Increase revenue, reduce climate disruption

Support increased revenue to reduce climate disruption and provide for our poorest neighbors Please e-mail your legislators (two reps; one senator) today. Request they support a capital gains excise tax and carbon pollution market program to provide increased funding needed for education, needed to repair our shredded social safety net, and needed to address climate disruption that is destroying our planet’s ability to keep us alive. Also, ask your legislators let you know how they intend to vote. Click FCWPP if you need assistance sending email to your legislators. Please feel free to use the information below (or from linked resources) to personalize your email correspondence. BACKGROUND Additional revenue is needed for the state to both fund basic education as required by the Supreme Court McCleary decision AND reduce poverty and homelessness by restoring social safety net funding cut during the now ended recession. Senate Republicans assert the state needs to live within the means created by our current revenue system (“most regressive in the U.S.” according to a Seattle Times article), even though the McCleary decision dramatically increases the state’s fiscal obligations. ENDING POVERTY, EDUCATING OUR CHILDREN, AND SAVING OUR PLANET House Democrats and our Governor say something must be done to:

1. Reduce the inequities of our current tax system,
2. Make sure the poorest of our neighbors also benefit from the increased economic activity that ended the recession: A recession that forced cuts to programs the poor rely on to keep roofs over their children’s heads and food on their tables. and
3. Reduce the climate disruption that will otherwise destroy our planet’s ability to sustain human life.

A new carbon pollution market proposal (SHB 1314*) will be heard this week. The carbon pollution market program created under this proposal reduces climate disruption to increase the probability people will continue to live on earth for generations to come. It also increases state revenue by requiring those who consume our atmosphere and oceans through greenhouse gas emissions pay a fee to the state for their private use of these public resources. RAISING NEEDED REVENUE AND MAKING OUR TAX SYSTEM MORE EQUITABLE While the poorest 20 percent of our state’s resident pay 16.8 percent of their income in taxes, the wealthiest 1 percent pay only 2.4 percent of their combined income and capital gains in taxes. A new proposal for a capital gains excise tax (SHB 1484*) will also be heard this week that will impact only the wealthiest of our neighbors by setting a low tax and large capital gains. All revenue to be dedicated to the state’s Education Legacy Fund.

• Please support the House version of the Human Services Budget
  • The proposed House budget includes many positive investments for recipients of public benefits
  • It restores 100% funding for the state food program,
  • It does not reduce Temporary Aid to Needy Families ($478/month for a family of three) when those families receive child support,
  • It increases the work incentive amount for working TANF families, and
  • It funds rapid rehousing for TANF families to reduce the disruption caused by homelessness.
• In contrast to the above, the proposed Senate budget retains the funding cuts made in the previous budget to adjust for reduced revenues caused by the recession, even though revenues have now increased.

Thanks and Peace, FCWPP Economic Justice and Environmental Stewardship & Peace Working Groups * The original House Bills (HB) are posted on the website as we put the finishing touches on this ALERT. Substitutes (SHB) will be accessible via these same links once released by the legislature and posted. Sorry for any inconvenience or confusion.