This week House Democrats are working together to propose a budget for the 2015-17 biennium. You’ve heard us say before that we’ll need new revenue this year if we want to continue to fund the services and programs our communities rely on.
Extremists like Tim Eyman would have you believe that our state government is overspending, that there is no budget problem and we can fund our schools and everything else by just making cuts to excessive government spending. This mentality disregards the fact that the bulk of our tax dollars fund things we all care about and benefit from like the schools, parks, roads and health care services in our own neighborhoods.
Here are nine things your tax dollars fund that you may not have thought about before:
1. Let them eat clams! If you’ve ever enjoyed an afternoon digging for razor clams on Washington’s coast, you can thank state government for ensuring those clams were there to be caught—and that they didn’t poison you. The process for setting razor clam seasons involves not only the Department of Fish and Wildlife ensuring a sustainable razor clam population, but also uses information from the Department of Health about marine toxin levels to ensure that the clams are safe to eat. (Photo: Dept. of Fish and Wildlife)
2. Support for loved ones with a mental health problem. Community Mental Health Centers provide vital services to members of our community suffering from mental illness. These centers help keep families together, connect people to care, and protect our communities from the kinds of violent tragedies an untreated mental illness can lead to.
3. Your neighborhood library. The Washington State Library supports all the libraries in our state—including schools and local library branches. On top of that, they provide statewide research databases, support for the visually impaired, and historical preservation programs.
4. Care for our parents and grandparents. Washington’s Aging and Long-Term Support Administration makes sure our state’s elderly get the health and support care they need. They oversee and fund Adult Family Homes, in-home care services, and nursing home stays. The Home Care Referral Registry of Washington State helps families find qualified home care workers.
5. Clean air, water and lands. The Department of Ecology’s scientists and engineers monitor our state’s air and water quality and oversee cleanup of toxic and nuclear waste. We depend on their work to ensure our communities are clean and safe from toxic chemicals that could do us harm.
6. Keeping people in their homes. In 2011, at the height of the foreclosure crisis, the legislature created the Foreclosure Fairness Program. Although our real estate market is rebounding, there are still families struggling to make their mortgage payments and at risk of losing their homes. The Foreclosure Fairness Program provides all Washington homeowners with housing counseling, civil legal aid, and foreclosure mediation.
7. Your last bike ride. In addition to funding our roads and highways, the state transportation budget provides funding for the walking and biking trails going through our neighborhoods—including the Duwamish and Alki Trails. (By the way—the City of Seattle will mail you a free bike map.)
8. A voice for children suffering abuse and neglect. The Children’s Administration protects children who are in a dangerous situation, supports struggling parents, and builds families and support networks for children who would otherwise be alone. Your child may have a classmate whose social worker keeps track of her emotional and physical health, academic progress, and overall wellbeing while she deals with an unstable home situation. Your tax dollars pay for that vital service.
9. Our neighborhood schools. This may seem like a no-brainer since education is a hot topic in Olympia right now. But not everyone realizes how much state funding impacts the schools in our neighborhood. Highline Public Schools’ funding, for example, is made up of 64% state dollars, while local levies account for just 21% of their overall budget.
Low taxes sound great—no one wants to pay high taxes. The problem is, Washington’s regressive tax system is only great for the wealthiest individuals and corporations while our poorest residents and middle-class families bear an unfair tax burden. With the state budget, you get what you pay for, and an unfair tax system means the state can’t afford services that we all depend on. The solution is not to become a high tax state — it’s to become a fair tax state.
We can build a fairer tax system that supports an economy from the middle-class out, not “trickle-down.” We can help families and low-income residents by making sure that everyone, including those with record Wall Street profits pays their fair share.
