News and perspective on public policy issues affecting Washington's economy and quality of life, brought to you by the Economic Opportunity Institute.
In Washington, our state budget is a reflection of our shared values and goal, and budget decisions directly affect our ability to educate our children, maintain the health and well-being of our communities, and build a thriving middle class. Unfortunately, the deep economic recession and our outdated revenue system present major barriers to our long-term prosperity.
Washington state’s tax structure, last updated 77 years ago, is broken. Or maybe more accurately, it just isn’t up the job. After all, 77 years ago, things were a bit different. Washington didn’t have one of the best college and university systems in the U.S.; we lacked critical transportation infrastructure necessary for urban centers to grow and […]
From the Washington News Service: A much-talked-about editorial in the New York Times this week by Warren Buffett accuses Congress of “coddling” the super-rich with lower tax rates, and the billionaire investor says it’s time to ask him and others to pay more to decrease the deficit. In Washington state, higher taxes for the wealthy […]
As we’ve noted in previous posts, Washington’s tax structure, last updated in the 1930s, is riddled with tax exemptions for private industry and relies heavily on a sales tax that hits our low- and middle-income workers hardest. This not only exacerbates Washington’s revenue problems – a direct result of the recession – it also contributes […]
