Letter: No more sales tax increases

I’m not here to debate the merits of The Link, but rather the mechanism to achieve it. Raising sales tax is a bad route.

This system of sales tax is called a “regressive tax,” meaning it burdens the low-wage earner at 17 percent of their take-home pay, versus the high wage earner at 3 percent. Washington state is No. 1 in the country for this.

Is the low-wage earner really going to spend $50 to $75 for a Broadway-style ticket? It’s said that the tax has a sunset clause and expires in 15 years. Can someone tell me that last time a tax came off the books or went down? I am tired of smelling that stinky carrot they keeping dangling. Voting the tax up near 9 percent is pushing locals to the Hermiston market, where for less than $5 in gas and 30 minutes travel time, they can experience tax-free purchases.

Here’s an idea I like — reduce the sales tax and create a retail mecca for Washingtonians to come shop in, guilt-free. No more sneaking across the border. Then we should have enough money to build to our needs and wants.

This story was originally published July 20, 2016 at 4:22 AM with the headline "Letter: No more sales tax increases."