Thursday, October 1, 2026
I am a paraeducator for the Olympia School District. I work for the most beautiful people in the world — special needs children.
Three hundred years ago, if a child was hungry, a church might feed them.
Two hundred years ago, churches and early schools began sharing that responsibility. One hundred years ago, we made a decision as a society: caring for children would no longer depend on charity — it would be a public responsibility.
Today, public schools are the place where children are fed, where they are safe, where their needs are seen. But we are still funding schools as if they are only responsible for academics — when they have become the foundation of care for our communities.
Right now, we’re asking schools to carry the weight of society — without giving them the support to do it.
We have already made the moral decision. What we haven’t done is match it with the resources.
A millionaires tax is not about penalty — it’s about alignment. We need those people who have benefited the most to help sustain the one institution that serves every child.
If we use schools as our modern day sanctuary, then we need to fund them like it.
Vita Lusty is a resident of Olympia.
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ddttwo2
How about asking Chris Reckdahl where all the money went from the lottery that was supposed to fund the education of our youth? How about asking Chris Reckdahl where all the money from the tribal casinos went that was supposed to fund the education of our youth? Basically the state of Washington sucks they lie all the time about what money is going where and then they just throw it into the general fund and we get screwed one more time. How about an income tax that 90% of us voted no on I don't know how many times but then we have our wonderful governor Ferguson that decides he can tell us what we can do with our tax money? Impeach this piece of crap!
Monday, April 6 Report this
Boatyarddog
Oh, BooHoo to the Millionaire Club.
Pay yer share mate.
Monday, April 6 Report this
Honestyandrealityguy
I respectfully disagree. Hundreds, if not thousands, of the already highest tax paying individuals, are or have moving/ed over the PENALTY. This and the new estate tax. Next will be the businesses leaving. Already higher property, sales and gas taxes in the voluntary. The B&O tax averages about 420% of the other states' income taxes (under the promise there would be no individual income taxes). And once gone, they ain't coming back. Stupidity? Idiocracy?
My solution is that our elected officials learn to BUDGET and demand ACCOUNTABILITY. You know, like we have to do at home.
Monday, April 6 Report this
Boatyarddog
Oh, BooHoo to the Millionaire Club.
Pay yer share mate.
Tuesday, April 7 Report this
mhjwilson
There are a number of issues that the government needs to address which would save money and could easily be done by the commercial sectors. Getting rid of zoning would be a big financial improvement but it would take a few years to see the benefits.
Opening the urban transit business to the commercial sector would be another.
Repealing the certificate of need law would be a benefit in health care and additionally having more midwives working statewide would benefit mothers.
Tuesday, April 7 Report this
wildnature
Well, if millionaires leave our state because they have to pay their fair share of taxes, then good ridance. If they are not contributing like the rest of us, what good is it having them here? And they lose by moving, since Washington is the best place on the planet to live. I.E., gorgeous public natural areas, no snakes (Western WA), a great governor who will protect us in spite of Trump trying to remove all our freedoms and benefits. If the rich are gone, means less crowded home for us.
Tuesday, April 7 Report this
BobJacobs
I was personally involved in the initiation of our state lottery. The legislature looked at other state lotteries, many of which dedicated lottery proceeds to education or other public services. But it wisely chose not to do so, because in actual practice earmarked funds can be used to substitute for existing general fund appropriations. This of course cancels the intent of earmarking.
Bob Jacobs
Tuesday, April 7 Report this
wellnow77
Agree, 100%!
Tuesday, April 7 Report this
HappyOlympian
Just got a levy passed to add chromebook carts and stadium renovations among other "crucial" needs. Schools very, very expensive. They get a ton of resources per student. Just not accurate to say they are underfunded.
Tuesday, April 7 Report this
HappyOlympian
I take issue with the legislature passing laws and including in the same laws restrictions to keep the public from repealing them. I fervently hope for this to be overturned. No income tax in Washington!
Tuesday, April 7 Report this
Taxpayer
NO KINGS....impeach Bob Ferguson for not obeying Washington law.
ddttwo2....you forgot the funds generated from legalizing Marijuana!
Wildnature.....what is "their fair share"? Look at where the state revenues originated and you might change your tune.
Tuesday, April 7 Report this
JnNwmn
We love WA! Great article. Thank you for all of your hard work for WA., and the children of WA!
We love WA. for so many reasons.
And we support the efforts to tax people who make over $1. mil. per year.
We have candidates here in WA. that support various issues, if you want to get involved,
support your candidate of choice.
Wednesday, April 8 Report this
SC4011
I’m “well off”. I really do not mind the taxes. I made my money in these high tax states.
I do want my tax dollars to be efficiently spent.
If a few rich people leave, well, that will lower real estate prices a bit.
Sunday, April 12 Report this
Yeti1981
I don’t think most people disagree with the idea that schools matter or that children deserve support. That’s not really the debate here.
The problem is that this tax keeps being framed as though it is a direct solution to school funding and affordability, when in reality it is a much broader structural shift in taxation that primarily feeds into the general fund. That distinction matters.
This also doesn’t fundamentally reform Washington’s tax system. It adds a new income tax layer on top of a system that still includes high sales tax reliance, B&O taxes, property taxes, and growing regulatory costs. Supporters keep talking about this as though it replaces or fixes those issues, but it doesn’t.
And the “millionaires helping sustain schools” framing oversimplifies how the tax actually works. It applies to federal adjusted gross income above a threshold and includes pass-through income, which is how a large number of businesses and investments are structured. This is not just a conversation about a few ultra wealthy people sitting on piles of cash.
There’s also no guarantee that the revenue permanently goes where people emotionally associate it. Most of the money flows through the general fund and gets appropriated every budget cycle. That’s why people are skeptical when they hear promises tied to specific outcomes.
And maybe most importantly, this bill does not address the actual cost drivers putting pressure on families, schools, and communities in the first place. Housing costs, permitting, energy, insurance, healthcare inflation, administrative growth, regulatory burden, all of that continues rising.
That’s why many of us keep saying this is managing symptoms more than solving causes. You can support a more progressive tax structure if you want to, that’s a legitimate debate. But I think people should understand what this bill actually does and what it doesn’t do.
Monday, May 11 Report this