Comment: For kids and fairer tax code vote no on I-2109

By Treasure Mackley

It’s harder than ever for families to afford the basics of housing, groceries, child care and the myriad of other bills that pop up. It means the economic disparity in our communities is growing even wider. The capital gains tax is one way to level the playing field. It’s a small amount for the very wealthy to pay. It has no noticeable impact on them, but proceeds from the tax means the world to the rest of us: we can go to work knowing our kids are safe, engaged and growing and their future is a little more secure.

But — cue the sad trombone — a hedge fund manager from California didn’t like the capital gains tax so he filed a measure to repeal it. This November, Initiative 2109 will appear on the ballot.

If passed, I-2109 will roll back important progress that made our tax code more just and fair. It will also gut $2.2 billion from child care and education over five years. The relief that new parents might finally feel about finding an affordable spot in an in-home child care down the street? Gone. The hope that a single mom held onto to continue her own education, if only she could find a safe place for her kiddo while she was in class? Dashed.

I-2109 would have devastating consequences not just for families, but for businesses that need employees to have reliable child care in order to come to work. A recent analysis by the Washington Budget & Policy Center predicts the state would lose more than 10,000 jobs and $986 million in GDP each year if the capital gains tax is repealed. It’s not just direct service education jobs that would be lost but also the ripple effect across our local economy.

I-2109 asks voters a simple question: Do we value caring for kids, making sure they’re ready for school, and giving them a quality education or do we give the wealthiest people in our state another tax break? As a parent and advocate for tax fairness, there’s only one answer. I hope you’ll join me in telling millionaires and billionaires to finally pay what they truly owe. Vote no on Initiative 2109.

Read the full op-ed in The Everett Herald.

Treasure Mackley is the executive director for Invest in Washington Now, an organization with more 80,000 supporters across Washington state united for a more equitable tax code. She lives in Edmonds.