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I-695: Tax the poor and delight the rich
I-695: Tax the poor and delight the rich
A national tax watchdog studied the tax systems of each state in 1996 and
came to this conclusion: Washington state has the most regressive tax system
in the country.
That means state and local taxes hit the poor and middle class harder here
than anywhere else, according to Citizens for Tax Justice, a nonprofit group
that looks out for the interests of low-income families. The study blamed Washington's
heavy reliance on sales taxes and the absence of an income tax.
The poorest Washington families paid 17.1 percent of their income in state
and local taxes. The national average was 12.5 percent. The richest Washington
families paid 3.9 percent of their income in state and local taxes. The national
average was 7.9 percent.
Initiative 695 would exacerbate these unflattering numbers. It removes the
more progressive Motor Vehicle Excise Tax (the fancier the car, the higher the
tax) and replaces it with nothing. That would leave an even heavier reliance
on regressive taxes.
Think about it.
Gary Crooks/For the editorial board
