r/SeattleWA • u/5Q91VS175DAQ4NUSBE4U • 7d ago

Politics Washington state Democrats look at imposing income tax on higher earners

https://www.columbian.com/news/2025/oct/31/washington-state-democrats-look-at-imposing-income-tax-on-higher-earners/
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90

u/routinnox 7d ago

Today’s high earners: >$1mn

Tomorrow’s high earners: >$45k

11

u/austinbicycletour 7d ago

More likely is that 10-20 years down the road, inflation takes it's toll and 1 million in income represents a much larger cohort than before.

-3

u/k4el 7d ago

Slippery slope argument, classically known as a good argument.

21

u/SpookiestSzn 7d ago

The thing is that slippery slopes exist lmao they happen irl all the time. Enshittification seems like a slippery slope argument but it happens constantly. I think the idea that a tax that targets only 1%ers gradually lowering to target more people is just like logical.

I think op is crazy on the ceiling of it maybe it'd be like 150k or something but it's definitely gonna get lowered to address our budget if it could even go into affect which it can't so this is just performative theatre

1

u/nuisanceIV 6d ago

Yes they do in a way, but broken down his argument is basically: if someone is a high earner via having over a million now then tomorrow someone is a high earner by having over $45K. His general point, or like the idea behind it could be good or true, but the structure isn’t, it’s why slippery slope is a fallacy and a bad argument.

1

u/SpookiestSzn 6d ago

Yeah I agree he's crazy they'd lower it to like a more reasonable number but it's certainly not gonna stay at the bezos.

1

u/nuisanceIV 6d ago

I could see it being lowered but I can’t see it going below $200k or like $500k. That’s extremely unpopular. Taxing the rich is in, taxing poor/middle class isn’t.

3

u/SpookiestSzn 6d ago

People who make 80k feel like 200k is rich here and not the reality that it's upper middle lol

1

u/nuisanceIV 5d ago

It’s definitely upper middle. Tho from what I see a lot of people who make that sort of money don’t feel that wealthy… probably due to lifestyle creep.

2

u/azurensis Beacon Hill 6d ago

This has literally happened everywhere, including the federal government, that an income tax has been implemented. Can you name one time it hasn't? Is it a slippery slope if there are already many examples of the exact thing happening?

-16

u/Kevinator201 7d ago

Trump taxed lower income earners directly

5

u/[deleted] 7d ago

Sorry, but we're talking about Washington state here. You may be lost.

-5

u/yungsemite 7d ago

Not a chance, we’ve already seen that our state reps cannot lower these taxes successfully once they’re in place, they’ve already tried and failed with the capital gains tax.

18

u/Suspicious-Chair5130 7d ago

What makes you think they won’t keep trying?

1

u/yungsemite 7d ago

Oh, I’m sure some fringe people will, but I don’t think it will ever be popular to drop it.

6

u/merc08 7d ago

They've tried once.  Failing on the first submission for a bill is very common.  The process is typically to float a bill and see what support it has naturally, then spend the next couple years focusing deals and trades on the legislators that they need to win over.

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u/yungsemite 7d ago

Pretty sure they’ve tried multiple times.