Don't fall prey to the emotional hype around Initiative 920, an ill-advised attempt to repeal the state's estate tax.

Proponents of I-920 are calling it a death tax. "Death should not be a taxable event," they say.

That's a mischaracterization. The estate tax is a tax on inheritance. And why shouldn't the state's wealthiest residents pay a small tax on their inherited wealth? Multi-millionaires are not being subjected to double taxation because this state doesn't have a capital gains tax or income tax. The estate tax is, at most, a minor inconvenience for a few wealthy Washingtonians who can surely afford to pay it.

The estate tax was created in this state and country because we do not believe in an aristocracy - a class of persons holding exceptional rank and privileges. Entrepreneurs who struggle to build a business from the ground up with hopes of passing that business on to their children and grandchildren have lived the American dream. But those same entrepreneurs have an obligation to help build the social network that served as a foundation for their success.

None of us relishes paying taxes. But taxes are part of life. They help us take care of the poor and the infirm, enhance public health and safety and educate future generations.

And that's precisely where estate taxes go in this state - into specific public education programs.

The inheritance tax, by law, goes into the Education Legacy Trust fund to:

• Create 7,900 slots for students attending state colleges and universities.

• Offer financial aid to students of working families.

• Pay for voter-mandated Initiative 728, which reduces K-12 class sizes.

• Fund the Learning Assistance Program, which helps struggling students in the public education system.

If voters fall prey to the demagoguery and repeal the inheritance tax, those vital public education programs will lose about $100 million in funding a year.

Voters must not slash public education so that a few wealthy Washingtonians can avoid a legitimate tax on their wealth.

The estate tax hits very few residents. In fact 99.5 percent of the residents of this state never pay an inheritance tax. Of 47,000 estates, the tax applies to fewer than 250 of them and even then, the tax rate averages just 7 percent, according to Barbara Flye, executive director of the Washington Tax Fairness Coalition.

That's because the limits are very reasonable - an estate of a single person has be above $2 million ($4 million for a married couple) before the tax even kicks in. The estate tax has been on the books in one form or another since 1901.

Proponents of I-920 will paint a frightening picture of family farms and business owners being forced to sell because of the onerous estate tax. Don't believe it. Family farms are exempt, only 15 businesses pay inheritance taxes each year and heirs have up to 15 years to cover the tax obligation. It's not that onerous.

Don't be swayed by emotion. The wealthiest Washington residents have an obligation to pay their fair share.

Vote "No" on Initiative 920.