No New Taxes: No Public Services

In a triumph of representative democracy, or, more accurately, a county council committee deciding that they would rather decide on the single most important issue of their terms than allow their constituents to exercise their right to vote, the King County, Washington (Seattle) council's Budget and Finance committee voted, four votes to two, to keep off the ballot a proposal to raise property taxes to fund public health and human services.

"Enough, we've done enough tax raising," King County Councilman Reagan Dunn was quoted in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. "I just want to remind the public we have had nine tax increases in King Co. in the last five years ...The first rule in economics, you don't tax economic activity in a down cycle of the recession."

I wonder where that "first rule" comes from? I don't believe FDRFDR used that rulebook in enacting the New Deal. Hoover may have a few years previously--I'm not sure. But yes, taxes have been raised--for some very important issues--a light rail system that is poorly designed and well over budget, building multimillion dollar playgrounds so that multimillion dollar steroid users can play and make their multi-billionaire team owners even richer, and basic corporate welfare.

Now there is no way that we can approve another tax increase, especially one that will cover services for such things as healthcare for the poor, drug diversion court, fostercare programs, parks, or anything else that helps anybody that makes less than six figures per year.

"Those services are going to go away," county councilwoman Julia Patterson said. "That means people will go to the emergency room after they've waited until their situation is chronic and crucial. It means the health care costs will increase for all of us. It means people, children, seniors, people living in poverty in King County are going to get sick, and some people might die. So let's just be very honest about this. These decisions we're making impact peoples lives."

But no, it probably won't hurt the lives of people who make the big campaign contributions. We can't afford to let the common man decide on this one, lest they push through a tax increase that the big donors don't want. We need to save the next tax increase for something more important. Like attracting another NBA team.