Taxes and Alcohol

Second Blog:

There are a lot of measures being voted on this November. At first glance they’re so boring but if you really look into it it’s quite interesting.

Measure 1098, it’s about taxes…again. Overall, 1098 is meant to level the playing field, so that the richest and poorest pay an equal percentage. It will reduce property, business and occupation taxes and direct any extra funds to education and health. It will also make it so that all tax increases and decreases must be voted on by we the people before enacted. All of this would begin 2012.

As of right now the middle class in Washington are paying four times the tax rate that the richest people in Washington pay. It’s outrageous and Washington State is ranked dead last in fairness, meaning that the tax gap between the rich and poor is smaller in every other state.

However, some fear that if we level the playing field then the rich might take their toys and play elsewhere. Opponents also claim that even though 1098 says that funds will be directed toward education and health, greedy legislators will use it as they see fit…but that sounds more like flinging poo than an actual concern…especially since this argument came from the rich people…

Nothing but fear tactics, says the writers and supporters of 1098.

Okay…so here is who’s really behind all this stuff:

YES for 1098: a varied assortment of people: Bill Gates (multi-billionaire and humanitarian), Janine Vaughn (owner of Revival Lighting, and Board of Main Street Alliance), Sonya Langford (7th Grade teacher, Board member, Washington Education Association), Walt Bowen (President, Washington State Senior Citizens Lobby), Linnea Hirst (President, League of Women Voters of Washington), and Clair Ervin (owner of C. Ervin Construction LLC.)

No for 1098: a lot of rich people: Steve Appel (President of the Washington Farm Bureau), Don Brunell (President of the Association of Washington Business), John Drescher (Executive Director of TechNet Northwest), Steve Mullin (President of the Washington Roundtable), Mike Sotelo (President, King County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce), and Joseph Zarelli (State Senator)

You decide…Yah or Nah

Measure 1100, it’s about hard alcohol, “spirits” as they say. Basically this measure would make it so that Safeway, Albertsons and any mini-mart could sell tequila and vodka until 2am. This measure mandates that all state ran liquor stores are shut down and that the Liquor Control Board limits its control over spirits to law enforcement and policy regulation and not sell the stuff. All of this would take affect December 2011

The argument here is clouded with money…very hard to see the underlining truth. Simply ask yourself if you want the convince of having hard liquor sold at gas stations and grocery stores, or are you too afraid that this sort of access to liquor make neighborhoods worse or short change the government in some way…

Okay…so here is who’s really behind all this stuff:

YES for 1100: 3 Corporations that would benefit: Jim Sinegal (CEO, Costco Wholesale Corporation), Anthony Anton (President/CEO of 5000 Member Washington Restaurant Association), and Paul Beveridge (President, Family Wineries of Washington, Owner, Wildridge Winery)

No for 1100: Government officials and churches: Jim Cooper (Washington Association for Substance Abuse and Violence Prevention), Alice Woldt (Executive Director, Washington Association of Churches), Kelly Fox (President, Washington State Council of Firefighters), John Lovick (Snohomish County Sheriff), Sharon Ness (RN, Acute Care Nurse), and Craig Sousie (Emergency Medical Technician, Renton Fire and Emergency Services)

You decide…Yah or Nah