How special is that?
Powerful environmentalist lobby groups have prepared their annual Olympia wish list of legislation. And while most of their effort will reportedly go towards defending money they've already swiped legislatively, they have come up with rather clever packaging for their bigger ticket item: just call the tax a job.
And so their bill would impose a "fee" (liberal code word for tax) on petroleum products - $1.50 per barrel!
In other words if you use gasoline, motor oil, or asphalt you're going to pay.
But no worries - they will spend your money to create a few jobs described as capitol projects and retrofits dealing with stormwater.
The bill is part of the legislative agenda being pushed in Olympia by Environmental Priorities Coalition, a group of 25 environmental organizations
Coalition member Washington Conservation Voters program director Brendon Cechovic calls it "part of the solution at a time when the legislature is clearly looking for solutions.”
He further describes it as kind of a statewide stimulus package of "shovel-ready projects all over the state, at a time when we desperately need more good-paying jobs.”
A tax that comes with it's own jobs program. Now isn't that worth more to you than you taking home what you earn?
Last year a similar bill passed in the House but not the Senate.
Listen up - a state desperate for revenue will impose as many "you earn, we take" taxes on their silent prey as they possibly can.
This is another opportunity for irate tax payers to take names on who actually supports this tax.
Take names, and then take them out at the ballot box in November.
It's Twenty - Ten people...let the revolution begin!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
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4 comments:
27% of Washington's construction industry is out of work. Are Republicans going to oppose a jobs bill that puts them back to work? The fee is on the pollutors, not you and me.
Stormwater cleanup is currently paid by homeowners through property taxes and utility rates. Seems like this is a good way to take the burdon off of working families.
I love this idea. It will help save Puget Sound from stormwater pollution, but $1.50 per barrel is smaller than the daily fluctuation of oil futures prices for those investing their money.
Wrong. The point is our refineries still have to compete in a world market, and this will only further constrain their ability to do so. Why would product come here to be refined when it would be more economical to go elsewhere? Ultimately it will end up in the loss of living wage refinery jobs in our community and many others communities around our state.
Actually MORE than 27% of construction workers in our state are out of work, and overregulation and the oppressive tax burden imposed on them through bad legislation like this is a major reason why.
Are Republicans going to oppose this bill – ABSOLUTELY…if they are real Republicans. Because they understand that fees imposed by the government threaten real jobs. The more we punish our refineries (and this is a local issue for those of us here in Whatcom County) the harder it is for them to compete in a global market. If they can’t compete we will lose the jobs and revenue they provide here and now.
I would rather have refineries spending their own money building up their infrastructure to employ other people than have the money taken by government and wasted long before it is used for anything productive.
This tax will undermine the ability of private companies to compete and grow. Crippling the private sector hurts every community every time.
And just to clarify, property taxes and utility taxes DO NOT pay for Stormwater cleanup. Nice try though. The fee proposed, like always, will be passed on and paid by you and me.
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