Comments on Gov. Gregoire Missing Golden Opportunity for Real Tax Reform

Josh, She is scared of Rossi in the election next year. She knows she has been lackluster as a gov. and even though she is ahead in the polls people are not that committed to keeping her on. This is a reactionary political move to pacify the anti-tax crowd.

Expect more of this. For her, it beats being a leader... Rembmer that more people voted for Kerry in 2004 in Washington than voted for Gregoire in 2004.

It's called political backbone. And the last person you cave to is Tim Fucking Eyman.

You know, maybe the initiative process isn't such a good idea - issues brought before a shitload on uninformed voters who are anti-tax, anti-school, anti-everything as far as I can tell (except firemen and Harborview). Why the fuck, then, do we have legislators?

and enact real property tax reform for the masses by tying increases to income.... The idea works like this: When property tax bills reach a certain percentage of a homeowner’s income, they get a tax credit. The proposal developed by the Budget and Policy Center is, they claim, revenue neutral and would give the poorest 20% of homeowners a 14.9% tax cut; the next 20% would get about a 12% cut; the middle 20% would get a 1.9% cut; and the top 40% would see a 2% increase.

We don't want an income tax here in WA - even if you jump through spectacular hoops in order to call it a "property tax credit".

In addition, I personally have perceived Gregoire to be a bit anti-Seattle in her lackluster first term. Do other people share that perception? I suppose she doesn't want to be seen "pandering" to the state's largest city, an effort to secure votes in the rest of the state. Yet, ironically, it's King County and Seattle that got her into office in the first place...

On the tax issue, here's a tax reform that no one talks about: B&O tax. Most people don't know about it or care about it because they don't pay it directly, although the legions of self-employed people (freelancers, small business owners, everyone from latte stand operators, house cleaners, and 7-11 franchisers upward has to pay it) know and despise it; it's one of the biggest obstacles in this state to starting a new business or going freelance. (It's based on gross receipts, so even if you are losing money you still have to pay tax.)

It functions basically as a "secret income tax." All of you are paying for it but never see it deducted since your employer has to deal with it instead of you.

Since we're all paying what amounts to an income tax anyway, then, why not shift to an authentic income-tax system (which would ease pressure on startups and freelancers) while reducing the sales tax and adding mileage-driven taxes on vehicles?

"pandering to the state's biggest city" Gee, I am sure that the Govs of NY and IL would NEVER pander to NYC and Chicago.

She better start putting out, time politicians realize WE are the Pimps and THEY are the whores. It is NOT the other way around.

I'd heard from an attorney who specializes in Washington state taxes that a progressive property tax (or income tax for that matter) would require a constitutional amendment. Article VII of the state constitution requires "All taxes shall be uniform upon the same class of property..." Maybe Josh could research this more?

B&O is a sales tax. It is on all sales just not added to price it is already in the price. Except for services the tax is less than 1/2 of a percent. There are no other direct taxes on businesses in the state. Even businesses that make no money use the infrastructure provided by the public sector so a small payment seems fair. And what is the business rating of the state? #5

BTW if we had an income tax the businesses would have to pay their people more no make up for it.

Yes a progressive income tax would take a constitutional amendment. The only way it could work would be to eliminate or severely limit sales tax and maybe the dreaded MVET.

Josh have you ever even seen a property tax bill? Much less paid one. I can assure you that homes in Seattle have had much morethan a 1% increase per year since 747.

Perhaps putting renters share of prop tax on their monthly bill would change votes. And how would rental units tax rates be calculated?

@6 and @8 are correct, Josh. You can sit in your little bubble and yell "progressive, progressive, progressive!" all you want, but a Constitutional amendment for a graduated state income tax needs a two-thirds vote in the House and a two-thirds vote in the Senate -- and then it has to go to the voters --where the outcome, at best, is uncertain.

We agree that it should be done. Your tiresome little hissy fits against the Democrats who can't provide you with instant gratification -- BECAUSE THE VOTES ARE FUCKING NOT THERE -- do not help get it done.

@9, renters DO pay property tax. It is part of the rent they pay. When property tax goes up so does the rent.

Just Me are you a renter? If so what is your property tax per month? Rents pay the property tax but rents don't necessarily go up and down with the tax. Supply and demand for units determine the rent level. If a glut of apartments appear and the prop tax goes up, rents will still go down.

@12: That's how things work in a free market system. Nevertheless, renters are still paying a portion of the property tax in their rents.

Suppose that a landlord raised rents enough to completely cover the property tax share for each renter. In theory, quantity demanded would be reduced, causing both parties to pay some of the tax.

@ Whatever. When property taxes go up I pass those charges onto the rents when leases come up for renewal. I distribute the increase among all the rental units I have.

Greg of course in some way renters pay all costs. At least that's what the landlord wants, but if he raises the rent and gains a vacancy, he pays a whole lot of the tax.

Many landlords get what the market will bear which has no direct relationship to property tax increases. Rents have been going up much more than property taxes - property taxes will influence whether investors buy or build units and in the longer term will impact supply and therefore rental rates.

Landlord did you really raise the rents by 3%? If you had vacancies and the prop tax went up would you really try to raise rents on your remaining tenants? If taxes don't go up do you not raise rents in a hot market?

I'm not sure how a work-at-home freelancer or a sole proprietor "uses the infrastructure" but still has to pay B&O on gross, and not net, receipts...