Weighing in
A weekly look at reader comments and reactions to the news
The possibility of a state income tax on wealthy Washingtonians drew strong reader reaction this week, even though the plan floated by Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, D-Spokane, would give voters final say on the matter. Find complete coverage and the full reader debate at www.spokesman.com.
Cowboy: If the high earners get singled out, what is the incentive to be a high earner? Move out of State?
IHike4Fun: Same old same old. Do you think it is possible for a politician to have an original idea?
Misjustice: Not only no, but HELL NO! Sure, it starts on top income earners, then the next step is all of us. I think that a sales tax on consumption is a more fair method of collecting taxes than a personal income tax.
Omaha: Does anyone really think if they institute an income tax, we will get some relief on the state sales tax? Sure they will say the sales tax won’t increase but it surely won’t go away. Then the state will have the big three: sales, property and income tax.
Mr. Natural: One of the pleasures and equitabilities of this state is by not having a state income tax. You can tax my property; you can tax my goods, services, and entertainment but please leave my income alone.
Daisy Minken: The only reason these Lisa Brown/ Gregoire/ Chris Marr types are demanding more money from the already overburdened taxpayer is because they spent the money in a bad way. It’s not their money so they spend on people who don’t earn in order to get votes to remain in office. It’s the finest shell game ever.
JBlim: Let’s not forget the reason we have this bad national economy in the first place. The Republicans started an idiotic war in Iraq, without any benefit to the people of the United States, spent trillions of dollars we didn’t have without any plan to pay for it except to “cut taxes.” Well, we’re all paying now.
Nutz4utwo: Look at California: they tax everything they can think of and they still have huge budget problems. Taxation does not solve budget problems. Good fiscal management and politicians who don’t spend money on junk do.
Leekinny: Taxes on the top 2% are at an unheard of historic low. They received those cuts under the misguided theory that they would, in their benevolence, trickle wealth down towards all of us. They didn’t do that. They hoarded, and sent jobs and money overseas rather than patriotically investing in their own nation, as was promised, which led us into economic chaos.