"The Tax Reform Debate, Post-1098 Defeat"

Andrew Calkin (Duly Noted Politics):

Initiative 1098 has done a great service to Washington State by fostering a dialogue on taxes, income inequality, education, and a general discussion of how government should be funded. Yet the failure of 1098 to pass in a single county and its statewide tally of 35 percent approve and 65 percent reject suggests that voters were not convinced by 1098’s course of action - at all.

Even as the overall trend in the 2010 election was anti-taxes, against tax increases, and against new types of taxes, voters rejected 1098 even though it would have meant lower property taxes for every single Washington residents (owners and renters alike). Taxes would have been raised for only 1.2% of Washingtonians. Knowing that, I-1098’s defeat on Tuesday evening is an anomaly of sorts. Why did voters not take the step and ensure that education is adequately funded for years to come, and why didn’t voters choose to approve a tax decrease for nearly everyone in Washington?

Fear politics won out, plain and simple. MORE...