Taxes & Fees Quietly Growing

Credit Rich Roesler for bringing to light the little-noticed march of tax and fee increases that do not require a public vote.

Most of the proposals come from majority Democrats, who are grappling with a $9 billion budget shortfall over the next two years. Republicans have argued for more cost-cutting, but Democrats say that some increases are crucial to easing devastating cuts.

It's the same debate we've heard all session, with increasing intensity as the legislature heads into the final ten days. Read Roesler's story and weigh in with your lawmakers. The layering on of new taxes, particularly without a public vote, simply adds new costs on families and employers struggling to make ends meet. It's a bad idea.

 

And with respect to the 0.3 percent sales tax hike scheduled for a House committee vote this afternoon, I encourage you to read this column by Wenatchee World's editorial page editor Tracy Warner. (h/t Jason Mercier): 

... taxes extract money from the economy that provides the fundamental support for all of us, and increasing taxes will have negative effects

It really is that simple.