What is it that Seattle knows that the idiots in Vancouver government haven't yet figured out?

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A while back, No Choice Royce and his band of tax and spenders stupidly put together a head tax for businesses in Vancouver.

"Head taxes" are moronic, anti-business taxes that greedy governments impose when they're going broke... sort of a "kicking a dead horse" approach to filling up the increasingly larger ghost town that IS downtown Vancouver.

If one has the choice of setting up shop in an economic desolation zone like downtown only to get popped with an additional, $50 per employee tax... as if HAVING an employee, in and of itself, costs the city anything.... or setting up somewhere else where reality actually plays a role... what choice would YOU make?

The many, many empty store fronts in Vancouver speak for themselves.

It was moronic then, when the city strong-armed that massive waste of money into place by threatening (bluffing) to implement a city B&O tax that business stupidly went along with, and it's stupid now, in the midst of this huge economic downturn.

Well, the light has went on in Seattle, and they're smart enough to see this turd in the punch bowl for what it is.

Seattle is getting rid of this garbage fee on business. How is it that Seattle has figured it out... but the morons in Vancouver City Hall take no action to kill THEIR version of this idiocy?

Originally published June 23, 2009 at 11:35 AM Page modified June 23, 2009 at 11:53 AM

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Seattle ready to repeal unpopular employer tax

The Seattle City Council and Mayor Greg Nickels plan to repeal the employee head tax, which they say discourages hiring.

By Emily Heffter

Seattle Times staff reporter

The Seattle City Council and Mayor Greg Nickels plan to repeal an unpopular business tax they say discourages hiring.

The mayor proposed the annual "head tax" of $25 for every full-time employee in 2006. It raises about $4.7 million a year, revenue used for transportation projects, such as street and sidewalk maintenance.

In this economy, the mayor said in a press release, "we want to do everything possible to create jobs and help businesses grow."

Council members Tim Burgess and Richard Conlin are leading the effort on the council to repeal the tax. Even if $25 a year isn't enough to stop a business from hiring a new employee, it's complicated for businesses to calculate the tax, and it can be used by surrounding cities to make Seattle look less-than-business friendly, Burgess said.

The tax includes exemptions for workers who commute by bus, carpool, bicycle or walking.

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