Adele Ferguson - Take a look at who’s backing I-1098 for state income tax

ANYTIME I SEE the Washington State Democratic party, Washington Education Association, Washington State Labor Council and the Service Employees International Union joining in support of something coming up on the ballot, I know it’s something that’s going to cost you and me a bundle.

They top the list of organizations ever ready to raise taxes to give handouts to everybody who wants one and will vote the Democratic ticket to get it, rather than fashioning government to fit current available revenue.

Yes, everybody knows that the people would have to authorize it, not the Legislature, and the people hate the very idea of a state income tax, having tossed it back where it came from five times. It is in fact so hated, the very words state income tax belong in George Carlin’s dirty words list.

So what’s it doing back again? Well, this time, they figure they’ve made it irresistible to voters by having it apply to those repugnant fellow citizens of ours, the rich. Nobody seems to hate the rich more than Democrats and their pals, even though there probably are as many rich Democrats as rich Republicans. Bill Gates Sr., in fact, father of Jr. who if not the richest man in the world most years, is in the top two or three, is a promoter of Initiative 1098, which does the following:

Establishes a 5 percent tax rate on annual income above $200,000 for individuals and $400,000 for couples, and a 9 percent tax rate on income above $500,000 for individuals and $1 million for couples.

IT CUTS THE STATE property tax 20 percent and increases the business and occupation tax credit for small businesses to $4,800 from $420 per year.

Gates is in the forefront of the campaign because having him there makes it appear as if the rich don’t mind at all being targeted for the income tax. Actually, while the Gates family is notably generous in sharing their money with various causes, I don’t doubt for a minute most of their dough is stashed away in trust funds safe from greedy hands.

Now, since most of us don’t make $200,000 a year, at least I don’t and never have, does that make I-1098 appealing? Apparently more so than you would think. In June, pollster Stu Biway reported 46-46 percent split between yays and nays with the remaining 8 percent undecided. That’s a surprise. I would have expected it to be a bigger split with the no voters better represented.

I SUSPECT VOTERS don’t remember and are certainly not going to be reminded by the proponents that while an initiative takes two thirds vote in both houses of the legislature to make changes in the first two years after passage, it only requires a simple majority from then on.

In other words, if it passes this fall, two years later, the legislature can change the $200,00 and $400,000 to, say, $50,000 and $ 100,00 if it needs the money, and similarly reduce the other figures. Or it can just add in a rate for lesser earners. Likewise, it can restore the 20 percent cut in property tax and return the small business tax credit to whatever it chooses.

Don’t think this won’t happen. Why do you think Tim Eyman is back with another initiative requiring a two thirds majority vote of the legislature or voter approval to raise taxes? Because his previous one, 1-960 passed in 2007, was changed by our greedy lawmakers in 2010 to bring in $800 million in new taxes.

Eyman’s I-1053 deserves passage Dump I-1098 like the garbage it is.

(Adele Ferguson can be reached at P.O. Box 69, Hansville, Wa, 98340.)