Time to live within our means
We could not agree more with the recent op-ed, “Thanks for nothing, Olympia” [Opinion, April 21], that the state Legislature proved itself an adversary of small business.
The Associated Builders & Contractors represents hundreds of contractors, suppliers and construction professionals. Our industry has been hit harder than most during the current recession, losing 55,700 jobs since February 2008. Workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance costs continue to rise with no relief in sight.
How has the Legislature helped? By raising taxes.
Legislators must streamline government and reduce the tax burden on small businesses so we can get Washingtonians working again. Instead, they have relied on $800 million annually in new taxes, federal funds, one-time fund transfers and delayed tough decisions, from pension obligations to K-12 cost-of-living increases. This would only make things worse down the road.
Even if revenue growth returns to normal in the next biennium, the state budget will not be able to fund promises made during previous legislative sessions. Where will they go for new revenue then? I would rather not wait and see. We need more legislators with private-sector experience to teach the rest of them to live within their means.
— Kathleen Garrity, president of Associated Builders & Contractors, Bellevue
More equitable tax system needed
The op-ed’s comments about Labor & Industries fees are misleading.
L&I is an insurance program designed to protect Becker Trucking Inc. and its employees from the catastrophic expenses involved with a workplace injury. It is similar to Rolan Becker’s truck insurance that he purchases privately and protects his company, trucks and employees from the catastrophic expenses of traffic accidents.
The op-ed claims Becker only gets $1 back in claims for every $3 he pays into L&I. That should be compared to how many dollars he gets back in truck insurance claims to the dollars he pays for truck insurance. That would allow us to compare two systems and then make an informed decision on efficiencies.
Washington is the only state that taxes the gross revenue of business because, unlike other states, the people chose that over paying any type of income tax. Cutting education, reducing human services and letting our infrastructure deteriorate does not sound like a plan to either attract business or provide the skilled work force business will need.
Becker should be looking for a better and more equitable system of taxation to maintain the roads his trucks drive, protect the health and welfare of his employees and family, educate his children and employees and attract the business that will allow him to grow his business.
— Larry Mueller, Seattle