
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: Is it time for new leadership at Vancouver City Hall?A new weekly poll asks whether Vancouver voters should prioritize replacing the mayor and city council in the 2025 election.
- Opinion: How will the majority party’s new budget and tax proposals affect you?Rep. John Ley critiques the state’s proposed 2025-27 budgets, warning of record-breaking tax hikes and economic impacts.
- Opinion: Washington’s EV sales far short of next year’s state mandateTodd Myers highlights how Washington’s EV sales fall short of next year’s mandate, raising concerns over rising car prices and limited options.
- Letter: ‘Our state and local governments need to learn to live within their means’Camas resident Lauren Colas voices strong opposition to Proposition 1 and other tax proposals, calling for state and local governments to rein in spending.
- Opinion: Bill limiting notifications for parents passes committeeA Washington Policy Center column critiques SB 5181, which would reduce parental notification rights in Washington public schools.