I had to read it twice to be sure it was true. It was. Joni Balter, Seattle Times editorial columnist, wrote a column in the February 11, 2010 issue of the Times bemoaning the tax whipsaw citizens are experiencing with the various taxing entities each seeking more money without regard to what others are doing. We must be at the infamous tipping point when even liberals start to worry about taxes. After listing some of the city, county and state planned increases she concludes: "Your wallet and head and mine begin to ache."
Well welcome to Democrat heaven Joni. Just look at your property tax statement. If you live in Seattle, you pay a state school tax, Seattle schools construction and operating levies, emergency medical tax, surface water tax, soil conservation tax, noxious weed tax, Port of Seattle tax, King County ferry tax, flood control tax, Seattle and King County taxes that pay for the general operating expenses and voter approved taxes (we do it to ourselves) for libraries, parks, low income housing, Seattle's Family and Education levy (separate from school levies), Stadium tax (which Balter points out officially ends in 2012 but the line is already forming for public groups who want to continue the tax for all manner of "good" causes). Add in sales tax, higher sales tax for restaurant meals, gas tax, liquor tax, tobacco tax, auto tab tax, light rail tax, utility taxes too numerous to list and the bill gets to be fairly high. But that's not all. Business taxes passed on to customers, fees, and charges and, of course, income taxes, all totaled, explain why tax freedom day, even in a recession, falls in April.
Governments start new programs, lock in more entitlements and spend freely during the boom years and then when the downturns occur threaten to cut police, fire and schools unless the taxpayer ponies up more. Meanwhile long range financial planning to meet future needs such as bridge replacements is ignored.
In Washington State, the Left promotes their version of tax reform. Just add an income tax and we can lower property and sales taxes and provide a more predictable and fair tax system. The only problem is people look at states like California, New York, Illinois etc. and they are broke (spent more, and promised more than they could deliver). Oregon, with no sales tax, is trying the tax the rich approach. We'll see how that works out.
The Democrats blame Tim Eyman. But Tim and phenomena like the Tea Party Movement is only the natural result of the ever-increasing growth in government and the taxes required to feed it. Obviously, we need government and taxes. The conversation now is how much of each can we afford, what is the fairest way to pay and how can we set limits to control the pressure to spend? Eyman's initiatives are not the best way to answer the questions but until elected officials get the message, it may be the only way.
Seldom do you hear stories of a Republican getting a job, house, growing a business, a retirement fund and a family and then decide that all this government is a good thing and declare themselves a Democrat.
If you're not a conservative by age 40, you have no brain.
Unfortunately, some people never learn.
Posted by: Jack on February 12, 2010 12:11 PMThey fail or don't want to see the so-called unintended consequences of raising taxes. That is why it can be concluded that Dimocrats or whoever do not care about small businesses (which suffer the most) when they raise taxes.
Posted by: KDS on February 12, 2010 01:12 PMI don't know enough about the Law or the Washington State Constitution to know who or how they got away with this, but it's a done deal.
This year I pay more property tax than last year.
Obama is now about to change his mind and try KSM in military court. I kid you not. Holder says that the only thing that is important is that world see's it as fair.
These guys are complete idiots. We have elected morons run the country. To them, justice means only what the rest of the wold thinks about how we prosecute people.
Liberals... liberals who defended Obama's choice of trying KSM in NY City. Do you approve of him changing his mind and trying KSM in military court instead? Do you just agree with whatever the hell he wants to do from one day to the next (like tracking us via cell phones with no warrant)
because he's just so darn magnificent, and makes your legs tingle?
I can think of one, Rodney Tom. He has either become power hungry whore with no values of his own, or has completely lost his mind, before politics he was a conservative. He once ran on a platform, "I believe in Public Schools, my kids go to them." Now he's in power and has the NEA and WEA funneling him funds and giving him his marching orders, his kids go to PRIVATE school.
Posted by: Dik on February 12, 2010 04:27 PMI under stand they want to increase the taxes on fuel...
Can you say dumb.
Posted by: Medic/Vet on February 12, 2010 05:26 PMPersonal Note: If you want a rewarding job...Get an honest job in the Private Sector and quit being a Leech upon Society.
Yeah...Right! You work in the permitting section. The section that waves the magic wand and charges big bucks for a person to build on his own land. Yeah...We need that extra Cost,Theft and assault on our Liberty and Right to build on our own Land from Big Government. Like, the Private Sector needs your department's oversight and permission to build structure on our own land because, we are too Dumb and Simple-minded to be able handle the enterprise on our own. Get Real! You work for a department that is far, far more Parasitic and a disservice than a service. What a Joke!
The more I read your commentary, the more I think you must certainly be pulling my leg. Surely, your Joking! You can't be as Insane as you sound. You had better read post #13 from Yosemite Sam again and again to get a sense as to where you truly stand. Your sense of proportion and where things are at in the World Scope and Balance, is way off target. What you are, is an Enemy of the people, something our founders have Warned us about. Something that President Thomas Jefferson meant when, he said the Tree of Liberty needs to be watered every so often by the Blood of the Patriots to get rid of the Scallywags.
Big Government and the Unions are Not, the Future of this State or Country. If Big Government and the Unions are not brought into Check...This Country will Collapse and there won't be any Country. If we pay an Increase in Taxes, it would be the same as throwing another Log on the Fire. Government, like the Fire, would simply get Larger and demand more until Government, like the Fire, will soon get so large that it will destroy our house. Such, a Deal!
There are a couple of old sayings you should be apprised of: #1 If there is a way to do it Wrong...Government will find a way. #2 If you can't get and hold an honest job in the Private Sector, you can always get and hold a Government job...Nuff said.
Yes, the epitome of efficiency! Why, they need more money, more people, just more taxes so they can further track down tax cheats like me who haven't paid B&O taxes for the current quarter on businesses closed for years...
Posted by: Shanghai Dan on February 13, 2010 09:12 AMhttp://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/02/11/20100211climate-brewer0211.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/feb/12/utah-climate-alarmists
Drive a wooden stake through the heart of WCI and fire the 3000 employees added to DOE to implement WCI. That could save $ one billion or more.
Yes We Can!
Posted by: Dufus McBroke on February 14, 2010 06:26 AMYet despite the terrible and unfair and inefficient tax rates the state of Washington has a per capita income above the national average, ranking at 8 of 50 at $48,574.
Compare that to your Tennessee ranked at 36 of 50, below the national average income with $38,090.
Table 2 at State-Local Tax Burdens...
Compare further using the Tax Foundation's analysis.
WA: $48,574 income - $2,957 Taxes Paid to Home State = $45,617 left in your pocket.
TN: $38,090 income - $1,779 Taxes Paid to Home State = $36,311 left in your pocket.
"Tennessee, a state with no income tax, lower sales tax, lower property tax is looking better and better."
Only to the dim witted.
Posted by: MikeBoyScout on February 14, 2010 07:32 AMOn May 10, 2001 Boeing announced its brilliant decision to move its HQ from Seattle to Chicago.
"We're continuing to transform our company with a focus on long-term growth and value creation. Our new corporate architecture - with a leaner headquarters located separately from our major business units - is a fundamental element of our business strategy," said Boeing Chairman and CEO Phil Condit.
On May 11, 2001 following the announcement Boeing stock closed at $66.01.
On May 11, 2001 Amazon, a company that did not decide to leave Washington, stock closed at $14.68.
On Friday, February 12, 2010 Boeing's stock closed at $59.65.
On Friday, February 12, 2010 Amazon's stock closed at $119.66.
"Boeing is now headquartered in Chicago, a state with both income and sales tax. Yet it was cheaper to move to Illinois than put up with the never-ending increasing tax and regulations here."
Yep, it sure was cheaper wasn't it.
No, I don't believe.
I understand based upon data that taxes are but one factor in making the profitable decision to locate a business.
I offered you two examples of businesses which chose to locate out of the state of Washington or locate within the state Washington and their performance.
Can you offer an example which indicates the benefit of a company relocating out of the state of Washington? That beats the performance of Amazon?
Are any of the 7 states which have a higher per capita income than Washington state right to work states Daniel?
And if WA is really so damn bad, why do you choose to live here?
Ignorance? Or hypocrisy?
Why hasn't the their tax and labor policies enabled these states to do far better than WA, which has been pricing its self out of the ability to provide a good business climate for many years.? Could it be your belief that tax rates are deterministic for job creation, business profit and quality of life is absolutely a crock of excrement that you repeatedly swallow?
Uncompetitive High Wages forced upon Businesses by Unions plus, the interference in restricting the management of a productive workforce by resisting the firing of the non-productive and rewarding the productive as well as Strikes, gives Good Reason not to establish a Business in such a State. Much of this has been explained to you before. However, being a Liberal/Communist such, explanations simply go over your head.
Who knows...In time maybe, Amazon will opt to leave along with Boeing and others.
It is runaway Government, Unions, Socialist/Communist, Blind, Brain-dead GODLESS Liberals that are destroying this State. For the benefit of this State...It is You and your kind that should leave...PERIOD!
Posted by: Daniel on February 14, 2010 11:02 AM"Comparing Amazon to Boeing is comparing Apples to Oranges blah, blah, blah"
You have a better comparison than Boeing pre-relocation to Boeing post-relocation?
You have a better comparison than Bezos intentionally locating in Washington to relocating outside of Washington?
No, you don't.
Despite constantly yammering and commenting about it, you cannot cite a single example that supports your assertion.
Not surprised.
"It is runaway Government, Unions, Socialist/Communist, Blind, Brain-dead GODLESS Liberals that are destroying this State."
Ok, then how do you explain what is destroying South Carolina?
Unemployment: SC= 12.6% WA= 9.5%
per capita income: SC= $39,103 WA= $48,574
"State lawmakers are still struggling to balance the books, but they are making progress. In January, South Carolina was facing a half a million dollar budget deficit, but now budget writers say the new deficit is $100 million."
Do the math, what's the trend for SC?
Who knew that South Carolina was plagued by runaway Government, Unions, Socialist/Communist, Blind, Brain-dead GODLESS Liberals.
"Idiots", indeed
Posted by: MikeBoyScout on February 14, 2010 11:50 AM"Try to connect the Dots..."
The only relevant Dot is the decimal point which apparently precedes your IQ.
ps. Buy this Capitalization: Teaching Correct Capitalization to Kids.
"And..Yes Capitalization is Very Important, much more than Substance and Meaning."
Hey numbnuts,
shall you find and cite an example of a business which chose to relocate out of the state of Washington and its post relocation performance?
Can you offer an example which indicates the benefit of a company relocating out of the state of Washington? That beats the performance of Amazon?
Or are you just going to continue to Blather on Endlessly with Poor cApItAlIzAtIoN?
Forbes Magazine, "The Capitalist Tool", rates Washington state #2 of 50 (up from #3 in 2006) in evaluating best states for business.
Forbes measured six vital categories for businesses: costs, labor supply, regulatory environment, current economic climate, growth prospects and quality of life.
Since such a finding contradicts the common wisdom of the geniuses who post and comment here at (un)SP, the Forbes motto of "The Capitalist Tool." must be false and the Forbes family and its businesses are obviously Criminally infected with liberal socialism.
"Let's see...How about Boeing? If Boeing found it disadvantages to move its headquarters from Washington State, would it continue to move other elements to other States...Say, South Carolina? I mean, without going into a lot of Research,"
Hey numbnuts,
go read my comment @25 and tell me how well Boeing has done since it moved its headquarters.
ps. $59.65 ,
go read my comment @25 and tell me how well Boeing has done since it moved its headquarters.
ps. $59.65 is less than $66.01.
You can't show us "the fact of Businesses not coming into the State" because it does not exist.
In 4 hours you have yet to produce any facts.
You just pull sh*t out of your a*s and call it a fact.
That is why you so rightfully earn the nom de plume numbnuts.
Posted by: MikeBoyScout on February 14, 2010 01:30 PMConservatives have Common Sense, Reason with Clinical Deduction for realizing the Truth without doing all the research that Liberals must do at the risk of poor returns due to the deceit of this World which prevents the contamination of misinformation that the Easy Believing Liberals seem always to fall Sucker to.
As far as my taking the time to doing research, in this case, it is not necessary. The reasons are too Fundamental to require research.
"You just don't Get it! Boeing is doing better than it would have if it didn't start to move from Washington State"
Right. So much better. Lower stock price. Lower return on capital. Less employees. Years behind on the 787, 747-8, Department of Homeland Security 'virtual fence project, ...
It really doesn't get better than that.
@44 numbnuts on February 14, 2010 01:49 PM,
"As far as my taking the time to doing research, in this case, it is not necessary. The reasons are too Fundamental to require research."
Right.
Not a single example cited by you because it is not necessary, too Fundamental. Never mind all the facts that show your belief that tax rates are deterministic for job creation, business profit and quality of life to be absolutely a crock of excrement that you willingly swallow.
ps. Buy this - Capitalization: Teaching Correct Capitalization to Kids.
Such a sad and pathetic comeback.
Posted by: MikeBoyScout on February 14, 2010 04:03 PMI've already trimmed my budget and eliminated everything but the essentials. Where will the extra money come from? I might have to sell the car if I can't afford the tabs...
Is it too much to ask the politicians and state employees to do the same amount of budget-cutting the rest of us have had to do in this recession?
The worst recession since the 1930s has caused the steepest decline in state tax receipts on record. As a result, even after making very deep cuts, states continue to face large budget gaps. New shortfalls have opened up in the budgets of at least 41 states for the current fiscal year (FY 2010, which began July 1 in most states). In addition, initial indications are that states will face shortfalls as big as or bigger than they faced this year in the upcoming 2011 fiscal year. States will continue to struggle to find the revenue needed to support critical public services for a number of years In total, 48 states have addressed or still face shortfalls in their budgets for fiscal year 2010, totaling $194 billion or 28 percent of state budgets; the largest gaps on record
How a New Jobless Era Will Transform America
In November, 19.4 percent of all men in their prime working years, 25 to 54, did not have jobs, the highest figure since the Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the statistic in 1948.
Relief for States and Struggling Families Provides Substantial Boost to Employment
The employment-boosting effects of fiscal relief measures for cash-strapped states are similarly under appreciated or misunderstood. Faced with an unprecedented decline in revenues in this recession, states have been forced to implement deep and broad cutbacks in education, health care, and most other areas of state expenditures. The cuts have affected vulnerable children, seniors, and people with disabilities, among others. The role of federal assistance in avoiding even more draconian cuts has been important in protecting valuable state and local government services, but it has also provided an important boost to employment. Unlike the federal government, states have balanced-budget requirements for their operating budgets. As budget deficits begin to emerge in a recession, states must take actions to cut existing programs or raise new revenues. Those actions translate into layoffs of state workers, cancellation of contracts with vendors, and a diminished response to the hardship that beneficiaries of safety-net programs experience. Those effects reverberate through the economy, adding to the job losses and further weakening economic activity. Federal fiscal assistance to states makes these job losses smaller than they otherwise would be.
Maddow Calls Out Rep. Schock (R-IL) for Recovery Act Hypocrisy on MTP
REP. SCHOCK: Well, I don't like all the pork that was in the bill. Seven hundred eighty-seven billion dollar stimulus bill, the largest spending bill in, in history, one of the reasons why it didn't create long-term growth is it didn't have stimulative tax cuts in it, but rather a lot of pork and spending. MS. MADDOW: Which are the least stimulative things in the stimulus. I mean, when you assess what creates jobs, in the stimulus band it's the tax cuts that were put in in order to try to win Republican votes that didn't come anyway that are the least effective thing in the stimulus bill. So the theory doesn't match the practice here. MS. MADDOW: But, I mean, you, in your district... REP. SCHOCK: Well, I, I can assure you... MS. MADDOW: ...just this week you were at a community college touting a $350,000 green technology education program, talking about how great that was going to be for your district. You voted against the bill that created that grant. And so that's happening a lot with Republicans sort of taking credit for things that Democratic bills do, and then Republicans simultaneously touting their votes against them and trashing them. That's, I think, a, a, a problem that needs to be resolved within, within your caucus, because, I mean, you seem like a very nice person, but that's very hypocritical stance to take.
Barbour Embraces "Party Of No" Label
In an interview with National Journal, Barbour warned fellow Republicans not to fall into a trap that they managed to avoid in 1994: turning the midterm election into a choice between parties rather than a referendum on the party in control. "The idea that just being against bad policy will end up as bad politics is wrong," Barbour said. Barbour argues, though, that if Republicans release a national agenda early this year, they will just give Democrats something to attack. In 1994, the year the GOP seized the House and the Senate, House Republicans did not unveil the original Contract With America until autumn.
Rome burns, Nero fiddles.
Posted by: MikeBoyScout on February 14, 2010 10:24 PMBut no, it was voted in so congrats! you get to pay more for fewer repairs (because now the repairs cost more so, fewer things can be done). And, of course, the first $50M goes to reopening buildings they closed (2 of them just 3 years ago). It all makes sense but when you talk about school levies it's like Mom and apple pie. Nothing else seems to matter.
Posted by: Westello on February 15, 2010 07:27 PM