Washington legislators can remedy income gap without reducing important services

I wrote a lot about how taxes pay for services that improve our neighborhoods – from public transport parks to roads and bridges. State taxes are also essential to help meet the types of challenges to which the eastern communities of Washington and the State are confronted, such as the lack of affordable housing and under-funded schools.

There is enough wealth in our state – given all millionaires, billionaires and profitable companies that are here – to provide the necessary income to finance the state budget. However, the new governor of Washington and certain legislators indicate that they wish to make major reductions in government programs this legislative session to deal with the deficit in state revenues (estimated between $ 10 and 16 billion dollars). The reduction of programs and services to resolve the budgetary problem rather than ensuring that ultra-rich and companies pay what they owe in taxes is confusing.

Our state has a notoriously inequitable and non -sustainable tax code, in which people with low and moderate income pay a higher tax rate as income share than the richest 1%. Voters have recently indicated that they support efforts to correct the tax code so that the rich pay what they should. In November, the counties on the right and on the left massively rejected voting initiatives which would have reduced the financing of child care, early learning and clean air initiatives in order to give the Ultra-Riche companies And to companies a special tax agreement.

The modest capital gains in Washington’s state in the 0.2% richest of Washingtonians (which voters confirmed the November 63% ballot) reported approximately $ 1.3 billion in funding funding For education and child care during its first two years only. In the county of Spokane, he financed more than 1,000 childcare and pre-k locations, provided nearly $ 2 million in subsidies to childcare service providers and rendered the construction projects possible in The Great Northern School District.

This session, legislators should continue to improve our tax code and protect our state budget against drastic cuts. They can adopt a tax on wealth, close tax gaps for high wages employers and make fair reforms to business tax and occupation. From my point of view – and what I hear from neighbors and friends – these are obvious solutions that legislators should adopt to combat the budgetary crisis.

But don’t believe me. In a recent survey sponsored by the center of the University of Washington for an informed audience, the Seattle Times and King 5.66% of people who responded to the survey said they would support a wealth tax on Washington residents with a net value greater than $ 250 million.

Massive budget cuts have all injured us and lead to job losses. Programs such as funding for children and services that support disabled people lose funding. Construction projects to make roads and bridges are put on hold. People who go through difficult times lose their safety net. It’s not how to create a flourishing state.

Contrary to what some people say about how our state has ended up with this budget deficit, the reality is that the financing of our budget never rebounded at the levels before the great recession of the late 2000s, when the legislators have made massive budget cuts rather than repairing our tax code.

Our state continues to grow, but the financing of public services has not followed the pace. This is largely due to the fact that the tax code is exaggerated on sales and property taxes that cause people with low and moderate income. And the income from the particular sales tax are decreasing. (But let me be clear: increasing inequitable and unsustainable taxes as the sales tax is not a solution).

The reality is that we are in this situation in part because too many legislators were not willing to make daring and avant-garde decisions concerning income in the past. For too long, the Legislative Assembly was not willing to make modest fixes in the tax code which would have assured that ultra-rich and companies pay their share. Fortunately, in 2021, they crossed the essential and daring measure to spend the tax on capital gains, and our entire state benefited.

Legislators can be daring again and reject the balancing of our budget with cuts that will harm those who struggle with the cost of living. Instead, they should make sure that the richest finally start to pay what they should. If they do not do so, it seems too likely that in 10 years, we will talk about missed opportunities, terrible benefits and how it has had an impact on the well-being of all of us.

Lacrecia “Lu” Hill is a fourth generation spokanite that has long been involved in community support in non -profit, philanthropic and small businesses. She is currently director of commitment and community strategy at the Health Foundation Empire. These thoughts are hers.