October 23, 2006

Komo 4 News

Ken Schram: A clever little scheme

SEATTLE - Initiative 920 is a clever little scheme.

The so-called anti-death tax measure is set up to have people believe that the state is just waiting on us to die so it can swoop in and suck up all the money we're leaving behind.

In reality, Initiative 920 only protects about 250 of the richest people in our state.

The majority of us - and by that I mean over 99 percent - won't save so much as the cost of a latte' if 920 ends up passing.

Part of the reason for that is because the first $2 million - make that $4 million for a couple - is exempt from the tax.

As for the claim that Initiative 920 is somehow protecting small business, uh uh. Out of 460,000 small businesses in our state, it's said that only some 35 would actually end up owing any estate taxes at all.

On the flip side, if Initiative 920 does pass, public schools can kiss some $100 million a year goodbye.

That means larger class sizes. And it means fewer kids will get a shot a some kind of higher education.

So, the people who've bankrolled Initiative 920 may have a whole lot to gain if it passes, but 99 percent of us have a whole lot to lose.

Like I said: It's a clever little scheme that Initiative 920.

That's why I'm voting no.