Pay attention to whose axe is being ground–and by whom
For decades I read the Spokesman Review’s Opinion page without paying much attention to the identity or the income source of article authors. That was my mistake.
On February 4 the Spokesman published a Guest Opinion with the title, “In state income tax fight, it feels like Groundhog Day all over again,” written by Chris Cargill. “What state income tax?” should to be the reader’s first question. Another Spokesman article, notably appearing the same day, “Capital gains tax court battle begins with Douglas County hearing,” offers the needed explanation:
The Legislature last year passed a 7% tax on the sale of stocks, bonds, businesses and other investments, if the profits exceed $250,000 annually. Exceptions include the sale of all real estate, livestock and small family-owned businesses.
It would bring in about $415 million for the state to pay for child care and early learning. The tax technically went into effect in January, but payments don’t begin being made to the state until 2023.
The tax would affect less than 1% of taxpayers, according to a fiscal analysis of the bill.
Nowhere in Mr. Cargill’s article will you find any hint of the scope of the contested capital gains tax or any indication of what it is earmarked to fund. Nowhere, of course, does he acknowledge that Washington State has the most regressive tax structure of any state, i.e. the least wealthy citizens in the state pay the highest percentage of their income in aggregate taxes. Mr. Cargill’s wants the reader, instead, to focus on this idea [the bold is mine]:
They [supporters of the capital gains tax] want to sock it to people in the higher income brackets, then extend the tax later to everyone else.
Recognize that slippery slope argument? “Once those evil folk have their foot in the door, the next thing you know they’ll be after your money! You must resist now or they’ll be coming to get yours!” Cargill is coming from a place where any hint of a progressive tax must be resisted. It is a familiar argument coming from a familiar source, the Washington Policy Center (WPC). The WPC is the local manifestation of the libertarian/conservative “think tank” network of 5019(c)(3)s detailed by Jane Mayer in her comprehensive study, Dark Money. Funded by tax-deductible dollars from undisclosed wealthy donors, their purpose is to mold public opinion for their own benefit one speech and one article at a time.
The donors to the Washington Policy Center have an axe to grind—and they hire staff who have demonstrated skill in grinding that axe. WPC provides its hires with a prominent platform from which to speak. Substance and and expertise takes a back seat to demonstrated skill at consistently pushing the “right” argument, in this case, the slippery slope argument that any tax that might selectively affect the WPC donors is to be feared by the common citizen, too.
Mr. Cargill was not supported by WPC (or by the Spokesman, see below) because of his expertise in tax policy. Like others on the WPC payroll, Mr. Cargill was hired on account of his particular political bent layered on his education and experience in communication, specifically political science and television news. Mr. Cargill is, no doubt, sincere in his opinions, but his opinions are selected and elevated for what they are—not for any demonstrated subject expertise.
The Washington Policy Center through a Chris Cargill Guest Opinion has been offered a platform on the opinion page of the Spokesman at least every two weeks for nearly a year, over which time there has been a subtle shift in the manner in which the paper presents his opinions.
Until September, 2021, Mr. Cargill’s mini-bio following his opinion pieces was:
Chris Cargill is the Eastern Washington director for Washington Policy Center, an independent research organization with offices in Spokane, Tri-Cities, Seattle and Olympia. Online at washingtonpolicy.org.
As of October a more accurate and transparent mini-bio appeared and is appended to each of Mr. Cargill’s later articles:
Chris Cargill is the Eastern Washington director of Washington Policy Center, an independent research organization with offices in Spokane, Seattle, Tri-Cities and Olympia. Online at washingtonpolicy.org. Members of the Cowles family, owners of The Spokesman-Review, have previously hosted fundraisers for the Washington Policy Center, and sit on the organization’s board.
It may be a small change, but it is a positive change in the interest of transparency. One hopes that readers of the Spokesman will pay attention to the financial backing and background of the folks whose opinions are put forward to influence public opinion.
Keep to the high ground,
Jerry
P.S. If you wonder where you’ve heard of Chris Cargill before this, it might be from his election last November to the City Council of the City of Liberty Lake, Washington. The “Eastern Washington director of Washington Policy Center” now has a city council seat.