Elizabeth Hovde shares an opinion piece stating ‘The regressivity within this state-imposed program is one of the easiest reasons to be against the 2019 long-term-care law’
Elizabeth Hovde
Washington Policy Center
“For all the talk about Washington state’s unfair regressive sales tax, this also is a regressive tax,” writes the editorial board at the Tri-City Herald. “Think about it. Every worker is supposed to pay into the program, but people living paycheck to paycheck can least afford to take the deductions. And it may very well be that their contributions help buoy a system that provides benefits to others but not to them.”
Bingo. Pay attention to this opinion. The editorial board gets it. The regressivity within this state-imposed program is one of the easiest reasons to be against the 2019 long-term-care law containing a tax that begins in July. The payroll tax will take 58 cents of every $100 a W-2 worker in Washington state makes.
Read more shortcomings of the state’s new long-term-care plan in the Tri-City Herald’s editorial, “WA paychecks will take a hit this summer. Long-term care tax is about to get real.” The plan, which is not patient-centered and has a tax that will hurt workers’ ability to save for life’s many needs, is coming soon to a paycheck near you.
Elizabeth Hovde is a policy analyst and the director of the Centers for Health Care and Worker Rights at the Washington Policy Center. She is a Clark County resident.
Also read:
- POLL: Who should have the primary say in decisions about a student’s gender identity at school?
Clark County Today is asking readers who should have the primary role in decisions about a student’s gender identity at school. - Opinion: Study shows 2025’s record tax increases reduce Washington’s GDP growth and worker pay
Todd Myers writes that a new economic analysis projects Washington’s 2025 tax increases will slow GDP growth and reduce wages over the next several years. - Letter: Facts aren’t political
Brian Kendall writes that disagreements about the LEOFF 1 pension debate should begin with accurate facts rather than misinformation. - Opinion: Trails, roadways and crosswalks
Doug Dahl explains how Washington law treats hiking trails that cross roadways and whether pedestrians automatically have the right-of-way. - Opinion: Supreme Court’s ruling should end state’s bullying of the La Center School District
Ken Vance argues a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on parental rights in education could influence the ongoing dispute between the La Center School District and Washington state officials over gender pronoun policies.
