Editor,

This is in response to Mr. Hallahan’s letter to the editor, “Need to vote ‘yes’ on Initiative 732,” in the Oct. 1 Whidbey News-Times.

Here we go again, another taxing advocate who is pushing for another tax on fossil fuels that would lower our sales tax by 1 percent, eliminate the B&O tax on manufacturers and fund working families tax credit and touts it as revenue neutral and a conservative solution to climate change.

The sales tax is a major revenue source for the state. A 1-percent reduction would shave millions from collected revenues.

The detested B&O tax also generates millions for the state. Presently we pay the second highest gasoline tax in the country at 62.9 cents per gallon. Coal usage has all but been wiped out by the administration’s war on fossil fuels so no tax base there.

That leaves gasoline and oil, necessary for our economy to run on. Mr. Hallahan states, “under (Initiative) 732 Washingtonians would pay a little more for fossil fuels and a little less for everything else.”

In reality, it means that under 732, replacement millions lost from the defunct B&O tax and the 1-percent reduction in sales tax would have to be raised taxing gasoline, diesel and heating oil to excessive levels to make up the differences and fund the working families tax credit.

None of this, of course, would make a bit of difference concerning climate change but would penalize those thousands who require their gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles for shopping and commuting, including truckers that haul our goods.

Truckers and businesses would have to increase their rates to offset the higher taxed fuel costs, passing them down to the consumers, and that’s us. The ones who take it in the shorts are the everyday working people and their families who again are stuck with the tab with higher prices for everything because of the increased shipping costs and especially gasoline.

There is nothing revenue neutral when it comes to the consumer. I-732 shifts the B&O lost tax revenue to the consumer along with the lost sales tax revenue with increased fuel prices. Then there is the Legislature.

In their infinite quest for tax money does anyone really believe they would be satisfied to leave things alone? If there is a shortfall, the B&O tax could be reinstated because it is a lucrative revenue source that stopped being tapped and is, again, ripe for the picking. They could also easily decide to raise the “fossil fuel” tax for more revenue if need be and probably would.

Those endorsing I-732 are mostly liberal organizations or have been sold a bill of goods by climate change advocates and have not thought this through with a consumer’s viewpoint.

I have nothing against pollution reduction; we all want clean air and water. But stop peddling more taxes as helping to combat climate change.

It won’t do a bit of good. Unless you really enjoy being taxed, with nothing to show for it except to maybe feel good, vote against I-732.

Ed Hickey

Oak Harbor