Check before you fold
Editor, The Times:
This is a response to “McDermott says don’t ban Internet gambling, tax it” [NWThursday, May 20].
Has anyone checked what is going on at the casinos here and in Las Vegas? Would taxing truly generate the numbers listed in the story? How would we identify who pays?
I question not only the idea, but also the Internet listings. Are we going to be required to identify players, get their names and addresses, then tax them? Or would we get the records of the offshore website and decide who pays and how much? This is a proposal that looks more complicated and has little chance of passing.
So why is this appearing just today? I wonder if it is Rep. Jim McDermott’s way of getting his name in front of voters for the primary. I guess it is the benefit of being an incumbent, but what does this really mean for Seattle?
This bill is a poor way to show voters that McDermott is bringing back to his community what we need. It is time to question whether he truly represents our concerns. There is a “remove the incumbent” movement in the country. I think its time to make that change.
— David Krafchick
Hands up for policies supporting longevity, prosperity
In supporting a sales-tax increase, Metropolitan King County Council Councilmember Julia Patterson states that police, prosecutors and juvenile-probation officers are “the basic services for which government exists.” [“Sales-tax hike may miss August ballot,” NWTuesday, May 18].
When tax revenues are robust, politicians are fond of providing moneys for tax-supported programs —which might not be the reason for government — only to find that these programs develop a core constituency and are hard to get rid of when economies sour.
It is when economies are thriving that government officials should be most careful in how they spend revenues and in budgeting for programs that support government’s purpose and could be sustained long-term.
— Richard Grubb, Redmond
Spend less
We need to tell the Metropolitan King County Council that the proper response to insufficient funds is to spend less money —not rob your neighbors.
— David Rogers, Bellevue