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Letter: Anti-tax measure rigs the game

The Columbian
Published: October 22, 2012, 5:00pm

I am concerned that Initiative 1185, requiring a two-thirds vote of the state Legislature in order to raise taxes or change the tax code that would result in increased revenues, actually stands a chance of passing. At first glance, this may seem like a great idea, but the devil is in the details.

Under this system, a one-third minority of legislators in either House could prevent passage of any measure to raise revenue or repeal existing tax exemptions. This means that it would only take a simple majority to add a tax exemption, but then require a supermajority to repeal it.

When our forefathers began debating the fine details of the Constitution, they did not set aside their partisan preferences; what they did set aside, however, was the chance to rig the game — the chance to tilt the Constitution in their ideological direction (this is why policy is not detailed in the Constitution, but only a framework by which policy is to operate under). I-1185 amounts to rigging the game in the ideological direction of anti-tax advocates, effectively making it easier to pass their agenda and making it more difficult for their opposition to pass theirs.

I will vote “no” on I-1185, not only because it is unconstitutional, but dare I say, un-American.

–Roy Blodgette, Vancouver

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