Why Washington State Doesn't Have an Income Tax: The 1930s Campaign for Tax Reform and the Origins of Washington's Tax System - Great Depression Project
I did not realize that early support for a state income tax in Washington came largely from farmers, and was spearheaded by the Grange.
On a related note: Vote no on Initiative 26-645! Keep the new income tax on millionaires! This change to the tax system is a century in the making.
3 replies
I'm voting yes so they can rewrite the law so it won't be lowered in the future or the possibility of it taxing my retirement.
Not my fault our legislature didn't listen to the public on this.
As for taxing billionaires, hell yes! But we have a better chance of taxing ALL billionaires at the federal level where they cant just jump from state to state.
The current scheme of sales, excise, property, and B&O taxes already takes a bite out of every dollar you make and every dollar you will spend in retirement. Better to shift all those piecemeal, semi-hidden taxes to a more visible and more equitable income tax.
Aside from a few high-profile cases, that is a myth. If it were true, high-tax states like California, New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts wouldn't be top states for billionaires, both in absolute terms and per capita. There's a lot of good research and reading out there if you go looking. Forbes hits the nail on the head in the intro to this article: "Decades of economic research show that billionaire “flight” is rare, exaggerated, and often confused with tax avoidance through accounting maneuvers rather than physical relocation."
You fell for GOP propaganda. Billionaires and millionaires live where they do because they like the area they live in. They like being around actual services, events, and infrastructure. They don't leave, as proven by NYC.
I'm not surprised you're voting yes, with your whole "WA deserves ICE because of gun control laws" bullshit.
Also, recent surveys show that the educated public in WA (and a majority of WA voters) is for tax increases, including if you make $100,000 or above. I'm voting no, so hopefully it'll cancel out your malformed vote for yes.