Comments on: ST2 Sales Tax Hike Takes Effect

By: El

El — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 18:33:34 +0000

The solution is obvious: live and work in Washington, but shop in Oregon, thus avoiding both state income tax and sales taxes. Yes, this is unlawful, but the laws against it are pretty much unenforcible. I believe the Safeway at the south end of the I-5 bridge is still the highest grossing Safeway in the world; that can’t be just because Oregonians have a hankering to drive to within 100 feet of the Washington border just to go shopping…

Solution #2: Get an Oregon driver’s license. If you show it for any purchase not consumed in Washington, you can avoid paying sales taxes. (Sorry, this doesn’t work for restaurants, hotels, or services.)

By: John Jensen

John Jensen — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 16:04:02 +0000

So let’s raise his taxes, to make things “fair”?

By: Mathew"RennDawg"Renner

Mathew"RennDawg"Renner — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 08:37:58 +0000

My Pastor is proof that it is not amount that matters but priorities. He lives in a house that is paid for. He has 5 kids with another one on the way. They never go hungary. Their house is the place where all the neighborhood kids want to play. They make priorities. It is amazing how much you save when you have no cable or satalite to pay for. When you do not spend money on video games, at least not the expensive systems. He would survive if he did not get the Earned Income Tax credit. How? Putting what is really important first. We have frogeten this fact. We spend like there is no tomorrow and complain about the debt when tomorrow comes. I wish my Pastor was the rule and not the exception. I wish Giverment would follow his example.

By: joshuadf

joshuadf — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 14:37:05 +0000

Depends on your definition of “fair”. I suspect your pastor has trouble buying food on that 20k a year. I doubt Gates or Allen would.

By: Mathew"RennDawg"Renner

Mathew"RennDawg"Renner — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 06:44:45 +0000

The fairset tax would be everyone who makes an income to pay 20% of there income. 10% to Federal 10% state and local. That is the fairest. If God only asks for 10% why should the goverment ask for more. Yes, I mean everyone who makes an income. My pastor makes less that 20,000 a year and he pays taxes and gets a more in his refund than he pays in taxes. How fair tis that.

By: Jon Morgan

Jon Morgan — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 07:04:21 +0000

You may not pay property taxes directly, but if you rent your home like I do, you’re still paying them indirectly in your rent. The only way you’re really paying no property taxes is if you’re living rent-free.

There’s a reasonable need for property taxes, but progressive income taxes are the fairest tax there is.

By: Chris Stefan

Chris Stefan — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 22:53:19 +0000

Where do you get your data that 2/3 of the taxes you pay in Des Moines go to Seattle? If anything taxes from Seattle and Bellevue are subsidizing the rest of the County. (See property values and sale tax collections if you don’t believe me).

Certainly that is the case on the state level. King County pays far more taxes to the state than it gets back in state services.

By: Mathew'"RennDawg"Renner

Mathew'"RennDawg"Renner — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 10:29:22 +0000

Even though I hate the concept, I’d rather have an income tax that property taxes. I know I do not pay them. I really think this is the most unjust form of taxation we use. I’ve seen abuses in how there assesed. (My parents were told they would have to pay more in taxes because a survey of there property showed that it was worth more. The problem is that you cannot get to a small piece of land they own without crossing through there backyard. My father asked when they did it. They insited that they did it by looking from the a view area. The problem is that this is imposssiable. They either tresspassed, because they were not home when the survey took place. They admited this. Or they did not do the survey properly.)

By: Mathew'"RennDawg"Renner

Mathew'"RennDawg"Renner — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 10:23:42 +0000

That is why I think it is time to split King County. I believe th County Goverment is to Seattle centered. You may disagree but this is my opinion. Let Seattle be its own county, the eastside be its own county, the rural be its own county and the south end be its own county. This will not happed because It would mean a loss of power for the County Goverment.

By: Jon Morgan

Jon Morgan — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 09:17:07 +0000

QFC is slow to program new things into their registers. I was going to check to see if they’d added the 62 cent federal cigarette tax too. Metro tickets and passes are different as the retailer has to pay for them upfront.

By: Jon Morgan

Jon Morgan — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 09:13:27 +0000

California had the best public education system in the country until voters passed Prop. 13 in 1978 (harshly limiting property tax increases). Since then, it’s floundered.

By: Jon Morgan

Jon Morgan — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 09:11:37 +0000

The solution to that would be progressive property taxes. Montreal does that (I’m sure many other places too, but that’s the one I know for sure), and it works well. Dow Constantine told me the state constitution forbids progressive property taxes, though as with the income tax, I’m decreasingly sure that’s true.

By: Jon Morgan

Jon Morgan — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 09:09:26 +0000

Simply repeating a questionable claim does not make it true. Why should Seattleites like me subsidize extra Metro bus service to South King County while we have more need and demand but are artificially capped on how much added service we can get?

By: Mathew'"RennDawg"Renner

Mathew'"RennDawg"Renner — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 08:32:03 +0000

If you cannot pay the goverment will take your land. It almost happened to a family member. We all chipped in and paid what was owed that she did not have.

By: Mathew'"RennDawg"Renner

Mathew'"RennDawg"Renner — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 08:30:48 +0000

I know that 2/3 of taxes in des moines go to seattle. the rest is divided among the rest of the county. I do not know what percent of the last third des moines gets. I would not mind if the 2/3 went into unincorperated king county. Thae are supposed to be the first priority of county goverment.

By: Bernie

Bernie — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 07:02:20 +0000

If you own a nice car you insure it right? Property owners have a big stake in what happens be it law enforcement, economic development or infrastructure to harvest and distribute crops. Property taxes (I pay a “fair” deal) directly benefit the owner. It most certainly is not a bribe to keep the land we own. I expect a great deal for what I pay. For the most part the “return on investment” is pretty good… That said, it could be a LOT better.

By: John Jensen

John Jensen — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 06:41:05 +0000

What’s the source for that number? How do you know that “almost none” goes to Des Moines?

By: Mathew'"RennDawg"Renner

Mathew'"RennDawg"Renner — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 06:36:03 +0000

I know that Seattle contributes the most to the county. They also keep most that is not what upsets me. I live in Des Moines, the county taxes that are collected where I live almost none goes to benefit Des Moines. Two-Thirds go to benefit Seattle. The time has come to split King County.

By: Chris Stefan

Chris Stefan — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 18:06:46 +0000

I don’t have the numbers for the rest of county services, but as far as metro goes there is only a slight subsidy from the rest of the county to service hours in Seattle.

For a majority of the county services Seattle uses, the county bills the city directly (sewer, jail, courts). For other county services the city provides its own services (police, fire, roads, parks, libraries, etc.).

Remember that a large portion of both the sales tax base and property tax base of King County is in Seattle, most of the rest is on the Eastside (Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, Issahquah).

By: Ben Schiendelman

Ben Schiendelman — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 15:36:32 +0000

Yeah, I tried the QFC down the street last night a bit after midnight. They hadn’t adjusted yet either.

They’re probably waiting until the weekend. They’re still responsible for the amounts on those receipts, they’re just not collecting it from you.