Congress only patched a flat fiscal tire

• Published January 05, 2013 Modified January 04, 2013

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C ongress averted a financial meltdown Tuesday when it approved a tax package that avoids huge tax blows to the middle class while boosting taxes to higher income earners. But much work remains on a debt crisis that will rear its ugly head in two months without more tough federal budget choices by Congress.

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End the tax breaks without state benefit

End the tax breaks without state benefit

Why doesn’t the Legislature have a contest to come up with a new tax? It appears they are only concerned with taxing the masses as evidenced by the proposed 10 cents a gallon on gas, increases on auto licenses, a tax on studded tires, a tax on electric and hybrid cars and possibly more taxes that I am unaware of.
Elway poll: What do voters consider a tax increase?

Elway poll: What do voters consider a tax increase?

A new Stuart Elway poll found that a slight majority of voters surveyed, 51 percent, don’t consider eliminating tax breaks to be a “tax increase.”

However, 56 percent of the people polled felt that continuing an existing tax due to expire is the same thing as a tax increase.

Both Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee and House Democrats have proposed a combination of extending existing taxes and closing tax breaks to put more than $1 billion into education to meet a state Supreme Court mandate.
News Summary: Internet sales tax faces tough sell

News Summary: Internet sales tax faces tough sell

TAXING TIMES: Traditional retailers and cash-strapped states face a tough sell in the House as they lobby Congress to limit tax-free shopping on the Internet.
Westneat: Doubling beer tax too extreme

Westneat: Doubling beer tax too extreme

Seattle Times columnist Danny Westneat writes that state Democrats' proposals to increase the state's beer tax and apply it to smaller breweries is too extreme, and will hurt small businesses.
Microbreweries protest proposed beer tax increase

Microbreweries protest proposed beer tax increase

The Everett Herald has a story about how craft breweries are fighting against proposals to extend and expand the state's beer tax.

Brewers told the Herald that they can't handle a doubling of the current tax, which is what the House is proposing. The tax increase would hit microbreweries and small operations hardest, as they were exempted from past increases, the article says. Gov. Jay Inslee also favors extending the beer tax.

Members of the state's beer-making community showed up at the state Capitol Friday to rally and voice their concerns about the proposed tax plan.