Will Washington have an income tax?
The opening shots in the battle over a Washington State income tax have been fired.
The special interests backing this initiative tried to slip through a sneaky ballot title designed to keep voters from knowing what they were really doing.
So, last week I filed a “Ballot Language Title” challenge in Superior Court (C4L member Steve Pidgeon acted as our attorney). I am pleased to report that the judge agreed with us.
The new ballot title will be, “Initiative Measure No. 1098 concerns establishing a state income tax and reducing other taxes.”
Now, the liberal media is already trying to downplay our victory, but make no mistake about it, succeeding in changing the ballot title is a very big deal.
Let’s get serious here — a state income tax is entering a whole new world of taxation for Washington State residents. Studies show that state income taxes drive away job-creating wealth.
Washington State’s citizens and voters will now know that they are voting for a State Income Tax.
Still, by no means can we count on winning the battle just yet. We have plenty of ammunition for this fight. You and I both know how strenuously most Washingtonians oppose a state income tax of any kind.
There is no shortage of reasons for Washington State citizens to send a resounding “NO!” message to those who seek new ways to fund the state legislature’s mismanaged “budget crisis” by stealing from the fruits of the people’s labor.
But, our opponents are well-funded by power brokers with deep pockets, backed by unions, and counting on sound bites to carry their state income tax onto the ballot and into the bank balances of unsuspecting taxpayers.
Despite our successful challenge, I-1098 petitions are already in circulation, and I-1098 will almost certainly wind up on your ballot this November. If it does, you can be sure the power brokers will call in the unions to try to vote it into law.
What’s a patriot to do? Join Campaign for Liberty in exposing the truth of this initiative. It’s our job to tell our friends and neighbors all the ways this initiative will lead our legislators into temptation:
- The initiative does not index income levels to inflation, thus leaving Washingtonians prey to the legislature, over time, snaring increasingly more people in the net.
- There is no constitutional protection that the income limits specified in the initiative cannot be lowered in the future.
- There is no constitutional protection that the state taxes lowered by passage of the initiative cannot be collected by municipalities or counties.
- There is no constitutional protection that once the taxes are lowered they will stay low. In two years, the legislature can return taxes lowered by this initiative to their current levels.
- Pushers of this initiative say that the current tax code “creates harmful boom-and-bust cycles.” WRONG. The Federal Reserve creates boom and bust cycles. Attack the problem, not the symptom, and Audit, then get rid of, the Federal Reserve!
- The property tax reduction is puny—only about $160, so says The Seattle Times, for a typical King County homeowner. This provision is estimated to only reduce property taxes about 4%.
We won this initial skirmish, but there’s a long campaign ahead. Your Washington State Campaign for Liberty stands ready to lead the next charge! Won’t you help?
Alex Rion
Executive Director
Washington State Campaign for Liberty
www.campaignforliberty.com
P.S. Our liberty is being attacked from all sides, and sometimes it’s hard to know which battle to fight. This is a battle we must and can win, but only if we commit ourselves to the cause. Please help by forwarding this important news to all your liberty friends!
Washington State: Are you OK with a state INCOME TAX?
Liberty Warriors,
Did you know there has been an initiative filed proposing a Washington State income tax? It’s called I-1098. Special interest groups want to “spend our way out” of the mess our irresponsible State Legislature created!
Of course, you and I know that an income tax of any kind would lead to more government control and less individual liberty. So the real question is… what are we going to do about it?
Fight them every step of the way!
And I am starting this fight before they even get the chance to collect their first signature! On Tuesday, May 11th, I filed a “Ballot Language Title” challenge in Superior Court.
