Reader feedback
State income tax is a very bad idea
Personal Income Tax is the most personally intrusive tax that there is. The writers of the Washington State Constitution were well aware of this when they wrote the State Constitution over a hundred years ago, and thus made sure that personal Income Tax was illegal. Yes, giving the State the power to pry into individual personal assets and bank accounts is unconstitutional because it leads to thetf by the State.
Senator Rosa Franklin from Tacoma took an Oath of Office to uphold the Washington State Constitution and yet feels compelled to violate that Oath by sponsoring SB 5104 and SB 8205 which introduce a personal income tax.
Did she not read the Constitution that she has sworn to uphold, or is she just not a person of honor? Either way, I say that she is unfit to hold public office and should be removed ASAP.
Anyone who has had to deal with the IRS over a dispute knows that they hold all the cards.
Once accused they may freeze your assets and you may be given the opportunity to prove yourself innocent, but in many cases they just steal the money right from your bank account.
Who in their right mind would want to give the State Government these same powers?
Dan Goebel
Keyport
She’s right about one thing
The Val Torrens article in the January 30 issue of the Herald was right about one thing — it is a non-starter. To trust those bloodsuckers in Olympia with another means of socking it to the taxpayer is ludicrous. I don’t trust any of them with any of our tax money let alone give them another way to get at it. Thank goodness it takes a citizen vote to implement an income tax. Even mentioning it brings a big no to my mind.
Donald H. Danielson
Poulsbo
Current system hurts lower-income levels
The best thing about a state income tax in my opinion is it would replace a system that by using a tax on sales directly hurts the lower income levels on a higher scale. Our state has a very regressive tax system where the poor pay way more then their share in regard to percentage to income for basic needs. The hardest problem with a state income tax is trying to convince my fellow citizens to support it. It comes from their objections about the disingenuous political machine that promotes so much concern for the poor here in Washington. But has continued to raise taxes in a manner that hurts the poorest of us on a larger percentage .
This injustice is done while campaigning nationally about how we are giving tax cuts to the rich. Concern for education, while not paying for even basic education in this state, support for minorities yet in King County the three largest minority organizations all joined in and supported the charter legislation that the political machine here stopped cold. Now they are closing schools down in Seattle, guess where, in minority neighborhoods. I will not even go into the B&O Tax and what that does to businesses, and who knows how many decided to go to other states because of it. Why complain about tax cuts for the rich when you raise taxes here on the poor with sales and property taxes? In this state it’s so much that one political party runs everything, it’s just we have the wrong ones in office, the ones who are willing to do anything except doing the right thing.
Mick Sheldon
Kingston
She never saw a tax she didn’t like
Val Torrens, honorable columnist on Jan. 30, celebrated state Senator Franklin’s introduction of two bills to bring us an income tax in Washington, SB’s 5104 and 8205. Val used words like “rational,” “merits,” “predictable,” “cogent” and “civil” to describe those who favor income tax and to describe how marvelous an income tax will be.
This was because Val never saw a tax she didn’t like. People who agree with her see no moral problem in taking from the producers, as if they are money trees that will grow two dollars for every one plucked off.
Why do I bring up “producers?” Production is needed for money to be made; the ground must bring forth the crops; factories must assemble the equipment; sales personnel must convince us to buy their products and services; trucks must bring goods to retailers. This is not magic; this is work, labor, production. Those who labor need to enjoy the fruits of their labor. A tax on income is a punishment to those who work. We don’t work as hard, and we’re less productive, when more work brings more tax.
Our Constitution prohibits an income tax because our elected legislators and the people know the folly of an income tax.
Scott McDonald
Poulsbo
