Fight the WA Tax Hike
There’s another tax hike brewing in Washington State!
TAKE ACTION
In spite of the crushing defeat of the billion dollar I-884 tax hike in November, Governor Christine Gregoire (fresh off her questionable “win” in last year’s governor’s race) is trying to push yet another tax increase on Washingtonians. This newest hike would cost taxpayers $203 million, and we need your help to stop it by writing letters to your legislators and attending this important hearing.
Gov. Gregoire’s plan would resurrect the state death tax and increase cigarette taxes by 20 cents a pack. The Governor claims that the tax hike is necessary, ignoring the fact that Washington’s recovering economy is expected to generate $739 million more than previously expected.
No doubt, these increases would threaten Washington’s economic revival. The Evergreen State already has a higher cigarette tax than neighboring Oregon and Idaho, and raising cigarette taxes will encourage even more consumers to shop across the border and drive jobs out of the state. Cigarette taxes are also highly regressive, hitting low-income workers the hardest.
Reviving the death tax would be even worse for Washington’s economy. The death tax has enormously high administration costs, and the ultra-wealthy are often able to avoid it by hiring professional help. That leaves many small business owners as the real victims of the death tax, forced in some instances to sacrifice jobs in order to comply with this unfair tax.
The Evergreen State has twice made it clear that responsible spending is the answer—not tax hikes. Voters soundly rejected the I-884 sales tax increase by a margin of 60 percent to 40 percent. But Democratic Gov. Gregoire seems to think she has a mandate to raise taxes, even though she was only able to take her seat from anti-tax hike candidate Dino Rossi by a slim margin that is still being challenged in court.
The good news is that you have an opportunity to tell Washington legislatures that you oppose these tax increases. There’s a hearing for the Governor’s tax bill, H.B. 2302, on March 29th at 10:00 AM. If you want to fight this tax hike in person, contact State Director Jamie Daniels by phone at (360) 456-1634 or by email at jdaniels@freedomworks.org.
Christine Gregoire just isn’t listening to the people of Washington and insists on raising taxes. That’s why it’s critical that you contact your state legislators and tell them to reject Gov. Gregoire’s tax hike and all other attempts to raise taxes. TAKE ACTION and tell Olympia once again that “there is a better way” and please attend tomorrow’s hearing to make your voice heard on this important issue.
