Against the Income Tax

Dear Editor: Are you kidding me? Trusting that the legisla­ture

would not increase the income tax and gradually spread the tax to everyone is about as likely a proposition as saying that Viper own­ers

with radar detectors will always obey the speed limit. Alas, have we not learned that whenever you grant the government authority to take a little from a few, then we are granting them license to incrementally take a lot from all? The proponent's siren song of "a small percent tax confined to only the rich" should blow wind to scarlet red flags of alarm. They have absolutely NO credibility to make that statement and even if they did, it really makes no difference. In a free and democratic society, the wealthy need to stay healthy in order to ensure that the poor will have more. You cannot plunder the wealthy thinking in the process you have salvaged the "middle class." History clearly re­veals

the reality that we will survive this financial crisis only as we strengthen the incentives for industry, hard work, and investment for the rich as well as the poor.

Don't be beguiled. Say NO to the I-1098 and a Washington state income tax.