Chronologically gifted, fixed income folks approaching octogenarian status like me wonder if we can remain financially solvent and remain in our mortgage free homes.
The current state budget comes with a myriad of tax increases that equate to added expense for every one of us. From beer to wealth taxes, our super majority of elected Democrats voted overwhelmingly to increase many taxes and invented numerous clever new “revenue” sources.
I fish; an 18% increase in my license fee will not break me but a $10 increase for those under age 70 might. After four unsuccessful days of fishing for Columbia River salmon while watching hundreds of sea lions and seals kill fish around me, I would welcome any increase in fishing license fees to mitigate that depressing problem. However, I am less than thrilled with the $15 Discovery Pass increase, a pass I need to access many fishing areas in our state.
Yet another increase in gas taxes, vehicle weight fees, and EV registration fees while passing a bill to punish Tesla seems counterproductive. A Democratic bill to increase beer barrel taxes may drive Dick’s Brewery and other microbreweries out of Washington. A Democrat bill to force some companies to prepay taxes was, thankfully, defeated but makes one wonder, what part of “we hate businesses” drives our Democratic Party?
Our Washington state Supreme Court ruled that a capital gains tax was in fact an excise (special purpose) tax and therefore constitutional. That means people can be segregated into a specific group, the wealthy for instance, and taxed accordingly.
Tax and fee increases over the past 10 years reduced my fixed income considerably. Each increase effectively reduces my pay. Therefore, I propose an initiative to levy a 15% “excise” tax on all state paid wages, especially those of elected officials, their appointees and staff. I would exclude fire, police, EMT and hospital personnel. And since 80% of school budgets comprise wages and benefits, that would help their funding while closing a portion of the state budget gap.
A win-win.
Gregory Riplinger
Centralia
