to create income taxes to make up for the funding gap.

”There's no new revenue involved in this whatsoever. It's just a trade-off of progressive taxes for regressive taxes,” said bill sponsor Sen. Bob Hasegawa, D-Seattle.

The Seattle Democrat said current tax laws benefit the wealthiest in the state.

“There’s so much suffering going on at the middle to lower end of the income scales, but the top end of the income scales are just going gangbusters, and there's a problem with that,” said Hasegawa.

Republican Sen. John Braun views the bill as a way to eventually establish a statewide income tax.

Braun also said Hasegawa’s law would be unconstitutional, and would likely require a constitutional amendment, which would need voter approval.

Washington voters have repeatedly rejected attempts at establishing income taxes.

“The people of the state of Washington don’t support an income tax,” said Braun, R-Lewis County. “I don’t think that’s a partisan issue.”