Politics of envy is a dangerous game. Democrats have played it for years. What if the Republicans started playing it too?

From the Ellensburg Daily Record: Hochstatter calls for freezing top state employees salaries OLYMPIA  State Sen. Harold Hochstatter (R-Moses Lake) has introduced legislation calling for a salary freeze of state employees who make more than $40,000, denying them a scheduled pay increase this year. Another proposed law would give agricultural producers a property tax break on their tractors and combines. Last years state operating budget included a provision that gave all state employees a 3 percent salary increase July, 1999. State workers are scheduled to receive another 3 percent increase this July. Hochstatters bill, Senate Bill 6594, restricts the salary increase to only those state employees making less than $40,000. After passage of Initiative 695, agencies threatened layoffs and service reductions, Hochstatter said. A constituent of mine who cleans toilets at the rest areas told me the rest stops were closing and she was receiving a pink slip. My question is why cut people and services at the bottom when we can save $30 to $40 million by rescinding these scheduled raises at the top, he said. We can use this money to save jobs. Hochstatters bill is set for a public hearing in the Senate Labor and Workforce Development Committee at 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 1, in committee Senate Hearing Room 4 in Olympia. Another bill, SB 6711, calls for the elimination of personal property tax assessments on farm machinery. Sponsor of the bill is state Sen. Larry Sheahan, R-Rosalia.

-- Craig Carson (craigcar@crosswinds.net), February 02, 2000

Answers

Weren't we taxing everyone in the state to build a park n ride for the impoverished Mercer Island people? Current AVERAGE assessed value of a home in Mercer Island is $542,500 (http://www.mi- reporter.com/miothernews/0112swtaxes.html). Why are all of us common people subsidizing the life-style of these RICH PEOPLE. Is the purpose of DOT to take from the poor (who pay a disproportionate amount of their incomes for transportation) and give to the rich people in Mercer Island (who voted AGAINST I-695)?

Gee, this is kind of fun! Let's demagogue some more!

-- (zowie@hotmail.com), February 02, 2000.

Yeah-

Why should some poor share-cropper in Yakima (I don't know, maybe they have share-croppers in Yakima) have to pay gas taxes on his ancient family pick-up truck to support the rich Latte'-swilling commuters traveling between Bainbridge and Seattle? Have you ever taken that route at commute time? It's wall to wall Eddie Bauer backpacks carrying laptops. Why can't we transfer all the money from the ferries to fund homeless shelters for kids? It's FOR THE CHILDREN, for crying out loud.

You're right zowie, this is kind of fun.

-- (mark842@hotmail.com), February 02, 2000.