“When do we step over the line into pure socialism?”
Pockets of anger
We don’t get it: We work like peasants, they rule like royalty
Editor, The Times:
The defeat of Proposition 1, the passage of a 1 percent emergency fund (JR 8206), and the vote to require that when the Legislature wants to raid our wallets it has to get our permission (Initiative 960) should be a clear message to the political class in this state that the citizenry is fed up with the existing level of taxation.
My family and I are decidedly middle-income people whose income is derived from a small business. Yet between our business and personal taxes, at local, state and federal levels, we pay 13 different taxes that absorb roughly 50 percent of our income.
No one believes a modern society can function without some level of taxation, but taxing income at 50 percent? When do we step over the line into pure socialism?
Now the State Supreme Court has overturned Initiative 747 because it believes, apparently, that we the voters are too stupid to know what we were voting on five years ago! [”Higher taxes? Court clears way,” Times, page one, Nov. 9.]
This will give local taxing authorities a green light to reach into our pockets to extract additional huge amounts of money, with which they will fund more social engineering “good deeds,” more absolutely essential bike paths, trails and the like.
These people will not be happy until they have totally confiscated every nickel we have earned by the fruits of our labor and the sweat of our brows, to fund their next absolutely essential “good deed.” Their march will end only when the needs of us peasants are handed out only by the largesse of a huge, monolithic, bureaucratic government.
I’m mad as hell and almost ready to break out the pitchforks! I can’t wait for the next election to vote every one of them I can out of office.
- Dale Williams, SammamishSlapped with the costs
I would like to thank the Washington State Supreme Court justices for thinking for me. After all, how could I function without them telling me I didn’t understand Initiative 747, and therefore they threw out my vote.
Something is inherently wrong if the majority of voters approve an initiative and the Supreme Court rules that we are not smart enough to understand the repercussions.
I don’t think the initiative misled the voters; and as far as the initiative hurting the government coffers - well, maybe the various government officials who are responsible for the budgets should rethink their spending policies.
We the little people don’t have the luxury of adding money to our bank account by changing the rules when we have spent more than we have made. For crying out loud, get a clue.
- Gaye Cosand, RentonAdding insult to journeying
Washington state ranks as the No. 4 highest-taxed state in the country; only Connecticut, New York and New Jersey rank higher.
Now to add to that dubious distinction, King County wants to raise taxes again with a property tax increase of 55 cents per $1,000 of assessed value to finance five new foot-ferry routes, all to Seattle [”Sims outlines county plan for 5 new foot-ferry routes,” Local News, Nov. 9].
I don’t quite understand why I, a homeowner, am obligated to finance ferry service with property taxes.
Also, a King County flood-control levy is in the works that will cost an additional 10 cents per $1,000 of assessed value.
To top things off, the King County Council just approved a one-tenth of 1 percent sales tax hike to fund services for people with drug and mental problems.
Is it any wonder that Proposition 1 was resoundingly defeated (it wasn’t because of global-warming concerns) and Initiative 960 overwhelmingly passed?
- Chester H. Wells Jr., AuburnElective torture
We’ll kick ourselves to the polls
Why didn’t any Democrats filibuster the nomination of Michael Mukasey, the new attorney general who tolerates torture? [”Mukasey confirmed with least support in 55 years,” page one, Nov. 9.]
Mukasey’s nomination attracted only 53 votes, well short of the 60 needed to overcome a filibuster. If Senate Democrats had wanted to block his appointment, they easily could have done so.
It seems that the Democratic Party is no less inclined to endorse torture and torturers than the Republican Party is. And if that’s the case, then this longtime Democrat sees no particular need to care whether Democrats wind up in office in the future.
Torture is nonnegotiable, or at least it ought to be.
Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell: By not filibustering Musakey’s nomination, you as good as supported it.
Trust me, that’s something I’m going to remember. Sens. Murray and Cantwell, if you go along with torture, then there is nothing you won’t tolerate. I’m finished with you.
- Charles Pluckhahn, SeattleMediocre media
It’s only half relevant
I just do not get it about fears over the FCC media ruling [”FCC must embrace the digital age,” associate editorial page editor Ryan Blethen editorial column, Nov. 9].
People seem to believe that the world would end if the FCC eases ownership rules. Many fear that consolidation in the industry would eliminate independent voices and degrade local news coverage. This is bigger than Iraq!
Basing actions on speculation and fear is always a waste of energy.
I figured additional research was needed. I live in Seattle where all local media voices range from liberal to radical left wing. I needed a more-balanced source.
So I went to the Internet, Googled the topic and read a fact-based, unbiased article on Reuters. None of these sources will be affected by the FCC ruling.
I think this whole media-ownership brouhaha is like the concept of what happens when a Wal-Mart comes to town. Yes, some low-profit media sources will disappear. But these same low-profit media sources will disappear anyway, regardless of FCC rules. If there is not sufficient readership to support the source, then the media will fold.
I am sorry; I just cannot spend my energy worrying about fear-based speculation. I have the very real war in Iraq to think about.
- Leslie Klein, SeattleHow I met your measure
I was surprised to read in The Times that TV scriptwriters had gone on strike [”Production to stop on 7 prime-time shows,” News, Nov. 7].
I had no idea that there were scripts for TV programs. I guess I’d always assumed that someone just tossed a coin to see who went to bed with whom that episode, and whether or not any of the actors had to shave that month.
I suppose “reality” shows must have writers (or concocters), as they can’t get those schemes from reality.
- Gary McGavran, Bellevue