In a meeting of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, testimony was given regarding a revised version of Senate Bill 6250, March 4th in Olympia.
The controversial bill, if passed, will implement a state income tax on the citizens of Washington.
Democratic leadership has said the proposed bill will only tax the top income earners, and not affect those making under $250,000 per year. In the previous version, presented in January, that was correct.
However, looking at the new version, under Section 401, it states, “For income earned on or after January 1, 2011, a tax is imposed at the rate of four and five-tenths percent on all taxable income of resident individuals and on all individuals deriving income from sources in Washington for each taxable year.”
Support of this type of new taxation was evident in the rally in Olympia on President’s Day, which was reported on last issue.
While there has been strong support from student and faculty at community colleges from around Puget Sound, I feel that there could potentially be some serious financial ramifications for the working students here at Olympic College.
I would think that the idea of the government, state or federal, taking more money out of our pockets would be intolerable.
In my opinion, government at all levels, continues to rack up debt in attempt “to help” the people, while making no significant progress that actually helps the people.
Why should we give them more of our hard earned dollars, when they can’t properly use what they have?
I raise this concern with the wallets of some of my classmates in mind. Some of them are attempting to juggle marriage, children, school, and/or jobs. The average working student gives approximately 20 cents of every dollar earned to the federal government. Add in the proposed state income tax, and now you’re looking at about a quarter of your income.
Those proposing the tax, and it’s supporters, promote their agenda by saying that the tax will go to help balance the state’s budget, and prevent the Legislature from cutting funding to schools and public safety. Are we really supposed to believe that the fat trimming would start there? Maybe, just maybe, they would cut out some of their pet projects and “pork” from budgets, and use the money where it is truly needed.
That may not seem like a huge price for us to pay as citizens, but considering that my and my wife’s combined income is only about $35,000 a year, I have a hard time with the government taking almost $9,000 of it. Yes, we make it work, but it would be much easier if we didn’t have to dish out that much to the government.
The proposed income tax is not the only tax being talked about in Olympia. Governor Christine Gregoire wants to place a 1 cent per-ounce tax on bottled water. So if you buy a 20 ounce bottled water, you can expect a 20 cent increase on the price. She also suggests tripling of the state’s “hazardous-substance tax” on petroleum, pesticides and other chemicals
It all goes to something my father-in-law likes to say, “A person takes money out of your pocket, it’s called stealing. The government does it, it’s called taxation.”
And the craziest thing to me is, people are out there cheering these bills on, and asking to be taxed more. I say, let me keep my money, so maybe when I’ve finished with my time at Olympic College, I might actually have some money to continue my education, or at least pay my bills.
But that’s just the way I see it.
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