Reject regressive tax hike

Mon., April 27, 2015

Please join me in voting no on Spokane Transit Authority Proposition 1, which increases the sales tax.

Sales taxes are what economists call regressive. This means that they target people with lower incomes disproportionately more than those with higher incomes. I have seen sales taxes described as discretionary, which is largely false. Consider the single mother’s expenses related to raising her child. Almost all of those expenses, diapers, clothing, stroller, a crib, etc., are taxable, and hardly discretionary.

There comes a point where we must say “no” to ever-increasing taxes. Washington residents already pay one of the highest sales taxes in the nation. The STA must learn to operate with the ample resources that they already enjoy.

Jerome Gray

Spokane Valley

Letters policy

The Spokesman-Review invites original letters on local topics of public interest. Your letter must adhere to the following rules:

No more than 250 words
We reserve the right to reject letters that are not factually correct, racist or are written with malice.
We cannot accept more than one letter a month from the same writer.
With each letter, include your daytime phone number and street address.
The Spokesman-Review retains the nonexclusive right to archive and re-publish any material submitted for publication.

Unfortunately, we don’t have space to publish all letters received, nor are we able to acknowledge their receipt. (Learn more.)

Submit letters using any of the following:

Our online form: Submit your letter here
Mail: Letters to the Editor
The Spokesman-Review
999 W. Riverside Ave.
Spokane, WA 99201
Email: editor@spokesman.com
Fax: (509) 459-3815
Phone: (509) 459-5430