GET INVOLVED



Email     Print

Thursday, February 23, 2012
3:33 PM EST
Will Upton

Washington State’s Gimmick Budget

House Democrats say their budget doesn’t “raise taxes”, but it opens the door for tax hikes.

Democrats in Washington State’s House of Representatives have unveiled their budget proposal – HB 2127 – which they claim closes a $1 billion budget shortfall without raising taxes or borrowing money.  In reality, the budget does raise taxes, and relies on accounting gimmicks to solve their $1 billion spending problem.  

The budget proposal, along with SB 2728, would allow counties in Washington State to add a 6-perent utility tax that in many instances would wind up on taxpayers’ cell phone bills.  Washington State already has the 2nd highest national tax burden on wireless, with a combined state and federal rate of 23-percent.  An added 6-percent utility tax would impact the 6 million wireless subscribers in the Evergreen State – it should also be noted that over a quarter of households in Washington are wireless only.  

In addition to opening the gates to burdensome county-level taxes, the Democrats’ budget defers certain payments to education until the next two-year budget cycle, kicking the can down the road and dodging the growing need to address the state’s out-of-control spending problems in an election year.  

What the House Democrats have proposes is not a budget, but a rather a placebo, getting them out of having to make tough decisions in an election year and setting them up to pass what will probably be a massive tax increase in the next budget cycle.  

What do you think? Are Washington State Democrats kicking the can down the road?

Posted by Will Upton on Thursday, February 23, 2012 3:33 PM EST
blog comments powered by Disqus

Americans for Tax Reform

  • 722 12th ST NW
  • Suite 400
  • Washington DC 20005
  • 202.785.0266 (P)
  • 202.785.0261 (F)

Quick Links

Connect

Join the ATR Email List

Designed and Developed by Braynard Group, Inc.
hidden