(Steve) Ballmer and (Jeff) Bezos opposing income tax initiative I-1098

[Newsjock]

Source: Seattle Times

Two of the state's richest men, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and Amazon.com founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, have each contributed $100,000 to the Defeat I-1098 campaign.

Initiative 1098 would create a 5 percent tax rate on annual income exceeding $200,000 for individuals and $400,000 for couples, and a 9 percent tax rate on income that tops $500,000 for individuals and $1 million for couples. It also would cut state property taxes by 20 percent and newly exempt 118,000 businesses from the state business and occupation tax.

... Proponents of the measure, Yes on 1098, have raised about $3.6 million so far, according to state reports and their campaign. The campaign has some large individual contributions of it's own, including $200,000 from Ann Wyckoff, the granddaughter of Paccar founder William Pigott; $250,000 from Nicolas Hanauer, a partner at Second Avenue Partners, and $500,000 from Bill Gates Sr.

... Sandeep Kaushik, a spokesman for yes campaign, said he wasn't surprised by the contributions. "We've known for some time that some of the state's wealthiest people, who would pay more under I-1098, are opposing it for that reason," he said.

Read more: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politicsnorthwest/2012948586_ballmer_and_bezos_opposing_inc.html

[Overseas]

1. K&R! //nt

[pscot]

2. Sweet!

They're worried about the little people.

[quakerboy]

5. I think you got it backwards

depending on which they you are referring to

[wordpix]

3. time to sell that Microsoft and Amazon stock - Microsoft's doing nothing, anyway

These richies can't stand sharing the wealth so why should I help them out?

[onehandle]

4. Both are infamous assholes. nt

[strategery blunder]

6. I didn't even know a state income tax was on the ballot.

Well, as if I didn't have enough reason to vote before--keeping Dino Ro$$i out of the Senate. I'll definitely vote in favor of taxing the rich so the state doesn't have to cut services that are disproportionately paid by the working class here.

A side effect of not watching TV nooz at all is that I don't really know which initiatives will be on the ballot.

[PSPS]

7. What a shock! Billionaires not wanting to pay any taxes!!11!!

As Leona Helmsley infamously said, "Taxes are for the little people."

[ThinkerFeeler]

8. I live in WA State

I live in WA State and follow this issue closely. The Seattle Times is the only remaining daily newspaper here (the Seattle P-I closed their print edition and went entirely online), but their editorial page is fiscally conservative. They've been writing editorials opposed to I-1098. I've written several essays and letter-to-the-editor about the topic, but they won't publish them. Building a strong progressive media (online) is really important. We should start locally with a progressive website/blog.