Washington State Democratic Party takes position opposing CarbonWA’s I-732

[eridani]

https://www.nwprogressive.org/weblog/2016/01/washington-state-democratic-party-takes-position-opposing-carbonwas-i-732.html?can_id=56238df60afa50719a42d93fd98f7e8b&source=email-freedom-facts-fight-the-tpp-events-city-blockers&email_referrer=freedom-facts-fight-the-tpp-events-city-blockers

Yesterday, during the middle day of its 2016 winter meeting, the Washington State Democratic Party went on record as opposed to CarbonWA’s I-732, joining the Washington State Labor Council and IAM’s District Lodge 751 in the no camp. I-732 is a complex tax swap proposal that would levy a carbon tax while also reducing sales and business & occupation taxes.CarbonWA and other I-732 proponents contend that their tax swap is “revenue neutral” (meaning it would not increase or decrease state revenue). Nonpartisan legislative staff and the Department of Revenue don’t agree. According to DOR’s calculations, I-732 would reduce revenue by nearly $1 billion over the next four years. (That’s billion, with a b.) CarbonWA insists DOR’s analysis is erroneous, and that the initiative would ultimately be “approximately revenue neutral“.

But the Washington State Democratic Party has decided it doesn’t want to take a chance on I-732 and has formally come out against the measure.

The party’s State Central Committee, the WSDCC, considered dueling resolutions on the initiative this weekend. One was to take a position in support of I-732, and the other was to take a position in opposition. The latter received a “do pass” recommendation from the WSDCC’s Resolutions Committee and was subsequently adopted, while the former got a “no pass” recommendation and was rejected.

The WSDCC’s Resolutions Committee has the unenviable task of vetting and wordsmithing resolutions that go before the full Central Committee at its five regular meetings during each two-year cycle. (Full disclosure: I sit on the WSDCC as a voting member, but I am not on the WSDCC’s Resolutions Committee.)

The Committee heard from speakers in support of and opposition to I-732 prior to reaching its decision. In the end, the committee voted overwhelmingly for the resolution to take a position opposing I-732, a recommendation that was enthusiastically adopted by the full WSDCC a few hours later.

[pscot]

1. If this is the best we can do

why bother?

[eridani]

2. This could have worked if the proposal actually WERE revenue neutral

It is in fact going to cost quite a bit of money.

[pscot]

3. The cost of doing nothing

will be higher. That said, I don't know if this particular program would have worked. We need consensus for any effective action, and we don't have it.