We have a lot to be grateful for, and you’re at the top of the list! It’s amazing to see how far we’ve come in our fight for a fair and just tax code in Washington – we’ve won so much together.
Four years ago, activists like you worked hard to pass the capital gains tax on the super-rich, gaining critical funding for childcare and education and making sure the wealthy pay what they owe in taxes. Together, we defended the capital gains tax in the State Supreme Court. And this month, we defeated I-2109, protecting the capital gains tax and stopping a mega-millionaire from cutting billions from childcare and education.
Voters sent a clear message that they want mega-millionaires and billionaires to pay their share in taxes. As we look to what’s next, we know that we’ll keep fighting for a fairer tax code in which every single Washingtonian pays their fair share. Join our Rapid Response Team to help lead that fight!
This week, I joined Dr. Stephan Blanford of the Children’s Alliance to share what we learned from I-2109’s landslide defeat – and what’s next – in the Everett Herald:
“Voters didn’t just turn down mega-millionaire Brian Heywood’s demand for a tax break for himself and his rich pals, they voted against cutting billions of dollars in funding for child care and early learning programs and K-12 public schools.
Voters recognize that Washington’s upside-down tax code benefits those at the top, who get away with contributing less while low- and middle-income earners pay more than our share in state and local taxes. The votes against I-2109 are votes in favor of requiring the super-wealthy to pay what they owe to our communities and our state.
We hope lawmakers understand now what our public opinion research has consistently shown:
- Voters strongly support asking the wealthy to pay more;
- They want a fairer tax code, one that takes tax pressure off low- and middle-income earners as much as possible;
- Voters oppose cuts to funding for child care, early education and K-12 public schools, when students need resources and support more than ever.
As the election season wraps up and a new class of legislators heads to Olympia, we hope they write a new budget that avoids cuts to programs that families depend on. They can do so by asking the wealthy to pay what they truly owe in taxes and continuing to balance our tax code.”
Thank you so much for being such an important part of this team. We know that if we continue to work together so the wealthy pay what they truly owe in taxes, we can build a Washington where all of us can thrive.
In gratitude,
Treasure Mackley
Executive Director, Invest in Washington Now
Washington Now
Invest in Washington Now, 509 Olive Way Ste 1133, Seattle, WA, 98101