… Should one of the cleanest, greenest states in the nation saddle itself with billions in new energy taxes for a badly written measure that will have no impact on climate change? Initiative 1631 is a deeply flawed, unfairly drafted energy tax that would force Washington families, small businesses, farmers and consumers to pay higher […]
Opinion
Washington already low carbon leader, without new I-1631 energy tax
Washington employers, employees and residents share the goal of reducing carbon emissions, as evidenced by state’s low carbon footprint. Despite a 43 percent growth in population since 1990 — and 260 percent economic growth — Washington’s residents and employers have implemented solutions that have lowered carbon emissions by 18 percent, according to the U.S. Environmental […]
OPINION: I-1631 is counterintuitive
Reducing carbon emissions is a laudable goal, but Initiative 1631 would make it harder to accomplish, due to the proposal’s extraordinary expense and lack of focus. There are more effective ways to protect our environment than I-1631’s massive tax increase, unaccountable politically-appointed board, taxpayer funded multi-billion dollar slush fund and nebulous plan. … In Western […]
Bark: Vote no on Initiative 1631
Voting for I-1631 is not a matter of supporting environmental protection or opposing it. It’s good that we have a bill like it on the ballot, but just because it is Washington’s only option this midterm season, doesn’t mean it is the best option. We cannot, out of guilt or fear, impulsively support a proposal […]
Arguments for and against I-1631’s carbon fees
While the aim of [I-1631] is to “do something” for the environment, the research shows very little climate change in return for the investment. … What do we really know about I-1631? Not very much, it turns out. The Yes side has spent an entire campaign avoiding talk of costs or what projects might get […]
I-1631 energy tax would hit workers and small businesses
I’ve carried a union card almost all my adult life and I will tell you this: It’s the little people who will bear the brunt of this initiative, paying the billions of dollars in new taxes. Don’t believe me? Most corporations won’t pay the tax. They took the generous exemptions handed out by initiative supporters. […]
I-1631 will cost you plenty without helping the climate
When you live in eastern Washington, particularly outside of the city, you spend a lot of time in the car. Driving long distances is a necessity here, whether for business or just to see friends and family. That’s why I dug into the facts on Initiative 1631, and am voting no. The research proves this […]
I-1631? Unfair, ineffective tax that costs too much, in return for too little
Climate policy is too important to be decided in an initiative written by the very people who end up controlling the purse strings. … That’s why a new study by NERA Economic Consulting — the only independent, private analysis of I-1631 by either side — is so compelling. … The NERA analysis says the total […]
Vote no on I-1631: People would pay, not ‘Big Oil’
Among the whoppers being told to Washington voters this election season, the biggest is the Yes on 1631 campaign’s assertion that “big polluters” will pay the carbon fee it’s proposing. This flimflam is even in the state voters’ guide, which says I-1631 imposes “a pollution fee on large emitters of greenhouse gases.” Don’t be fooled. […]
Carbon fee: spending money for nothin’
Initiative 1631, the “pollution fee” ballot measure, requires a $15 per metric ton tax on carbon dioxide emissions, and automatically escalates $2 every year until at least 2035. The “pollution fee,” which the state would treat as a tax, would be reflected in an immediate 14 cent increase in gasoline (none of the money could […]