Slog - Comments on Among this Year's Democratic Priorities in Olympia... http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/among_this_years_democratic_priorities_i ...Codifying Eyman's I-747 into law before the state supreme court throws it out. Eyman's 2001 property tax cap (1 percent) was thrown out by King County Superior Court Judge Mary Roberts last summer on the grounds that voters were misled about the substance of the measure. Roberts said voters thought they were changing the tax increase cap from 2 percent to 1 percent, not from 6 percent to 1 percent, as 747 mandated. Voters had approved I-747 by 58 percent. Of course, liberals and Democratic lawmakers have long argued that I-747 hampers their ability to fund basic services. (Before I-747... Copyright 2008 Thu, 22 Feb 2007 17:10:29 -0800 Fri, 23 Feb 2007 12:22:02 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by Will in Seattle It's to stop further stupid initiatives.

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/among_this_years_democratic_priorities_i#c645479 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/among_this_years_democratic_priorities_i#c645479 News Thu, 22 Feb 2007 17:18:31 -0800 Comment by Dougsf If you want evidence of how a property tax cap can wreak havoc on schools and services, please look no further than California.

]]> Dougsf http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/among_this_years_democratic_priorities_i#c645533 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/among_this_years_democratic_priorities_i#c645533 News Thu, 22 Feb 2007 17:28:40 -0800 Comment by Gitai I want Democrats to grow some balls and impose an income tax already. I'd like revenue to be higher, but with a much larger percentage of it coming from an income tax with a concomitant decrease in sales and property tax rates.

]]> Gitai http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/among_this_years_democratic_priorities_i#c645804 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/among_this_years_democratic_priorities_i#c645804 News Thu, 22 Feb 2007 19:02:36 -0800 Comment by kinaidos A simple solution to the fixed income problem - increase taxes by the full value of the property, but then establish a minimum tax program for low income or fixed income individuals, allowing them to defer the tax until the property is sold. Fair is fair. If you are going to make hundreds of thousands from selling a piece of property, you should pay your fair share of taxes.
Also, such caps simply drive up the price of property by effectively lowering monthly payments. Since it's this escalation of property values behind the condo conversion craze and the loss of housing for low income individuals, a tax cap is exactly the wrong policy if that is your concern.
Higher interest rates and higher taxes are actually good for the lower income segement of population becuase they tend to owe less (because they don't qualify for much in the first place) and because they tend to pay less taxes, while both influences tend to depress property values and help at least maintain the status quo in terms of housing availability.

]]> kinaidos http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/among_this_years_democratic_priorities_i#c646048 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/among_this_years_democratic_priorities_i#c646048 News Thu, 22 Feb 2007 21:28:19 -0800 Comment by mason Property taxes don't make much sense to me as anything other than a tool for gentrification. Make me god emperor and I'd toss 'em and set up income taxes.

Low income people would pay proportionally little money until they sell it at which point they are paying income tax on gains.

I realize income tax is a tricky political issue, but perhaps if the trade off was not having to pay property taxes any more people would be more keen on it.

As an extra added bonus, if you make me god emperor I'll shoot Eyman into space.

]]> mason http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/among_this_years_democratic_priorities_i#c646446 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/among_this_years_democratic_priorities_i#c646446 News Fri, 23 Feb 2007 07:57:56 -0800 Comment by Will in Seattle Technically, the legislature could:

a. impose a flat income tax with no deductions; or

b. impose a 1 percent income tax with deductions.

Either could be done without changing the state constitution.

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/among_this_years_democratic_priorities_i#c647056 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/02/among_this_years_democratic_priorities_i#c647056 News Fri, 23 Feb 2007 12:22:02 -0800