All four of the citizen initiatives on the upcoming general election ballot would let people keep more of their own money. That alone is a good reason to support each.
Initiative 2124 stands out among those measures, as it literally offers a fast track to a larger paycheck.
The passage of I-2124 would give many Washington workers the choice to increase their take-home pay by opting out of what is now a mandatory payroll tax.
That tax funds a state-run long-term care insurance program — known as “WA Cares” — which is still a long way away from paying for anyone’s care.
The payroll tax totals $290 a year for a worker earning $50,000 annually. In the legislative district I serve, the average hourly wage adds up to a yearly income between $65,500 and $82,800, depending on the county. That translates to $380 to $480 a year in lost wages.
It’s worst of all in King County, where wages are highest and the tax now shrinks the average hourly paycheck by around $775 annually.
In exchange for seeing their take-home pay shrunk by hundreds of dollars each year, workers are eventually supposed to receive access to a long-term care benefit that currently has a lifetime limit of $36,500.