Saved for years? Getting ready to retire? This Washington tax will crush your dreams | Opinion
Capital gains tax will crush retirees
Olympia mandates long-term health insurance. Now they want to take 7% when we cash out our IRA?
Most IRAs are in stocks and bonds. When we retire, we will restructure. That will entail selling. When you pay your taxes look for the question: “Have you sold assets in excess of $250,000?” Today you may check “no” but what about when you retire, liquidate and restructure?
Got a little beach rental in Lincoln City for a nest egg? 7%
Flipping? 7%
Heavy equipment? 7%
Kids inherit your home? 7%.
All that will be passed on to buyers. For people who claim to want affordable housing, Olympia does not make easy.
The money is vaguely supposed to go schools. Which schools? Rural counties who really need it or UW’s next football coach?
The pretense? The sale of nest eggs is an excise (sales) tax. Even out-of-state assets are taxed the same as an online purchases. This will only hurt Boomers who planned for retirement, and they will be betrayed by a state that they believed had no capital or inheritance tax.
Tax the wealthy? With less than $250,000 in their IRA? Absurd.
Voters, hopefully, will get this tax voted down this summer.
Matthew T. Ruane, Richland
Time to plan for mountain access
The Tri-City Herald recently advocated for shared public and tribal access to Rattlesnake Mountain. The tribes and the federal government are proposed as co-stewards for the mountain’s use and protection.
Protection might include restricting public use to a small viewing area at the top, a parking lot at the base, and the existing roads. The road to the top may be too steep for safe, low-impact horse riding. Other controls might include posted rules, ranger supervision, frequent cleanup and schedule restrictions.
The government’s 20-days-per-year proposal for vehicle tours is reasonable. Four days per year each for pedestrian and biker access also seem reasonable, as do four days per year for horse riding on selected base roads. The overall frequency of public use could be less than 10% per year. The allowed area for public access could be less than 1% of the mountain’s total area. Thousands could enjoy Rattlesnake Mountain each year under these restrictions.
The government should impanel a team of experts to author a Rattlesnake Mountain Public and Tribal Access Plan.
The plan should define fair responsibilities and access requirements for each party. It also should stipulate how necessary construction and maintenance would be funded. Feds, it’s time to get this done!
Russ Treat, Richland
SARC always needs volunteers
Do you want to get involved with the community but not sure how? Volunteering with the Support Advocacy & Resource Center is a wonderful opportunity to help make a difference in people’s lives. SARC relies on volunteer advocates to help with our 24/7 crisis line and hospital calls; providing crisis intervention and support either on the phone or at the hospital.
Volunteer advocates can also respond to hospital calls for medical exams, answer questions and assist with support.
SARC assists adults and children 24 hours a day by providing support and advocacy to them and their non-offending family members, friends, secondary victims and witnesses to crime. SARC services are free and confidential.
To become a SARC volunteer advocate, 32 hours of training is required. The training is designed to give volunteers the tools they need to work with victims and their families. New volunteers will complete 8 hours of webinars, 12 hours in-person with the remaining 12 virtually.
Virtual training dates include Feb. 29, March 5 and March 7 from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. The first and last training day will be in-person on Feb. 27 from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. and March 9 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Bella Boeckmann, Richland
Prosser schools need 2 yes votes
The Prosser School District has experienced an influx of enthusiasm and leadership under the direction of new Superintendent Kim Casey. In order to continue the upward momentum, I am asking the Prosser community to support Prosser schools by voting yes — twice — in the upcoming levy elections.
First: Educational Programs and Operational Levy. This is not a new tax. The levy would collect no more than $2 per $1,000 of assessed value of property over a four-year period. This levy provides for the extras state funding does not, including security officers in each school and funding all athletics, including transportation for athletes and extracurricular activities.
Second: A Capital Levy collecting 35 cents per $1,000 of assessed value of property over a period of four years. These funds will be used for capital facilities improvements throughout the district. While we have a new high school and remodeled elementaries, older facilities need attention: ADA improvements at Art Fiker, secure entrance at HMS and new tennis courts.
Please join me in voting yes twice — to protect your current investment in PSD facilities, and ensure Prosser kids have the resources needed to be safe at school and receive a quality education while enjoying athletics and clubs.
Elisa Riley, vice president Prosser School Board
Oust Netanyahu as prime minister
On Jan. 26, CNN reported that more than 40 former senior Israeli military commanders and intelligence officials, business leaders and diplomats are calling for the “immediate removal” of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from office.
In a letter delivered to Israeli President Isaac Herzog and the Knesset, the group argues that Netanyahu poses a “clear and present danger” to the state of Israel as long as he remains in leadership. It blames Netanyahu for creating the circumstances leading to the massacre of over 1,200 Israelis and others, the injury of over 4,500, and the kidnapping of more than 230 individuals, of whom over 130 are still held in Hamas captivity.
The letter was also sent to U.S. national security officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and members of Congress. It comes as Netanyahu faces a “no confidence” motion filed by opposition leaders amid an Israeli-Hamas war with no end in sight, resulting in over 26,000 people killed, most of whom are non-combatants, and many more displaced civilians due to the widespread destruction of Gaza by the Israeli Defense Forces. It is time for Israel to replace Netanyahu and negotiate a cease-fire with Hamas.
Bill Petrie, Richland
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