Dear Editor,

The Legislature now wants us to approve a State Income Tax. This isn’t something new. Why is it I hear this rumbling from the State Government about every ten years and from every Governor?

Let me remind the Legislature what they have done that upsets me.

This State already has one of the highest states sales taxes on gasoline and now the Legislature wants to raise it even more and the gas tax effects the poor and middle class far more than it does the wealthy. The Legislature even wants to add a tax on bottled water. I am sure, if they could, the Legislators would even like to tax the air we breathe and charge us an occupation tax for taking up space in this State.

The Legislature funded remodeling of the Key Arena for the Sonics basketball team and the Sonics moved to Oklahoma. We are still paying for the Seattle Kingdome and it was torn down in 1998. In fact we are still paying for roof repairs on that building and the roof came tumbling down in 1998.

The Legislature funded the building of the Mariners Stadium (now Safeco Field) and that funding was for people making millions of dollars every year and it was paid with money from taxpayers making far, far less than professional athletes. ‘We the People’ also received a tax bonus for tax dollars used to fund the building of the Mariners Stadium; a 0.17% sales tax until 2029, and a separate 0.016% sales tax for Qwest Field until 2029, and a 0.5% restaurant meals sales tax until 2015, and a 2% car rentals sales tax until 2012, and a 2% hotel/motel sales tax until 2021. I wonder what tax increase there was to fund unemployment benefits for the unemployed?

The Legislature funded the building of an Employment Resource Center for Boeing workers who lost their jobs in the late 1990’s and ignored the rest of us who became displaced workers. Additionally, the State received $5-million Grant from the Federal Government (1993) to retrain ‘laid-off Boeing workers.’ It was called the ‘Job Training Partnership Act’ and it was for 1,860 former Boeing employees. Why did laid-off Boeing workers receive special attention, while all other laid-off workers were ignored? Now, the Legislature wants the rest of us to approve their attempt to get a State Income Tax. Too bad there aren’t enough Boeing employees to pass the Income Tax proposal and the State now has to rely on the majority of everyone else they ignored for its passage.

I remember when the Legislature overturned the ‘Will of the People’ back in 1996. The voters turned down a measure to fund the building of the Seahawks Stadium (now Quest Field) in November (1995). They then met in December (1995) and suspended or overturned the ‘Will of the People’ and funded the building of the new Seahawks Stadium with public money against the will of the people. Again, it was using tax dollars to subsidize athletes making millions of dollars every year.

This year the Legislature again overturned the ‘Will of the People’ and suspended the provisions of I-960, which required a two-thirds majority to raise taxes. I-960, in fact, forced the Legislature to work together and that body couldn’t even do that. Why should ‘We the People’ work with Legislators when they can’t even work with one another? The Legislature should have suspended all pay for Legislators, before it suspended the provisions of I-960.

Here is the ‘full meal deal.’ If the Legislature wants to Amend the State Constitution to have a State Income Tax then the following two amendments should be made. The State Sales Tax shall be reduced to 5% and no more. The State Income tax shall be on individual incomes and not house hold incomes. The State Income Tax shall be a maximum of 5% (and no more) on all income except income derived from Unemployment and Social Security Benefits. There should be no State Income Tax on Social Security benefits because our elderly deserve that break; they have put up with the Legislatures shenanigans the longest and deserve a break when they need it most. No tax on Unemployment and Social Security Benefits would not affect the ‘wealthy’ or professional athletes, but it sure would benefit everyone one else. Additionally, there shall be no income tax on those individuals earning less than the federal poverty level.

Let me ‘supersize’ that ‘full meal deal.’ Property taxes shall be based on the sale price of the house and not on the assessed value. The value of property doesn’t change until the time of sale, when it may either go up or down from the original sale price. The value of property is no different than the value of stocks; it is at the time of sale there value is determined. The vehicle license fee for Tabs shall be reduced back to the $30.00 per vehicle it is supposed to be. Instead of taxing the wealthy, why not cut the wages of the wealthy State Employee wage earners of this State; those making more than the Governor shall immediately have their wages cut in half. The Legislature must also get out of the business of trying to get into business. All business taxes shall be the same across the board. No more catering to big business with tax exemptions, while ignoring small businesses. Business tax breaks shall be for all business or none, period. All sur-taxes shall be immediately eliminated and deemed unconstitutional here after.

Those are my terms before I will even consider voting for the passage of a State Income Tax and they are non-negotiable. I will continue to vote no for such a Constitutional Amendment until the State gets its spending under control. When the State can prove to me that it is fiscally responsible with the revenue it already collects then, and only then, might I listen to its suggestion for a State Income Tax.

I vote no for a Constitutional Amendment to have a State Income Tax until my demands are met in full.

Respectfully,
Charlie Peters