State income tax? Rossi's attempt to tar Gregoire is spurious

With all the big-ticket items facing this state, from an economic downturn to education and health-care needs, we don't need red herring issues -- such as talk of a state income tax -- cluttering up the political landscape in this election year.

It's already been mentioned in the gubernatorial campaign that pits Gov. Chris Gregoire in a rematch with Republican Dino Rossi: Does Gregoire favor an income tax? (Actually, it really doesn't matter if she does or not. More on that later.)

The income tax question is one that has popped up in past gubernatorial campaigns, usually with the implication that if a Democrat is governor, the state will somehow get an income tax. Of course, we've had nothing but Democratic governors since Republican John Spellman was defeated by Democrat Booth Gardner in 1984. But still no income tax.

In fact, if a governor could impose an income tax, we would have had one when Republican Dan Evans was the state's chief executive from 1965 to 1977. Evans risked his political career to lead the support of proposed tax reforms built upon an income tax. Yet, in spite of the support of the popular governor (the only Washington governor elected to three consecutive terms) the voters turned down an income tax in 1970 and 1973.

To set the record straight, the process for an income tax in this state actually bypasses the governor. It would take an amendment to the state Constitution to implement one, and that takes a two-thirds vote of both houses of the state Legislature. Then voters must approve it in a statewide referendum.

Sure, a governor can have tremendous influence on the legislative process through the bully pulpit and heavy-duty lobbying, just as Evans did. But the voters -- not the governor or lawmakers -- have the final say.

The Seattle Times reported recently that a Rossi campaign flier claims Gregoire "supports state income tax." A Republican Party flier being mailed to voters goes further, saying, "Now Gregoire supports enacting a state income tax to fund her out-of-control spending habits."

The Times reported that the fliers are based on remarks Gregoire made a year ago in an interview with the editorial board of The Spokesman-Review newspaper in Spokane.

When asked in that interview about an income tax, Gregoire said:

"We don't have an electorate out there that will support it right now. Clearly, when I go across the state, the support's not there. So much of it is how are we going to educate them to the regressive tax system that we have in this state and how we need to have some sort of conversion over to a partial income tax. So now's not the time.

But it's not as if it's not a good idea. It's not as if it's not one that we shouldn't pursue. It's one that we just have to keep holding hearings and let time pass and eventually I assume we're going to get there."

It's hard to extrapolate the governor's statement as supporting the enactment of an income tax in the near term, as the ad is clearly designed to do. But neither does she take it off the table long term.

Even if a case could be made for an income tax, the reality is that chances are slim to none for getting one until there is strong support from the public.

Washington is one of seven states that does not have an income tax; the state gets most of its revenue from retail sales taxes, business and occupation taxes and property taxes. That's not going to change in the near future.

Supporting an income tax is a far cry from getting one. Ask Dan Evans. And clouding an important election with ambiguous charges is not the way to help voters understand the choices they face.

* Members of the Yakima Herald-Republic editorial board are Michael Shepard, Sarah Jenkins, Bill Lee and Karen Troianello.

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