Letter to the editor: Unpacking the largest tax increase in Washington state history

Newly elected Gov. Bob Ferguson signed into law Senate Bill 5167, and other separate bills that increase the state’s tax burden onto its citizens by $4.3 billion over the next two years. As a senior citizen trying to survive on Social Security payments, the tax increases that most affect me are:

• Senate Bill 5161 increases the gas tax by 6 cents per gallon, and on diesel 12 cents per gallon. Not only will it cost more to go to the store, the tax on diesel will ultimately drive up the cost of all products and services that are delivered by diesel power.
• House Bill 2081 increases the business and occupation tax in this state by 0.03% to 0.35% on businesses’ gross revenue. Again, these costs will be passed on to the consumer through higher prices for goods and services.
• Senate Bill 5814 expands sales tax collection to include for the first time what you pay for services, not just goods. Now when you contract for services such as IT services, security services and advertising services, you will be charged sales tax. Also part of this bill is additional taxes levied on nicotine products. I don’t use nicotine, but I do not agree that nicotine users should shoulder even more taxes than they already are doing.
• Senate Bill 5794 adds a new tax of up to 1.75% for storage unit rental and removes other tax preferences for certain businesses. Many of the users of storage units are seniors and low income people.

At the same time, Ferguson pushed back against some Democrats who wanted to access the state's rainy day fund to reduce tax increases and program cuts. This fund will have amassed $2.1 billion by July 2027. None of this money was used to keep the tax increases smaller.

These tax increases directly target older people and anyone trying to live on a fixed income with incredible new financial burdens that are being set upon their shoulders after a five-year stretch of high inflation, with increasing health care costs, more and higher sales taxes, and rapid inflation of the cost of owning and driving a car. My property tax has also been increasing each year.

I voted for Ferguson for governor. I now regret that I did. I have been a Democratic voter for all of my life, but this will not be the case in the future. Ferguson is driving me out of this state with this gigantic increase in the cost of living here. The only way that I have to pay these new taxes is to borrow money at a variable interest rate.  

Between Trump’s tariff madness and these tax increases, I am unable to plan for a future other than one of paying more and more for less and less, or by leaving my home of 20 years and moving to another state.

Jim Tejcka

Woodland                 

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