{"id":527849,"date":"2010-04-14T18:17:25","date_gmt":"2010-04-14T22:17:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/seattletimes.nwsource.com\/html\/northwestvoices\/2011607917_temporarybusinesstaxtoboostessentialservicesfunding.html?syndication=rss"},"modified":"2010-04-14T18:17:25","modified_gmt":"2010-04-14T22:17:25","slug":"temporary-business-tax-to-boost-essential-services-funding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/527849","title":{"rendered":"Temporary business tax to boost essential-services funding"},"content":{"rendered":"

Why no tax for service providers?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Like Jerome Chroman [\u201cSupport temporary business tax surcharge,\u201d Northwest Voices, April 10], I also support the temporary increase in the business-and-occupation tax from 1.5 percent to 1.8 percent and doubling the small-business tax credit \u2014which could make it a nonissue for businesses that gross under a certain amount \u2014and for taxing nonessentials such as candy, soda pop, water, gum and beer to support essential services for those less well off.<\/p>\n

I am glad the state Senate passed this bill on Monday and it is heading to Gov. Chris Gregoire for her signature.<\/p>\n

However, I would go one step further and urge our lawmakers to ask why our sales tax does not apply to Washington state service providers such as myself. Like my contractor clients, I add value to my clients\u2019 small businesses or home finances. Why should my services be excluded?<\/p>\n

If you need my services or those of an accountant, attorney or other service provider, you could pay your fair share of taxes.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Keith Gormezano, Seattle<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2018Temporary\u2019 means \u2018keep forever\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

In response to Jerome Chroman\u2019s comment to supporting a temporary tax to fix a deficit caused by bad fiscal planning, temporary in this state is nonsense.<\/p>\n

I have lived in this state for the better part of my life and when the politicians say \u201ctemporary,\u201d temporary really means \u201ckeep forever.\u201d When this state needs to get money they go after the sinners \u2014those who smoke, drink, chew gum, drink water, etc. <\/span>You see, these people are the easy targets. Politicians do not go after all the citizens who should be paying their fair share of taxes.<\/p>\n

First of all, this deficit was not brought about by the taxpayers. The problem with this state is it is too ultraconservative in its thinking. When we had a chance to legalize gambling, which could have brought in a lot of revenue, the conservatives shot it down. When a state income tax is brought up, it is shot down.<\/p>\n

But if the state needs revenue, lets tax the sinners. When the small business start to lose revenue, think of that temporary tax.<\/p>\n

This is how the 520 bridge and the Alaskan Way Viaduct will get its funding.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Gary Todd, Duvall<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Why no tax for service providers? Like Jerome Chroman [\u201cSupport temporary business tax surcharge,\u201d Northwest Voices, April 10], I also support the temporary increase in the business-and-occupation tax from 1.5 percent to 1.8 percent and doubling the small-business tax credit \u2014which could make it a nonissue for businesses that gross under a certain amount \u2014and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2861,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-527849","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/527849","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2861"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=527849"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/527849\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=527849"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=527849"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=527849"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}