WA Cares program should be personal choice

As many struggle to make ends meet because of inflation and our state having the most expensive gas in the nation, the last thing they want is to pay a big new tax.

Yet, that is exactly what Washington workers now face.

A payroll tax, which went into effect on July 1, is being taken out of most employees’ paychecks. This tax is currently equal to $58 annually for every $10,000 in pay. It supports a government-run long-term care program called WA Cares, created by majority Democrats in the Legislature in 2019.

The long-term care program offers a lifetime payout of no more than $36,500, subject...