Seattle City Council Unanimously Approves Income Tax For the Rich (geekwire.com)

reifman writes: Amazon, tech employees and those making $250,000 or more annually in Seattle will now pay a 2.25 percent income tax. "The Seattle City Council estimates that the tax would bring in an additional $140 million each year," reports GeekWire. "The revenue would go toward the city's housing affordability agenda and carbon reduction goals and supplant federal funds if they are cut. The revenue is also intended to alleviate the burden of Washington's property and sales taxes, which are often called the most regressive in the country." Anyone who's seen Amazon's impacts on Seattle and its low and middle income residents will appreciate how this tax will help the homeless, lower income and improve the environment. Not everyone is thrilled with the recently approved legislation. Jason Mercier, who directs the center for government reform with the Washington Police Center, said: "[The council is] going to unanimously adopt an illegal income tax that has no hope of taking effect and will waste taxpayer resources on litigation the city is sure to lose." The measure is expected to be challenged in court, as Washington's constitution states "a county, city, or city-county shall not levy a tax on net income." According to The Washington Post, Mercier said there is decade of case law saying that a graduated income tax is unconstitutional because income is property and under the constitution, property tax has to be taxed uniformly and no more than 1 percent.

Comments

$250K is the definition of the evil 1%

[turkeydance]

according to Seattle. 251 is even eviler.

Re: $250K is the definition of the evil 1%

[Anonymous Coward]

Stick to volunteering your own funds. There's a difference between productive and non-productive, the latter will be receiving the tax benefit. Your argument about coffee wages is moot. Why should someone who doesn't do jack love at the same standard as your precious impoverished Starbucks worker, because they aren't getting anything from this.

elections have consequences

[Anonymous Coward]

when you vote for socialists/communists you get your money stolen. Have fun.