With the state legislature back in session, talk of the “Millionaire Tax” is back in the local news media. I’m surprised to hear that the term is thrown around by local new outlets without even saying “so called” or clarifying “it may sound like a wealth tax, but it’s not”. I imagine its proponents are trying to find a way to avoid using the i word, but by using this term they are actually making it sound much scarier to most Western Washington home-owners. I’ve honestly wondered whether it’s an attempt by Democrats to scuttle their own idea, so they can say “welp, we tried, but the citizens just wouldn’t go for it. Also, that dang constitution we can never change.”
Millionaire implies wealth, yet this proposal is conditional on income. Ironically, if the the aim was truly to raise money and reduce inequality, a real wealth tax would be the logical economic tool. Of course, there’s not a lot of mega-donor support for taxes that can’t be avoided by moving your body around the world while your assets continue to build wealth at home.
It reminds me a little bit of “Obamacare”. I think the term was originally used by supporters, but it was such a gift to detractors seeking to line up their base against it. Today its used by political commentators and healthcare advocates as if it was not a loaded and divisive term.
submitted by /u/scocal
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