You have questions and we have answers
Come to our town hall meeting tomorrow at the Marysville Opera House at 10 a.m. Let’s talk.
Holding corporations accountable
Tax breaks need to provide a clear benefit to Washington residents. If they don’t, they should end. With our state failing to meet its moral and constitutional obligation to fully fund basic education this is more important than ever.
Yesterday, House Democrats unveiled a set of bills that would bring greater accountability to our corporate tax structure. The plan will repeal, narrow and attach stipulations to five tax breaks that currently benefit big national and international banks, oil refineries, the aerospace industry and other corporations but not necessarily Washington residents.
When the legislature passed the largest tax break in state history for Boeing, we were promised job growth that would benefit Washingtonians. Less than three years later, Boeing has laid off or moved 5,000 jobs out of the state.
I was disappointed that just two weeks ago, Boeing announced another round of layoffs. It’s time that we hold them accountable to what we were promised. Boeing has failed to deliver on jobs for Washington but continues to profit off of a tax break based on job growth. My seatmate, Rep. June Robinson, has introduced legislation to hold Boeing accountable for maintaining the number of Washington employees Boeing had in 2013.
Boeing isn’t the only one abusing Washington taxpayers’ trust. Other large corporations are getting away with using tax breaks never meant for them and it’s time they’re reigned in. Tax exemptions used for private corporate jets don’t benefit regular Washington taxpayers. Tax exemptions meant for small banks but being used by Goldman Sachs and Barclays don’t benefit middle-class Washingtonians struggling to make ends meet.
New legislation was just introduced that will reign in these exemptions and start leveling the playing field between middle class families and the wealthiest among us.
Transportation Investments in Snohomish County
Last session our state passed the first transportation package in over a decade. It took collaboration from the public and private sectors, business and labor, local governments and community organizations, and now we are finally making some critical investments in our transportation system.
During those negotiations, Snohomish County lawmakers worked to make sure some important projects for our region were in the final package. Our communities couldn’t afford to wait another ten years.
This year we are taking steps to make sure those projects are on time and under budget. Two of the largest projects in our region are the addition of a peak hour lane on I-5 between Marysville and Everett and a new off ramp from I-5 to Highway 529 and into downtown Marysville. We are working with the Department of Transportation to consolidate these projects, which will not only speed up completion, but also create efficiencies that lead to a conservative cost-savings estimate of $2.5 million.
A few more projects to look for are improvements to I-5 interchanges at 156th Street NE, 116th Street, and 88th Street, to make these heavily used intersections safer and help with traffic flow. And a second bus rapid transit line, Swift 2, to Boeing/Paine Field.
Thanks for taking the time to read this e-newsletter. I hope you’ll join us tomorrow morning for a good conversation over coffee.
Sincerely,
