I love politics, because of stories like these.Lawmakers in Olympia are considering the idea of tax increases to help close a $9-billion dollar budget gap.
No specifics of any tax increases have been released, but Governor Christine Gregoire says it's a horrible time to hike property taxes or business taxes, "That leaves you with a sales tax. One of our major problems right now is a lack of consumer confidence. So people aren't buying anything so I don't know how much that really gets us?" Gregoire said at a press briefing Monday morning when asked about which taxes lawmakers are thinking about increasing.
It took the state legislature this long to realize that they might need to raise taxes to get out of this budget mess? Wow, they're sharp ones aren't they?
Here's what I think they should do to get out of the 9 billion dollar budget gap:
1. Coffee tax - since we drink more lattes than anyone in the country, this would probably make back a large chunk of that in a hurry.
2. Stop digging a tunnel under Seattle - Remember the Dig in Boston, and how that traffic project ran hugely over budget and took roughly 20 years to complete. Do we really want to do that now? And how is a tunnel under the city going to alleviate the problem of traffic problems at choke points INTO the city (as in people trying to get into Seattle, not around it). And a tunnel in a possible earthquake area? Ehh...
3. Government takes pay cuts - I'm just saying, the 60 dollar hour county worker who is standing and watching me drive to work could probably skimp a little.
4. Tax Potato chips - I alone would give you enough stimulus to beat the budget gap.
5. Sell our apple crop to Canada - They don't have apples up there do they?
6. Start printing your own Washington state money - it could be like monopoly!
7. Get Bill Gates to pay for it. Seriously 9 billion? That's a haircut for that guy.
8. Outlaw studded tires - Oh wait, they already did this.
9. Don't pay for renovations to Husky Stadium. And move UW's games to Qwest Field.
10. Stop building the north-south freeway in Spokane. Do we really need a freeway that goes to Chewelah? Just saying.
Here is an idea that will not only get Washington State out of debt but it would get the whole country out of debt. Legalize and tax marijuana. One thing that helped get us out of the great depression was the end of prohibition of alcohol.
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