State Taxes: How to Message for Rural Washington

How do we sell tax increases?

We should talk about services instead of taxes. Talk about who clears the snow off Snoqualmie after a blizzard, or about the children in Yakima County who can use Apple Health to visit their doctor.

Talk about how rural counties receive more from the state than we pay – a lot more – and that cuts will hit us first and hardest.

Sales tax rates were not increased. Money came from cutting back on exemptions.

B&O tax is bad, really bad. It is so complicated, though, that it resists easy politicizing.

GOP will target increased Discover Pass fees and fishing and hunting licenses fee increases. Not huge money generators but politically vulnerable. Sad, because these are rural issues. The people paying are our people.

Can gun permit legislation look like a tax? There was spirited division on whether the gun permit is like a poll tax, having to pay for a fundamental constitutional right. Acknowledged, though, is that the required training and live-fire shooting is expensive and much less available in rural areas.

Snippets: Democrats did cut benefits; Republicans cannot tell you what they would cut. Tax reform would be great; tax reform is improbable. Universal health would cut costs, not increase them. Not really sure what accounts for projected deficits. Need to hold funds in Rainy Day account to handle Trump fallout. Democrats protected homeowners - it backed off from exposing property tax payers to increased rates.

We punted on parental consent changes because we were not sure of the facts.  Here are two accounts, from the Washington Standard and from the Seattle Times.

Don Schwerin, chair, Washington State Democrats Ag & Rural Caucus