On tax increases, voters might be in the dark

David Boze has uncovered a glaring deficiency in voters’ guides in an interview with Glen Morgan from the free-enterprise think tank The Freedom Foundation.

Think back to the last time your city, town, or county increased taxes – did your voters’ guide include a “con” statement refuting the need for the tax increase? Probably not.

The Olympia-based Freedom Foundation’s Morgan says that voters’ guides always include a “pro” statement for tax increases, but usually never a “con.”

The reason, Morgan said, is that taxing districts claim they cannot find anyone to write the “con” statements. So, the Freedom Foundation is putting government officials on notice to let them know that they have members who will step up and write the statements.

“[Taxing districts] always have their support group that actually want to have the increase so they go write that, then they have a meeting and say, ‘can we find someone to write a con statement?’ Morgan told Boze. “They don’t really look too hard. By the time the ballot comes out they say, ‘we couldn’t find anybody.'”

“It’s a great way to make sure people are more well informed,” Boze said.