Notice how Brad refused to even comment on AJ’s well-cited post above.

One cannot question (somebody like) Dick Cheney’s motives, either. Cheney deserves the benefit of doubt just as much as the next guy. The burden of proof rests with us. Not him.

Asking why was your first mistake, John. These clowns are employing a typical schoolyard debate tactic.

So, does that mean your Seattlest editor is drinking the funny water, too?

“I’ve said enough here.”

WTF? You haven’t said anything, Brad.

“The inconsistencies are huge?” What does that mean?

Are you trying to speak in tongues, or is this the way you always write/think outside the usual sports echo chamber?

We’ll be doing many more stories on this at Seattlest. Hope to see you all there.

The inconsistencies are huge. Left hand, meet right hand.

The annual statement from the DOL breaks down each tax and fee, and clearly identifies the “Regional Transit Authority” portion. If your car is 11 years old, you would have seen this breakdown 10 times.

As I stated earlier: stick to sports. Or, tell us what your real agenda is here.

Is it in the water out there, or what?

My suggestion should be that for those of us outside of the official taxing area, the DOL should make it an optional extra and ask us if we want to be included or not in the MVET or in our annual license fees. I am sure there are many of us who would be only too happy to contribute into ST’s funding pools. Heck, I would have been happy contributing to the Seattle Monorail and remember asking at the time if those of us outside of Seattle could make a voluntary contribution.

Tim

Your version of my reality is much more glam tho.

It shows that we have a very specific determination of tax rates based on latitude/longitude and your +4 zip code. It’s nothing like MVET determinations that use a straight zip with no +4 code.

Also, the important part: Businesses themselves do their own calculations.

Do remember that there was a massive restructuring of the tax code. First, you had the shift of the ST boundary at 2002. Second, you have the focused reassessment of the boundary when Transit Now! passed. There’s also the shift in the system in anticipation of a destination-based sales tax that was bandied about and prepped-for since the early aughts, that destination-based sales tax passing in ‘07 and active as of July of this year.

While we often find a gray area in variable tax codes, it’s hard to imagine that being a major problem here. Washington and all states have been using GIS since 2000: http://dor.wa.gov/content/FindTaxesAndRates/Downloads.aspx

Also, brad should have gone here first before attempting to publicly finagle money from the system with heretofore unsubstantiated assumptions: http://dor.wa.gov/content/FileAndPayTaxes/Appeals/Default.aspx — failing that, he can go here if the DoR finds against him: http://bta.state.wa.us/

What’s going on here is an attempt to build a large amount of enmity between the public and Sound Transit and the Department of Revenue before attempting to foment mass hysteria. Ochlocratia. Mobocracy.

I had previously not believed it to be anything inflammatory, just more curious questioning of the system, something of a pastime for me– but when it escalated into RTAgate and grim hypotheticals being bandied about, it smacked of something a little darker. Libel at worst, shrill bitching at best (I still think some cash was assessed incorrectly, but probably much much MUCH less than $1m; that’s the nature of taxation, especially if someone has improperly registered their business, but even then they should know beforehand when their documents are improperly addressed).

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28235124/