Recover Washington : Call for Action

Proper government operates by the consent of the governed.  Government never seeks to harm the people, but helps the people maintain their society.

By Mark Gjurasic

Recover Washington is a broad coalition of nearly 40 business organizations working in Olympia to protect your business against tax increases in the Legislature.  The Legislature has started a 30-day Special Session to adopt the state's two-year budget, and we need you to contact your legislator with the facts about the competing budget proposals in Olympia.  Please tell your Legislators:

- Support the State Senate's Budget Proposal - The State Senate's Bipartisan budget proposal balances the state budget and increases funding for education without increasing taxes on businesses.  Even under the State Senate's approach, state revenue will increase by $2.6 billion over the next two years - a 7% increase in state tax revenue - without increasing any taxes.

- Oppose the House's Increase in Business Taxes (which the House Democrats falsely call "investing in the education legacy trust") , House Bill 2038 - The House tax bill increases taxes on business by over $900 million.  This tax package has been falsely described by House members as "in large part . . .  closing nine tax exemptions benefiting a number of major industries."   This is just a smokescreen and it is wrong: over half of this tax increase ($534 million) is due to increasing the B&O by 20% on a variety of businesses that already pay the highest business tax rate in the state.  This business tax was temporarily increased in 2010, and voters overwhelmingly oppose permanently extending this tax increase on businesses.

- Senate Budget prioritizes Basic Education, the House Tax Increase does not  - The vast majority of the House's $900 million tax increase is used to fund increases in general government, it is not dedicated to basic education.  In contrast, the Senate Bipartisan Budget provides over $1 billion for basic education within existing tax revenues.

As the Special Session in Olympia begins, we need you to contact your legislators by calling their office (click here for the list) or by calling the Legislative Hotline number at 1-800-562-6000 and tell them to oppose HB 2038 and its tax increases on Washington's small businesses.