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FCWPP
Lobbying Update The
Steering Committee for Friends Committee on Washington State Public
Policy believes it would be beneficial to inform our activists
periodically of highlights from our lobbying work during this 2004
session. We hope you find
this information useful in your support of our lobbying efforts in Expect
to see Action Alerts on
issues in these Updates in the future as the bills work through the
legislative process.
Alan
Mountjoy-Venning 2.
Tax Exemption Testimony Testimony
before a joint meeting of the House Finance Committee and the
Telecommunications, Technology, and Energy Committee on January 19th,
2004 and before the Senate
Ways and Means Committee January 20th, 2004 in regard to
extending research and development tax credits Good
evening, and thank you Mr. Chair and members of the committee for the
opportunity to address you today. I am I
will be brief, because you have heard from others who share our
concerns, but I want to add our voice to those who object to these
proposed tax exemptions for research and development. It
is not the companies we object to, but the exemptions. We think much of
the work done by these companies is valuable, and we recognize the need
to sustain a climate conducive to businesses that thrive in communities
with an educated, healthy workforce and an efficient and economical
transportation system, among other amenities. Our
basic objections to these exemptions fall into four main areas �
They represent an inappropriate priority of government
considering the extensive cuts to human services made in the budget last
year. While many prosperous investors can help these business survive,
recent budget initiatives and decisions have tattered the safety net the
least among us depend on the state to provide, and it is time to get to
mending it. �
Piecemeal adjustments to the state�s taxes belie the
ills of a system that is unfair, inadequate, and unstable. �
Few of the requirements for transparency that we ask of
those providing services to �
Linkages demonstrating the anecdotal claims and hopes
supporters of these exemptions have seem tenuous, and don�t appear to
offset the negative aspects that clearly can be ascribed to the loss of
revenue. We
might support this type of effort to create jobs and wealth in our
communities as part of a comprehensive restructuring of the tax system
if cogent linkages to achieving public purposes were available, and if
company need were established, and if the opportunity costs of the loss
of revenue were part of an equation that came down on the side of the
exemptions. But
as it is, this bill does not sit well with us. What details exist are
even more disconcerting. We would prefer not to see this bill�s
provision move forward in any fashion. At the very least, there is much
room for improvement. Thank you. More
Information: Find
more information on these bills at http://www.leg.wa.gov/wsladm/billinfo/dspBillSummary.cfm?billnumber=2546
Listen
to the audio of the hearing using Real Audio at http://198.239.32.162/ramgen/200401/2004010100.ra Listen
to the audio of the hearing using Windows Media at http://198.239.32.162/asxgen/200401/2004010100.wma
How
to Contact Your Legislators: Call
the Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000 or Write
your Senator and representatives at: Senator
_______________ Representative
___________ On
the web at: http://www.leg.wa.gov/
follow the link to the Senate or House, and
click on your member's name to get their e-mail address. Help us widen our circle. Share this web-site with Friends. E-mail us to subscribe to the FCWPP e-mail list fo receive e-mail updates. |
