Public testimony on the bill to create a high-earners income tax

Devin Matthews-Jensen said Washington has the least fair tax system in the nation. “When we’re in the middle of this economic crisis, I think that’s what we really need to be talking about here,” he said. “This is the worst time to be cutting people out of the bottom.”

Mat Boyd, a student at The Evergreen State College, said he isn’t sure he’ll be able to go to school next year. “Also, as an economics student I can say there’s a lot of economic merit to an income tax on high-earners,” he said.

Shelby Smith, a pre-med student, said she was a foster child who suffered abuse, neglect and poverty. She said without state programs — from food stamps to student loans to TANF — she would still be living in poverty. “We lose people who could be doctors, scientists, writers when people like me aren’t able to find the funds for education,” health and life, she said.

Chris Smith with the Freedom Socialist Party started by saying he obviously was looking for a bit more than this bill offers, to laughs. “You will drive people to despair” if the state continues on its path of regressive taxation.

Dave Clark, a concerned citizen, said “this business” about poor people paying more taxes isn’t true. He said in Washington, the more you spend, the more you pay. “I’m really opposed to the income taxing because it’s like the whole saying, The camel puts his nose in the tent, and before you know it the whole camel’s in there,” he said.

George Rickle, another citizen, said “we all have to tighten the belt no matter how hard it is,” he said. “The people out there do not have any more disposable income to be giving to the state of Washington.” He said there’s nothing uniform in the tax package.

Update: Public testimony is now over and they’ve moved on to another bill.