Comments on: Washington State Republicans endorse Eyman’s property tax initiative

By: Steve Zemke

Steve Zemke — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 23:12:37 +0000

One thing that Eyman doesn’t tell you about I-1033 is that some 40% of his lower property tax funds will go to pay commercial real estate owners property taxes.. Everyone will still pay sales tax under I-1033 but the beneficiaries are large property owners, like shopping mall owners and real estate developers and corporate land owners.

I-1033 imposes a freeze on governemnt spending (with an annual adjustment based on consumer spending and new residents) and uses any added revenue above the baseline of this year to reduce property taxes. The reduction is based on your property value so the more you own the more you will benefit.

The losers in this are renters and low income working families and elderly people who rent. They lose twice. First they will receive no property tax rebate of any kind and second, they will not see any increased public services based on their tax payments because Eyman says it’s more important to help wealthy tax payers who own real estate pay their taxes than help educate our kids, or repair roads or keep our libraries and parks open.

This is Eyman’s anti tax world where everyone helps themselves to whatever they can get and all government is evil. There is no free lunch despite what Eyman wants you to believe.

By: citizen

citizen — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 00:34:10 +0000

And I yours old friend.

By: AFY

AFY — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 22:16:15 +0000

I agree Donde, I mainly just really really enjoy pulling Ciz’s rope as often as possible.

I am glad this is on the ballot, the debate will be a good one as we all can already see, whether I will vote for or against is still to be decided by me. I do have my tendencies but have voted for tax increases when IMHO they were needed and would equally be willing to vote against a tax decrease that was unfair.

AFY!! (informally known as AFY!!!)

By: Donde Groovily

Donde Groovily — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 22:00:38 +0000

AFY, I know you support lower taxes, but this one, really? If the GOP wants tax relief, why not relieve everyone - a lower sales tax, for example. Or deal with taxes that truly harm business, like B&O. Just because it lowers taxes doesn’t mean it improves the economy or people’s lives, and this won’t.

By: AFY

AFY — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 21:15:34 +0000

“It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.” Sir Winston

AFY!! (informally known as AFY!!!)

By: citizen

citizen — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:47:13 +0000

If Mr. Jefferson had anticipated the needs of 300 milion Americans,
and the adventuresome spirit of our military,
and the toll of unbridled greed on the public economy,
he might have had a more Liberal view of the role of Government.

By: AFY

AFY — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:43:27 +0000

If there is one thing that is clearly out lined by out constitution is that out gvernemnt needs to be limited and if there is another thing that is outlined by our bill of rights is that we the people, or our rights need to be protected from, well, Citizen, can you guess what or who that is?

There is no better way to limit government than by controlling taxation and voting on such.

I think Jane Auer puts it best:

It may be true that the government that governs best governs least. Unfortunately, the same is also true of the government that governs worst.

AFY!! (informally known as AFY!!!)

By: citizen

citizen — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:29:56 +0000

Uh, WE ARE the Government.
Maybe in his rush to be cited by AFY!!! he forgot that simple fact?

By: AFY

AFY — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:10:30 +0000

Thomas Jefferson once said:

“If we can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them, they must become happy.”

AFY!! (informally known as AFY!!!)

By: citizen

citizen — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:22:30 +0000

Allowing people to keep more of what Society has allowed them to accumulate isn’t in any Community’s greater interest when the Community itself is faltering.
Selfishness leads downwards just as surely as theft.

By: AFY

AFY — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:08:41 +0000

Allowing more people to keep more of what they have will also allow more people to not need a hand from government.

Someone once said we should care for each other more and tax each other less.

AFY!! (informally known as AFY!!!)

By: citizen

citizen — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:53:27 +0000

‘reverse Robin Hood scheme, transfering weatlh to the wealthy at the expense of fewer and fewer services for the general public.’

The Official Motto of The Republican Party and approved by every pauper striving for their rightful place among the privileged.

By: Steve Zemke

Steve Zemke — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 19:22:54 +0000

Tim Eyman’s Initiative 1033 is a clone of a failed Colorado law known as TABOR or Taxpayer Bill of Rights. It proved a disaster in Colorado, every year reducing public services on the state and local level. It was based on the same previous year’s spending baseline with a population and inflation adjustment.

I-1033 is intended to freeze state and local public services at their current level. This year inflation so far has been negative so it means next year even as the economy improves there will be no restoration of public services cut in this year’s budget.

Even in good year’s there will be no more added public services because adjusting for inflation at best means you can buy last year’s public services at this year’s inflated price. Any adjustment for population means you can provide services for the new residents of the state but current residents will see no increase.

Sales taxes made up 57% of state revenue last year. Everyone pays sales taxes but under Eyman’s I-1033 the only people who will see the benefit of the use of your sales taxes to pay property taxes will be those with property. That means that your sales tax dollar among other things will help pay property taxes for businesses in the state. Some 40% of real estate taxes are commercial.

This means sales tax dollars will go to large Corporations like Boeing and Weyerhauser and large malls and real estate developers. Even Microsoft knows this does not benefit our state by robbing tax dollars that are needeed to keep our economy going and recovering. Microsoft opposes I-1033.

Also only 65 of households in Washington State are owner occupied according to the US Census Bureau so 35% of households will still pay sales taxes but see no return. Instead of these sales tax dollars helping to pay for police or fire protection or parks or roads or education or libraries it will pay for property taxes of those that own property. The more property one owns the more of this wealth transfer you will see.

The Republican Party and Tim Eyman as usual are looking out for those with money not those that need public services. People need to think twice before voting for I-1033 because it is a reverse Robin Hood scheme, transfering weatlh to the wealthy at the expense of fewer and fewer services for the general public.

Vote No on I-1033 to prevent this stealing of tax dollars to benefit wealthy property owners.