Posted on 11/22/2017 11:22:18 AM PST by Kaslin
Seattle’s City Council made national headlines earlier this year when it enacted a city income tax aimed at “high earners.” Immediately, politicians crowed that they had planted a flag of “resistance” to the forces of “Trumpism.”
In a court hearing last week, the city defended its war on wealth against several legal and constitutional challenges. The briefing from both sides exposes an inconvenient reality for the levy’s defenders: its real, ultimate victims aren’t necessarily the plutocrats they claim to be targeting. In fact, just the opposite.
Some background: there are few precedents from other parts of the country for a city income tax of any kind, whether aimed exclusively at the successful or not. But for the Evergreen State, it is definitely a first-of-its-kind gambit. In fact, the city’s action was in direct defiance of the Washington State Supreme Court. That court has repeatedly held that the state’s constitution -- specifically, its mandate for equal treatment of all private property -- prohibits targeted income taxes, like Seattle’s decision to impose a 2.25% tax on total income in excess of $250,000 per year.
The courts cannot overturn the constitution -- so, what is Seattle’s strategy? It is to convince a court to redefine a person’s income as something other than property, such that income would lose its constitutional protection.
Seattle’s legal briefing argues that income does not look like a typical piece of property. For many of us, income flows in and out of our possession without us ever really having a chance to capture it or hold it for longer than it takes to write a check. Thus, the city concludes that income should not be characterized as property.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
Of course, because poor people do not create jobs.
Income tax is unconstitutional in Washington state until the voters approve the concept. They’ve been trying for decades with no win yet.
Seattle; doubling down on stupidity.
Only a single in the multiple steps to socialism seattle communist democrats so deeply desire.
Apologies in advance for redundancy.
Hey Seattle! How’s that “big dig west” coming?!” :-D
I suspect that if the tax is successfully implemented the Seattle population of rich people will decline continuously.
Thus, the city concludes that income should not be characterized as property
Whoever comes up with and promotes this nonsense should be not just fired, but committed to an insane asylum
As intended. Keep them as poor as possible to keep them dependent on progressive politicians.
This very thinking outlined in the article is why I left seattle for a small farm in rural KY six years ago.
I used to sell commercial real estate in Seattle back in the 80’s. I really have no love for that city, though there are some nice people there.
It doesn’t surprise me that they would try the re-defining of words to get past a pretty darned rock solid constitution, at least it’s pretty solid on this matter.
“...not just fired, but committed to an insane asylum.”
Nuts! Just put these commies against a wall and shoot ‘em. I’m sick and tired of their thievery.
Well, now that you put it that way . . .
Only two or three more generations and they’ll have it up and (sorta) running!
To be placed in a room with rubber carpet and rubber wallpaper, to eternally wear a leather coat that buckles in the back,
Taxes, like all costs, are passed on to the economically weak by the economically strong- by definition.
Lost jobs and investments, higher costs.
Progressive taxes (like all things ‘progressive’) empower the state.
Any income north of 250k comes with either a massive amount of student debt, or a high degree of income risk due to the occupation. In Seattle, making 250k is entry level now for the cost of living. Seattle is going to make a Detroit of itself...
As an anecdote: Seattle may do well to remember that when NYC cracked down on wealth, Rush Limbaugh left the state.
Beware killing the golden goose.
Look out. So was other than $30 car tags.
rwood
Prolly 90% of Seattle “rich” are extreme liberals. Nothing’s stopping them from giving income to the city now.
Seattle has lost the state preemption fight (against firearms) in the past. However, with the Dems finally gaining state legislative control, and the post-McCleary State Supreme Court twerking for the teacher’s union, the rest of us are screwed.
Actually, most of the super-rich live east of Lake Washington, outside Seattle city limits, in the rabble-free zone. I think Howard Schultz might still live in Seattle. But you’re correct, they’re all liberal fanatics.
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