I’m angry and saddened by recent ads sponsored by some businesses, opposing business tax proposals and saying that we just need to “reduce the size of government.”

Under current law, many companies are not required to pay Washington’s B&O tax even though they do a significant amount of business in the state.  According to the Washington State Budget and Policy Center, the Senate budget released recently would provide a more reasonable standard of determining which businesses operating in Washington are liable for B&O taxes, generating about $73 million in the current biennium. 

The Senate budget also makes $838 million in cuts, severely gutting our health, education and environmental infrastructure. These cuts come on top of the $3.6 billion eliminated last year. Last year’s cuts will result in thousands of Washingtonians finding higher education unaffordable, tens of thousands of working families losing their health insurance and larger class sizes for kids in our public schools.

Unemployment has hit my family hard, but we do our part to preserve critical human services. Businesses should do theirs, too. Please, Legislators, share the responsibility with businesses; don’t cave to their demands. While you’re at it, institute a state income tax and reform our regressive tax system.

Barbara Ramey, Kirkland