Property owner? Brace yourself for this year’s tax bill

By the end of next week, this year’s property-tax bills will be on the way. And that includes the new education-funding tax increase – $1 for every $1,000 your property’s worth – so the King County Assessor’s Office has sent an alert, in hopes you won’t be too shocked. Here’s the news release:

King County Treasury will begin sending out the annual property tax bills in mid February. King County collects property taxes on behalf of the state, the county, cities, and taxing districts (such as school and fire districts), and distributes the revenue to these local governments.

Voters have approved several property-tax increases that will make much-needed investments in veterans and senior citizen services and fire protection. In some parts of King County, as much as 50 percent of the property tax bill is the result of voter-approved measures.

New levies approved in 2017 for collection this year include:

· Fire protection levies in Maple Valley, Vashon, and Skyway.
· School bonds for Shoreline and Federal Way.
· Renewal of the Veterans, Seniors and Human Services levy in King County.

In addition to approved local measures, the Washington State legislature passed an additional property tax to increase funding of education. Previously, the State Supreme Court ruled that the state must make new investments into public education; as a result the legislature added $1.01 per thousand dollars of assessed value, in King County, to their portion of property tax collection in order to fund the mandate (this is known as the McCleary Plan).

“Communities in our region are thankful to voters for approving new funding for essential services, but we know that property taxes can be especially tough for those on fixed incomes,” said King County Assessor John Wilson. “That’s why we’ve been aggressively reaching out to seniors, veterans and disabled homeowners with the property tax exemption program. Additionally, I’ve been working with Executive Constantine to create more tools for transparency around property taxes,” Wilson continued.

Low-income seniors, veterans and disabled homeowners may qualify for a property-tax exemption offered by King County. Information on how to apply for an exemption, along with other property-assessment-related information, can be found at kingcounty.gov/assessor. Property taxes vary depending upon location, the assessed value of the property, and the number of jurisdictions levying taxes (such as state, city, county, school district, port, fire district, etc).

With property taxes going up 16.92 percent on average, that means countywide property tax billings will be $5.6 billion in 2018, up from $ 4.8 billion last year. Aggregate property values in King County increased by 13.41 percent, going from $471.5 billion in 2017 to $534.7 billion in 2018.

“Without doubt voters are going to see a property tax increase due to the funding model the legislature has passed to fund education. So at a local level we are building more tools and supporting more legislation to increase transparency and fairness around the property tax. It is a work in progress and we will continue working on behalf of King County taxpayers,” said Wilson.

To avoid interest and penalties, the first-half property taxes must be paid or postmarked by April 30, 2018. The second-half property taxes must be paid or postmarked by Oct. 31, 2018.

If you haven’t received a notice by February 16th, that’s the date you can see your bill online via the King County Parcel Viewer. You also can sign up here to get your notice electronically instead of by postal mail.

75 Replies to "Property owner? Brace yourself for this year's tax bill"

  • West Seattle Hipster February 7, 2018 (11:58 am)

    The voters need to stop allowing the politicians to use us as their ATM machine. By increasing taxes on a rapidly disappearing middle class, it is becoming more and more difficult for the working class to live in Seattle.

    Shameful

    • T February 7, 2018 (1:06 pm)

      Yes and why are property owners responsible for the McCleary judgment? I think the fine is 100k per day too. Should people who don’t send their kids to public school pay for this? I guess the money has to come from somewhere. Just wish there wasn’t so much money wasted. A lot of that could go to education since it’s supposedly so important.

      • CandrewB February 7, 2018 (6:13 pm)

        No one’s paying the fine.

      • bolo February 7, 2018 (9:49 pm)

        “… why are property owners responsible for the McCleary judgment?”

        One of the reasons is no income tax in WA state.

        “I think the fine is 100k per day too. Should people who don’t send their kids to public school pay for this?”
        If you don’t have a heart attack you probably should be able to not pay the tax portion for Fire/Medic either.

        My own rant? I don’t have a dog and so never go to Westcrest park, so I should not have to pay for that portion of the parks levy?

  • Mat February 7, 2018 (12:25 pm)

    In before complaints about high taxes and Seattle not being the same anymore! ;)

    • Mat February 7, 2018 (12:46 pm)

      TARNATION!

  • flimflam February 7, 2018 (12:51 pm)

    the “fix” of the mccleary situation is shameful. just jam it down the throats of taxpayers? 

    voting “no” on any and every levy from here to eternity. these percentages will cripple many households, let alone the elderly or anyone on a very fixed income. disgraceful.

    • bolo February 7, 2018 (9:51 pm)

      Low-income seniors can get a break… as stated above.

  • ProudPapa February 7, 2018 (12:55 pm)

    In before the last straw comments and threats to finally leave Seattle! ;)

  • DW February 7, 2018 (1:01 pm)

    The school plan is even worse “rich” school districts in King County are subsidizing the rest of the state

  • jacksparra February 7, 2018 (1:12 pm)

    When will Seattle and Washington find conservative fiscal policies. Nothings free folks. your children beg you to stop voting for more!

    • AJP February 7, 2018 (7:56 pm)

      The conservatives in the state legislature were the architects of this plan. They knew very well that they would be most of the financial burden on King County. As usual, King County taxes are subsidizing the rest of the state. 

  • wsmom February 7, 2018 (1:16 pm)

    How can Seattle have affordable housing when they keep raising the taxes?  If renting the homeowners will simply raise the rent.  How is that affordable for those making ends meet?

    • Also John February 7, 2018 (2:31 pm)

      @WSmom…  I agree!  I have a rental.  I’m not going to eat this additional cost.  I will move it straight to a rent increase. 

      • Jimmy john February 12, 2018 (7:41 pm)

        Or you can just sell your over inflated rental for a profit!?!?’

  • Seattlite February 7, 2018 (1:18 pm)

    I did not vote for this property tax increase because I do not feel that the public school system is doing a good job of teaching children. Seattle’s leaders, over the years, have not shown transparency, even though they say they do, where all of the millions and millions of dollars have been spent and used for in the public school system. Common core holds top math students back by teaching the same math classes to all and taking Algebra 1 from middle school…not good.  There should be honors classes for exceptionally bright students…have these been eliminated too? Common Core needs to be dumped and teachers need to step up and figure out a curriculum that doesn’t hold bright students back.  I am on a fixed income but make just enough that I will not qualify for the property tax exemption. For seniors like me who own their homes, there is nowhere to move to in the KC area if you sale your home.  Going outside of KC means leaving family who cannot get to you if you become ill and unable to drive.  It’s a difficult situation in Seattle especially for seniors. The only way to solve this problem is if some super bright leaders, not politicians, run for office that could bring back accountability in spending the tax payers’ hard earned dollars and lowering taxes instead of raising taxes.

    • WSB February 7, 2018 (1:41 pm)

      You couldn’t have voted for the education-related tax if you had wanted to. It was a decision of the Legislature, which was ordered by the Supreme Court to stop underfunding schools

      • AJP February 7, 2018 (1:44 pm)

        It was a statewide decision, as well. 

  • notaxguy February 7, 2018 (1:38 pm)

    Fyi when you make us the property owners pay for more Tax your RENT GOES up !!    Stop voting for these.  House prices have gone up. Simply do the math!   

    • WSB February 7, 2018 (1:50 pm)

      If you’re trying to bring up the misconception that “they” (renters) are the ones passing the property taxes “you” (owner?) pay … sorry, unless property owners are vastly less civically engaged than renters, that’s virtually impossible. For example,the Veterans/etc. Levy passed last November with 69 percent approve, 31 percent reject. https://results.vote.wa.gov/results/20171107/king/ That’s like trying to suggest that parents of school-age children are the only ones who vote for school levies, etc. As has been pointed out time and again, the reason all these property taxes keep coming up is that our state laws limit the taxing tools that can be used. – TR

    • AJP February 7, 2018 (8:15 pm)

      Take it up with the state GOP, they are the ones who championed the property tax for McCleary.

  • notaxguy February 7, 2018 (2:20 pm)

    Most of these votes were 5 to 10% passed. Renters clearly made these crazy increases cost us more $.   Where did all the extra money from property prices going up and raising taxes go ?  They need to budget better!   Also fire any teachers who are not doing their jobs.  Our public schools are full of waste ! 

    • WSB February 7, 2018 (2:30 pm)

      Sorry, that’s not true in most cases. I checked to be sure I wasn’t just relying on memory.

      February 2016 two nine-digit Seattle Public Schools levies passed, each with 72 percent yes, 28 percent no.
      https://aqua.kingcounty.gov/elections/2016/feb-special/results/results.pdf

      Also in 2016, the Seattle housing levy passed with 71 percent approval
      https://aqua.kingcounty.gov/elections/2016/aug-primary/results/results.pdf

      Sound Transit 3, which is part property tax, got 70 percent of the Seattle vote:
      https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/planned-light-rail-areas-big-backers-of-sound-transit-3/

      There is the occasional close vote, like the Park District in 2014, which passed by 6 percent:
      https://aqua.kingcounty.gov/elections/2014/aug-primary/results/results.pdf

    • Jon Wright February 7, 2018 (4:58 pm)

      Schools are full of waste! If you’re not just pulling that claim out of thin air, would you please elaborate?

    • bolo February 7, 2018 (10:07 pm)

      Based on my PERSONAL EXPERIENCE (I work daily at area elementary schools after-school programs), ALL the teachers I have met were hard-workers (overworked!), intelligent, generous (often working extra hours without getting paid), caring, well-educated, etc. A few of the principals might not be up to snuff but at least one is gone now. And a few of the janitors apparently were more concerned with cooking in their offices (it did smell great, I must admit!) than with cleaning the grounds and making repairs.

      If you were to audit a few classes in a SPS you would see for yourself that the teachers themselves are expected to meet unrealistically high expectations with not enough resources.

      All kids were never all angels in any generation, but this generation of young’uns is quite the challenge. Too many distractions. Their know-it-all attitude is especially strong.

      So what do you base your opinions on?

  • Howard February 7, 2018 (2:25 pm)

    People think WA is progressive yet the gag is we have THE MOST regressive tax system in the nation!

    • AJP February 7, 2018 (8:14 pm)

      Absolutely right. So much money in this state, yet who pays most of the taxes? The lower wage earners. 

  • LJ February 7, 2018 (2:32 pm)

    All taxation is theft even when it’s voter approved. You are taking my hard earned money.

    . I work full time and a second job just to pay my bills and I don’t have any pension or benefits unlike the public employees that I and every other honest taxpayer are paying for.  I own a 980 square foot house any my property taxes on that alone will be close to $6000 this year. Why do public employees still have great benefits when most of the people they are working for don’t ?

     

     

    • Howard February 7, 2018 (2:54 pm)

      LJ – what field do you work in? Many public employees are a part of a union and they bargain collectively (negotiate) for the benefits they have.  Unions have gotten a bad name for themselves (and for good reasons) but it wasn’t the free market that brought about better living standards (for all American workers) it was unions. 

      • LJ February 7, 2018 (4:03 pm)

        Howard I am not against private sector unions but We both know  that public sector unions collect dues that a then given as political  contributions to the same people that approve these great benefits for the public sector employees.

        Example, who was the largest political contributor to the judges on the Washington state supreme court  ? Answer the teachers union.  The McCleary decision was bought and paid for.

         

  • onion February 7, 2018 (2:43 pm)

    Howard is correct.

    We can blame our politicians and levies (and we voters are certainly generous when it comes to approving new levy proposals).

    But the bigger issue is Washington state’s  awful framework for paying for almost everything. Too much of the burden falls on the property tax. We need an income tax so the highest income earners take some of the load off of property owners and renters.  

    • NSAlki February 7, 2018 (10:02 pm)

      We already have income tax at the federal level. High earners pay between 35-38% in taxes.

      If you want to blame someone, blame the wealthy who don’t pay income tax and pay 15% capital gains. The rest of us work for a living.

  • Rick February 7, 2018 (2:51 pm)

    We’ll just “progressive” ourselves out of any semblance of reality. 

    • AJP February 7, 2018 (7:57 pm)

      Conservative lawmakers came up with this plan. 

  • dsa February 7, 2018 (3:13 pm)

    $500k valuation amounts to $500 tax.  Is that correct?  It’s just  missed car payment.  That is doable.

    • WSB February 7, 2018 (3:15 pm)

      For the year, yes.

    • bolo February 7, 2018 (10:10 pm)

      $500 extra on top of whatever the rest of the tax bill is.

  • Robert February 7, 2018 (3:35 pm)

    Can’t wait to see what issues will be on a 2018 ballot that will be funded by more property taxes!

    • WSB February 7, 2018 (3:41 pm)

      The one that’s been mentioned so far is a combination of the city preschool and Families/Education levies. Haven’t heard a $ amount yet.
      http://education.seattle.gov/your-input-wanted/

      • dsa February 7, 2018 (3:46 pm)

        Next property tax not doable here.  (forever)

  • anonyme February 7, 2018 (3:52 pm)

    I’m confused by the statements that seem to suggest the senior tax “exemption” will protect seniors from this outrageous increase.  I receive a tax reduction, but that is not the same as an “exemption” – unless this is a special governmental abuse of words that used to mean something.  That being the case, I’m not seeing anything about the reduced tax for seniors as being immunized from this absurdity.

  • Concerned in Seattle February 7, 2018 (4:04 pm)

    I’m OK, even happy to pay taxes IF we could ever get any results, not just more six figure salaries for bureaucrats. 

    Sound Transit was sold to the voters like a shell game, $50 billion and their own agency states it will benefit less than 3% of commuters. 

    Carbon Tax, will be adding ~30 cents per gallon of gas and the EPA states less have less than .01% impact. 

    Local politicians tell us we can’t decide for ourselves that sugar is bad, but they’ll support people to use heroin in our neighborhoods.

    The only thing local politicians are great at is using tax payer money like an unlimited ATM and covering up and protecting each other for personal gains: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/seattle-settles-sexual-abuse-lawsuit-with-ed-murray-accuser/

    Wake up Seattle! Let’s get off our soap box, stop checking your Twitter account for the Donald’s daily screw up and hold our local politicians accountable. 

  • Trickycoolj February 7, 2018 (4:18 pm)

    On top of the 15-20% increases they’ve slapped on the last 4 years in a row. Fantastic. 

  • WS Cares February 7, 2018 (4:19 pm)

     I’m worried about our elderly neighbors on fixed incomes.  We working folks will just have to absorb this.  In some cases the county gives seniors in the low income category an exemption.  How do I find out more about what that income level is for seniors to qualify?

    • WSB February 7, 2018 (4:36 pm)

      See the link I posted upthread in response to Anonyme. Has all the info.

  • gh February 7, 2018 (4:29 pm)

    They want more of your money for their dopey egocentric ideas; get used to it or you need to have the unmitigated gall to vote no…

  • anonyme February 7, 2018 (5:21 pm)

    WSB, thanks for the link, but I’d already checked it and it doesn’t answer my question.  I already receive an “exemption” which is actually a reduction.  Guess I’ll have to call, but unfortunately I think I already know the answer. 

  • Swede. February 7, 2018 (5:27 pm)

    Pretty happy I’m to ‘poor’ to buy a house, because there is no way I would been able to keep it with increases like this! 

    Hmmm, wonder who can buy all the houses now when people going to start dumping them on the market? (At least that’s how you homeowners make it sound you will EVERYTIME there is a tax increase, but the supply indicate the opposite…)

  • WSnative February 7, 2018 (5:53 pm)

    If you voted for Democrats then you have no room to complain. As long as they run the city, county and state our taxes will continue to rise. The middle class, the working folks, will eventually be taxed out of existence. There will only be two classes, the rich & the poor.

    • AJP February 7, 2018 (7:59 pm)

      Conservative legislators came up with this plan for the McCleary decision.

  • MJ February 7, 2018 (6:01 pm)

    As a long time WS resident property taxes have risen significantly more in the last few years than they did in the past.  

    Seattle government is spending at a unsustainable rate, has way to many chiefs and is very inefficient.

    I know no one who likes taxes, but to me choice taxes are better such as sin taxes.  A statewide modest strait up carbon tax with no rebates exemptions would be better than a property tax.  A statewide junk food tax would also be acceptable to me.

    • AJP February 7, 2018 (7:59 pm)

      Conservative legislators came up with this property tax plan for the McCleary decision.

  • Chris February 7, 2018 (6:17 pm)

    Yes, it will be difficult.   However, we think how much rent is compared to property taxes.   We are on a limited income too and we, as a family, will just have to save harder and cut out some things we might want to get or do.   We have been very careful to pay attention to all the things put on the ballots that also add on property tax.   It seems so tricky at times the way the ballot reads.

    We know families that are already packing up and leaving for another state.   It is too hard for some of us to do that.

    No, we do not understand why we are taxed so heavily either.   And yet, government can come and take our property away from us if they want to with minimal renumeration .   Just hard to understand.

    For those that can, we hope you apply for a reduction in your property taxes.  

    Just wondering how long we all can afford all these taxes here in Seattle.   Can the politicians help us in any way?   We wonder….

    • bolo February 7, 2018 (10:18 pm)

      “And yet, government can come and take our property away from us if they want to with minimal renumeration .”

      What? You mean like eminent domain for like routing the ST3 rail line, or maybe building a wall on private property in Texas?

      There are loads of folks that would be too eager to jump on your comment, stating that the gov’t pays too much for eminent domain takeovers, needs to be reeled back, waste fraud abuse, etc.

  • Morgan February 7, 2018 (6:27 pm)

    Need a new revenue stream for government…property tax will tal out (sales too). Can’t be the only large state to avoid income taxes forever. 

    • AJP February 7, 2018 (8:01 pm)

      There’s a bill in the legislature right now for a capital gains tax.  Will the Democratic-led legislature have the huevos to actually pass it? (I doubt it.) 

  • Laura February 7, 2018 (6:28 pm)

    Folks, consider the fact that we have ZERO state income tax, and NOT high property taxes compared to lots of other states (https://wallethub.com/edu/states-with-the-highest-and-lowest-property-taxes/11585/). We do have a horribly regressive tax system, with our high sales tax. But truly our property taxes are not that high, and we spend much less per student on education than many other states (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/local/wp/2015/06/02/the-states-that-spend-the-most-and-the-least-on-education-in-one-map/?utm_term=.2330e69a4ac4). 

    • Morgan February 7, 2018 (7:52 pm)

      Facts! Big thumbs up.

    • Joel February 7, 2018 (8:14 pm)

      don’t forget the 10% sales tax and one of the highest gas taxes in the country.

      let’s not forget too the record setting real estate prices – every transaction the government is getting an excise tax on the sales price.

      At least for Seattle we have one of the hottest economies in the country yet the city is always short of funds – the city should be operating in the black and building a nice rainy day fund.  it’s like they hit the mega millions and claim broke the next day.

  • Azimuth February 7, 2018 (7:10 pm)

    It costs money to live in a civilized society.

  • 1994 February 7, 2018 (7:44 pm)

    Rick is spot on with his comment

    We’ll just “progressive” ourselves out of any semblance of reality. “

    The reality is 49% of Seattle IRS tax filers  have adjusted gross income of under $50,000. – per the  Seattle Times FYI Guy on Feb 5. 

    School districts need to have some major financial audits to find out what is happening to the money.


    • AJP February 7, 2018 (8:02 pm)

      Conservative legislatures came up with the property tax to fund McCleary. They knew very well that it would be an unbalanced burden on King County. 

  • AJP February 7, 2018 (8:12 pm)

    OK people, this sucks. Let me speak to McCleary:

    1) Our state  constitution (do you like constitutions?) says that AMPLY funding education is the paramount duty of the state. Our state has not being doing this for years, hence the McCleary lawsuit and decision.

    2) In order to comply with the McCleary decision, the legislature had to come up with more funding. The GOP championed higher property taxes, and the Dems went along with them.  

    3) There is a bill in the house for a capital gains tax. Unlike property taxes, which both property owners and renters (through increased rents) pay–so, just about everyone–a capital gains tax affects very few people. IF YOU DON’T LIKE HIGHER PROPERTY TAXES, you should call your legislators and tell them you support this bill! Here is some more info (credit Summer Stinson of Washington’s Paramount Duty): 

    Please advocate to support the Capital Gains Tax Bill, HB 2967, and ask that the proposed rate be increased on the most wealthy to bring in NEW revenue to increase Washington’s investment in public schools. Remember, the legislature must add $1B to schools this session! “Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Washington’s Legislature has 35 days to rustle up an extra $1 billion to meet the state Supreme Court’s deadline finish a mandate to fix the state’s schools . . .

    That timetable looks extremely tight with no sure plan in sight.
    . . .
    With the Democrats in charge of both the Senate and House, it’s their job to come up with legislation to fund public schools by March 9. Right now, Democrats don’t have a plan. . . 
    . . . 
    The GOP stance has been that an extra $1 billion does not need to be raised, and the Republican caucuses will be happy to have the Legislature punt on the issue.
    . . . 
    Rep. Kristine Lytton, D-Anacortes, introduced a capital gains tax bill Monday. But Sullivan said her bill’s purpose is to trim some of the property tax hike caused by 2017’s compromise between Republicans and Democrats on McCleary funding.

    [Senate Majority Leader Sharon] Nelson doubted that the Senate Democrats can scrape up the votes to pass a capital gains tax without Republicans crossing the aisle to support it.”

    • Joel February 7, 2018 (8:18 pm)

      if this bill passes do you really think the property taxes will go down?

      look at the inflated car valuations for car tabs (the triple header increase we had with tab fees, property taxes and sales tax increase…somehow this overwhelming was voted for???).    The state has been talking for a year now about IF and how to fix the car valuations…..is it really that hard to change the way cars are valued?…seems like that could be done over morning coffee (no second cup needed).

  • KBear February 7, 2018 (9:13 pm)

    The people who complain the most about taxes are the same people who would benefit from a state income tax. There is another way, people. 

  • NB4 February 7, 2018 (9:23 pm)

    In before … (oh damn I’m really late) … the end of the thread?

  • BAS February 7, 2018 (10:10 pm)

    We need a capital gains tax, carbon tax, and income tax that generate enough revenue to eliminate property and sales tax. 

    I’m surprised when my fellow Seattleites complain about property tax being too high. I paid more than twice as much property tax with a similarly appraised property in the very fiscally conservative anti-tax state of Texas. From my experience, we pay very little property tax in Seattle. My elderly mother in law in Texas pays as much as I do here for a property that’s 1/8 the value of mine. I can easily pay twice as much property tax. I’ll make room in my personal budget to fund the things I value, which is why this property owner votes in favor of tax increases. I pay my fair share.

  • 20%TaxIncrease February 7, 2018 (10:19 pm)

    Am I the only one that finds it ironic that there are a slew of complaints about these tax increases – which are driven by school funding – that have difficulty with to/too/two?  Perhaps we have been underspending on education….

  • zark00 February 8, 2018 (1:02 pm)

    I think Laura and AJP are the only people who posted facts – so if you believe facts, which I tend to do, this property tax hike you want to hate so much was driven by the ‘fiscally conservative’ WA State GOP. All of the comments about how this was borne of a progressive agenda are wrong.  As in not facts, but your own incorrect opinion.  Second – to the OMG THIS TAX IS SOOOOO UNFAIR folks – we don’t pay a lot of tax in Washington.  You can think we do, but then you’re choosing to ignore the facts.

    If you don’t like the property tax hike – you need to vote against the republicans in Washington state.  If you want a fair tax system, you need to vote against the republicans in Washington state.  If you want more protection for our seniors, you need to vote against the republicans in Washington state.  But, if you want to stay with a regressive tax system, if you want higher property taxes, if you want to remain in contempt of the state supreme court because you can’t find enough scratch to educate kids, then you want to be voting republican.

  • TJ February 8, 2018 (3:48 pm)

    (zark00, isn’t the state senate, house, and governor all democrat controlled? Not sure if you mean that still isn’t enough? There needs to be more democrats? The ridiculous state budget is really only part of a long list of recent tax increases on property. And if properly funding education of children is the “paramount duty” of the state, why devote any new taxes to new programs when your number 1 priority isn’t being taken care of? That’s not how a private business or household for that matter would run things. If I can’t pay my mortgage, I wouldn’t play kick the can on that while buying a new car or a boat. And this really crosses over to local politicians as well. I mean, I’ve heard Constantine and our ex-mayor, along with city council members, complain the state isn’t funding education. Then they turn around and press their own agendas for new taxes, not caring that at the end of the day really it doesn’t matter what taxing agency is hitting us up it’s money coming out of my pocket. The state, King county, Seattle, Sound Transit…4 taxing agencies with tax increases. And as much as we’ve been hit in a little over a year, there are more tax increase proposals in the works. It’s a money grab during a very good economy, plain and simple. Oh btw, for those wanting a capital gains tax, that is a income tax. Many people make their income through speculation and capital gains. 

  • wscommuter February 8, 2018 (9:47 pm)

    TJ – perhaps you forget that it was a Republican-controlled state senate that approved this tax (the D’s just took control of the Senate last month).  

    I find the snark amusing.  Most of it is about people wanting things to be free, apparently.  Like roads and sewers and police/fire and state parks and – gads – schools too.  

    Until we’re willing to be adults (are you listening R’s) and pass a state income tax, we’ll live with the regressive taxes so many here complain about.  

  • TJ February 8, 2018 (11:12 pm)

    wscommuter, a state income tax was overwhelmingly voted down by state voters not too long ago, by a margin large enough that democrat politicians who favor it don’t want to put it up to another vote in the near future. And the truth of the matter is why do we need to push the tax burden more onto the wealthy to justify MORE taxes when they have risen so much recently already? The last few years has seen a massive increase in taxes by 4 taxing districts here, and they seem to act like the money is not coming from the same people. The current rate of taxes is unsustainable, yet the politicians (almost exclusively D’s, since you brought up the party part) don’t care. You would think they would lay off any new proposals for a couple years. How about Inslee? We get gouged bad here with the new state budget, yet here he is trying to push this stupid carbon tax now? Strange times we are in

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