Initiative 1069 Replace the State Seal
Published on Thu, Feb 11, 2010Read More County & State
As a result of Dori Monson’s challenging our states full court press to increase taxes, I was motivated to create an initiative to replace our state seal from with the vignette of General George Washington as the central figure to a tapeworm dressed in a three piece suit attached to the lower intestine of the taxpayer as the central figure and encircling the vignette the words “Committed to sucking the life blood out of each and every tax payer.”
If you are like most people, your initial response is to chuckle or have a serious belly laugh. However, the sad truth is this is far from funny. Now that I have your attention, please spend a few minutes to read why I am serious about our government being fiscally responsible and to stop raising taxes.
Billions and trillions of dollars of debt is such an enormous amount of money that it does not seem quite real to the individual tax payer. This makes it easy for government officials to spend and spend and spend. However, the debt is real. As a result, it is time for our state government to quit raising taxes. We are not asking Olympia to more with less. We understand that it is time for Olympia to do less with less. It is time to prioritize spending and reduce government.
Ask yourself what happens when the economic stimulus money is spent and we have not created long term employment for our citizens that will allow us to repay our debt to China, Brazil, etc. We cannot expect them to lend us more money. As a result, the dollar will be devalued and we will see hyperinflation. It could result, in foreign countries refusing to trade with us. No money – No oil – we are back to horse and buggy days. This will not be the Great Depression, but the Greatest Depression.
The initiative has been assigned the number 1069 and we are having a contest for the design of the proposed seal and a design for bumper stickers. Upon completion of the contest 28 February, we will begin to sell bumper stickers as a show of force. We ask that you join us in our efforts to put pressure on Olympia to become fiscally responsible and to stop raising taxes as the governor had promised.
This is your chance to be part of a grass roots effort and have your voice heard not only in Olympia but send a message to Washington D.C. about government spending. Please send your designs for the seal and bumper sticker NLT 25 February, 2009 or support our efforts by ordering a $20 bumper sticker and/or sending a donation to:
Jim Vaughn
Citizens for Economic Stimulus
14416 168th Street
Orting, WA 98360
253.241.9645
Jvaughn50@comcast.net
Initiative 1069
Replace the Seal of the State of Washington
An act relating to changing the Seal of the State of Washington from the vignette of General George Washington as the central figure, and beneath the vignette the figures "1889" to a tapeworm dressed in a three piece suit attached to the lower intestine of the taxpayer as the central figure and encircling the vignette the words “Committed to sucking the life blood out of each and every tax payer.” Amending RCW 1.20.080 and adding eight new sections.
Complete Text
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
Intent
New Section 1. Whereas Washington State has lost a significant portion of our industrial base resulting in a high unemployment rate, our state government continues to grow and spend at unsupportable rates by increasing taxes at a time when our citizens can least afford it. No sensible case can be made for increasing taxes and failing to stream line our state government. Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, and our state and our nation was the most prosperous in the world. We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world
(1) The Tax Justice Digest lists Washington State as the leader of the “Terrible Ten” states for tax…These ten states stand out for the extraordinary degree to which they have shifted the cost of funding public investments to their very poorest residents.
(2) Whereas, the U.S. is among eight countries with extra corporate tax rates imposed by state or local levels of government. The burden of these state-level taxes is somewhat lessened in all but four states because they can be deducted from federal taxes. In the State of Washington the Business and Occupation Tax on gross receipts does not allow for a deduction for monies paid for federal taxes. As a result, our business experience double and triple taxation, in cities that also charge businesses a B&O Tax.
(3) Whereas Washington State does not cut its business taxes in the next year, the U.S. federal rate would have to be cut to 20 percent in order to bring the combined federal-state rate down to compete with the European Economic Community. Our state officials fail to be cognizant of the fact that we are not only competing against other states for investment and jobs, but against the rest of the world. The emerging low-tax countries in Europe and Asia benefit from our high tax rates. In just the past year, at least six countries have announced plans to cut their corporate tax rates: Canada, Hong Kong, Korea, South Africa, Spain and Taiwan. In the end, the key to improving Washington’s business tax competitiveness is to work toward the common goal of lowering the overall business tax burden. Otherwise, the businesses in our state will continue to fall behind in the global tax race.
(4) Whereas there are only four states that have a Gross Receipt Tax, known in Washington as the Business and Occupation Tax due to the repressive nature. Of the four remaining states Washington has the worst corporate tax rate of these four. A comparison of the states that have GRT:
(a) Delaware: Retail can deduct $80,000 per month. Manufactures can deduct $1,000,000 per month.
(b) Kentucky: Business can choose between Gross Receipts and Gross Profits. Under $3M are exempt.
(c) Ohio: Business under $150,000 is exempt; those with receipts between $150,000 and$1M pay $150.
(d) Washington: The worst tax of all 4 GRT states. Business under $28,000 exempt.
(e) As a result, the government of The State of Washington fails to provide an environment that allows our citizens to economically compete in the global market by eliminating the B&O tax which discourages capital investment by our businesses and discourages purchases of capital equipment which are directly related to growth and employment.
(5) Whereas Governor Gregoire in July of 2005 stated during a meeting with the Clark County High-Tech Council that she was looking for ways to reform the B&O tax to make it less onerous on business and four years later in February of 2009 in speech to the Association of Washington Business, Governor Gregoire stated that she would like to overhaul the business and occupation tax, calling the tax, "ill-conceived" and harmful to small businesses. Eight months later, in October of 2009, she came out with 23 revenue alternatives two of which are aimed at increasing the B&O Tax which earlier in the year she said was "ill-conceived" and harmful to small businesses.
(6) Whereas the citizens of our state are currently paying in excess of forty taxes and the State of Washington continues to invent new ways to tax the citizens by proposing twenty three revenue alternatives.
Section 2. RCW 1.20.080 is amended to read as follows:
The seal of the state of Washington shall be, a seal encircled with the words: "The Seal of the State of Washington," with the vignette of General George Washington as the central figure, and beneath the vignette the figures "1889" and shall be composed as appears in the illustration below: (For the illustration, please refer to paperback RCW.) [1967 ex.s. c 65 § 1.]
The Seal of the State of Washington shall be a seal encircled with the words: Committed to sucking the life blood out of each and every tax payer,” with the vignette of a tapeworm dressed in a three piece suit attached to the lower intestine of the taxpayer as the central figure. (For the illustration, it will be selected from submissions submitted by the tax payers.)
If you are like most people, your initial response is to chuckle or have a serious belly laugh. However, the sad truth is this is far from funny. Now that I have your attention, please spend a few minutes to read why I am serious about our government being fiscally responsible and to stop raising taxes.
Billions and trillions of dollars of debt is such an enormous amount of money that it does not seem quite real to the individual tax payer. This makes it easy for government officials to spend and spend and spend. However, the debt is real. As a result, it is time for our state government to quit raising taxes. We are not asking Olympia to more with less. We understand that it is time for Olympia to do less with less. It is time to prioritize spending and reduce government.
Ask yourself what happens when the economic stimulus money is spent and we have not created long term employment for our citizens that will allow us to repay our debt to China, Brazil, etc. We cannot expect them to lend us more money. As a result, the dollar will be devalued and we will see hyperinflation. It could result, in foreign countries refusing to trade with us. No money – No oil – we are back to horse and buggy days. This will not be the Great Depression, but the Greatest Depression.
The initiative has been assigned the number 1069 and we are having a contest for the design of the proposed seal and a design for bumper stickers. Upon completion of the contest 28 February, we will begin to sell bumper stickers as a show of force. We ask that you join us in our efforts to put pressure on Olympia to become fiscally responsible and to stop raising taxes as the governor had promised.
This is your chance to be part of a grass roots effort and have your voice heard not only in Olympia but send a message to Washington D.C. about government spending. Please send your designs for the seal and bumper sticker NLT 25 February, 2009 or support our efforts by ordering a $20 bumper sticker and/or sending a donation to:
Jim Vaughn
Citizens for Economic Stimulus
14416 168th Street
Orting, WA 98360
253.241.9645
Jvaughn50@comcast.net
Initiative 1069
Replace the Seal of the State of Washington
An act relating to changing the Seal of the State of Washington from the vignette of General George Washington as the central figure, and beneath the vignette the figures "1889" to a tapeworm dressed in a three piece suit attached to the lower intestine of the taxpayer as the central figure and encircling the vignette the words “Committed to sucking the life blood out of each and every tax payer.” Amending RCW 1.20.080 and adding eight new sections.
Complete Text
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
Intent
New Section 1. Whereas Washington State has lost a significant portion of our industrial base resulting in a high unemployment rate, our state government continues to grow and spend at unsupportable rates by increasing taxes at a time when our citizens can least afford it. No sensible case can be made for increasing taxes and failing to stream line our state government. Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, and our state and our nation was the most prosperous in the world. We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world
(1) The Tax Justice Digest lists Washington State as the leader of the “Terrible Ten” states for tax…These ten states stand out for the extraordinary degree to which they have shifted the cost of funding public investments to their very poorest residents.
(2) Whereas, the U.S. is among eight countries with extra corporate tax rates imposed by state or local levels of government. The burden of these state-level taxes is somewhat lessened in all but four states because they can be deducted from federal taxes. In the State of Washington the Business and Occupation Tax on gross receipts does not allow for a deduction for monies paid for federal taxes. As a result, our business experience double and triple taxation, in cities that also charge businesses a B&O Tax.
(3) Whereas Washington State does not cut its business taxes in the next year, the U.S. federal rate would have to be cut to 20 percent in order to bring the combined federal-state rate down to compete with the European Economic Community. Our state officials fail to be cognizant of the fact that we are not only competing against other states for investment and jobs, but against the rest of the world. The emerging low-tax countries in Europe and Asia benefit from our high tax rates. In just the past year, at least six countries have announced plans to cut their corporate tax rates: Canada, Hong Kong, Korea, South Africa, Spain and Taiwan. In the end, the key to improving Washington’s business tax competitiveness is to work toward the common goal of lowering the overall business tax burden. Otherwise, the businesses in our state will continue to fall behind in the global tax race.
(4) Whereas there are only four states that have a Gross Receipt Tax, known in Washington as the Business and Occupation Tax due to the repressive nature. Of the four remaining states Washington has the worst corporate tax rate of these four. A comparison of the states that have GRT:
(a) Delaware: Retail can deduct $80,000 per month. Manufactures can deduct $1,000,000 per month.
(b) Kentucky: Business can choose between Gross Receipts and Gross Profits. Under $3M are exempt.
(c) Ohio: Business under $150,000 is exempt; those with receipts between $150,000 and$1M pay $150.
(d) Washington: The worst tax of all 4 GRT states. Business under $28,000 exempt.
(e) As a result, the government of The State of Washington fails to provide an environment that allows our citizens to economically compete in the global market by eliminating the B&O tax which discourages capital investment by our businesses and discourages purchases of capital equipment which are directly related to growth and employment.
(5) Whereas Governor Gregoire in July of 2005 stated during a meeting with the Clark County High-Tech Council that she was looking for ways to reform the B&O tax to make it less onerous on business and four years later in February of 2009 in speech to the Association of Washington Business, Governor Gregoire stated that she would like to overhaul the business and occupation tax, calling the tax, "ill-conceived" and harmful to small businesses. Eight months later, in October of 2009, she came out with 23 revenue alternatives two of which are aimed at increasing the B&O Tax which earlier in the year she said was "ill-conceived" and harmful to small businesses.
(6) Whereas the citizens of our state are currently paying in excess of forty taxes and the State of Washington continues to invent new ways to tax the citizens by proposing twenty three revenue alternatives.
Section 2. RCW 1.20.080 is amended to read as follows:
The seal of the state of Washington shall be, a seal encircled with the words: "The Seal of the State of Washington," with the vignette of General George Washington as the central figure, and beneath the vignette the figures "1889" and shall be composed as appears in the illustration below: (For the illustration, please refer to paperback RCW.) [1967 ex.s. c 65 § 1.]
The Seal of the State of Washington shall be a seal encircled with the words: Committed to sucking the life blood out of each and every tax payer,” with the vignette of a tapeworm dressed in a three piece suit attached to the lower intestine of the taxpayer as the central figure. (For the illustration, it will be selected from submissions submitted by the tax payers.)
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