(L-R) Washington state House Rep. My-Linh Thai and state Sen. Noel Frame hold up lists of lawmakers who want to tax the rich in their respective chambers. Megan Stockhausen

Comments

1

"The bill would levy a 1% tax on intangible assets over a quarter billion dollars, which would hit approximately 700 Washingtonians… "

and all of them Schlog
commentriataters
by the List of
Complainers
here @tS.

but wait:
they'll all Move
Away when the tax
goes thru! 'cept for those
wanting a Healthy Society to
raise their Kids in. they'll STILL be

Fabuously well-to-do.

2

@1 money is not the problem. The only thing that will happen here is a wealth transfer from private individuals to public employee unions. One need only look at the impact McCleary had on education quality (none).

3

The King County Regional Housing Authority is little more that an ineffective branch of the county's civil service structure. It provides six figure sinecures to a group of directors and assistants who do nothing and have a self serving interest in continuing homelessness. As the population continues to rise housing simply can't keep up.

4

Santos is sounding less like a Snidely Whiplash wannabee and more like a psychopath. So interesting in an unfunny way how a Republican can vote for a child welfare bill or a school lunch program and suffer the wrath of the party by being primaried out of office, but you can cheat. lie, and steal from charities with no one batting an eye.

Always had mixed feelings about Niketown, Planet Hollywood, and the like coming to town in the mid-90s. It was, for me, the beginning of the end of my Seattle. Now where will people go for their $200 sneakers? Oh dear.

5

Just a lil correction, her name is Vanessa Friedman, not Friedland. That is all.

6

Brought up before, but I'll ask again:

No one expects corporate media to disparage Republican candidates like Santos of their own accord, but where the fuck was the Democratic oppo research?

This guy should have been obliterated within days of getting the nomination.

7

@6 the DS were posting on twitter that Santos' stories weren't adding up but local media wasn't picking up the ball.

The pix of Santos in drag in Brazil are fantastic!

9

@8 lol good one

11

So I’m supposed to flush the rat down the toilet? Seems like that’s a recipe for a clogged and/or overflowing toilet, no? Then I got water all over the floor, AND a wet rat slipping around all over my bathroom. I think I’ll get the soap first before I try to send the little fucker down the tubes. Maybe a rapid-fire plunger pump for good measure.

12

@8, 9,

Why does passage of a new tax automatically necessitate elimination of an existing one, regressive or otherwise? If we can agree that Government and social services are critically underfunded, and that such underfunding disproportionately impacts deeply impoverished and historically exploited people and communities, then it logically stands to reason that additional revenue, above and beyond that which currently exists is needed. Obviously it'd be great if the impact of a new progressive tax replacing a regressive one was significant enough to offset that imbalance and fully fund desperately needed social services, but that's a comically absurd and preposterous supposition.

I honestly and genuinely feel for you guys up there who pay exorbitant property taxes and wish it weren't the case, but this notion that creation of any new revenue stream should automatically trigger the elimination of an existing one is fundamentally absurd. You all desperately need an income tax.

13

@5 thanks for catching--fixed!

14

@12 see my comment @2. We don’t agree the government is critically underfunded. The state has money

https://ofm.wa.gov/about/news/2022/11/state-revenue-projection-2021-23-increased-762-million-2023-25-forecast-increased-681-million

As for an income tax there is zero data that shows it is “needed”. Other states with high property, sales and income taxes have not shown better outcomes. Behind that the legislature continually stresses the regressive structure here as a reason for new taxes however never actually propose lowering or eliminating such regressive items. Most of us see it for what it is, just another way for the state to suck up money to give to public sector unions and special interests with little to no return for taxpayers.

15

@12: What, exactly, is “Obviously … comically absurd and preposterous …” about wanting a reduction in regressive taxation in exchange for progressive taxation, when one justification for new, progressive taxes is that the old, regressive taxes are too high? Most of the time I lived in Seattle, I was a single, childless, well-compensated professional, and I voted for every school levy, and almost every tax increase. (Ironically, one tax I voted against was one I personally would not have paid.) I would have been happy to pay more so that working-class folks, especially ones with children, could pay less. But the “pay less” part never, ever happens. After awhile, it just comes across as a cynical exploitation of poor taxpayers to fund politicians’ pet projects, thus causing even tax-friendly liberals such as myself to lose interest.


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