REBUTTAL: Proposition 1 could hurt low-income seniors, not help

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Editor’s note: Jim Scarantino, who is leading a campaign against Proposition 1, and Bruce Cowan, who is leading the campaign for Proposition 1, were invited to write final rebuttals to their pieces that appeared in the Oct. 18 Voter Guide in The Leader. Copies of that are still available at The Leader for those who are interested.

The stark, inescapable issue plaguing Proposition 1 is that it is a harshly regressive tax that hits a very necessity of life: shelter itself. The very poorest homeowner would pay the same rate of taxation as a multimillionaire.

In the town halls that have been held around Jefferson County, the Proposition 1 side has ducked questions about how they can justify making life harder for so many of our neighbors, as well as the more than 3,000 households in Jefferson County the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development says are struggling to hang on to their homes.

These families are already paying more than 30 percent of their income for property taxes and mortgages. Nearly 2,000 low- and very low-income families earning not much above $22,000 a year pay more than 50 percent. That leaves some families of four with less than $1,000 a month.

They do not have extra cash for higher taxes. At the Homes Now town hall in Quilcene, a gentleman who volunteers at the food bank says he sees widows coming in who are barely surviving on the Social Security benefits they inherited from their husbands. They are already choosing between food and medicine. But because they have a home, they would have to find money they don’t have to pay higher taxes.

We asked Bruce Cowan in The Leader Q&A to suggest what these struggling families should sacrifice to find money to pay Proposition 1. He ducked the question.

The campaign plan for the Proposition 1 campaign curiously was found on the county government’s e-mail system. In it, their consultant says that one “advantage” to pursuing a property tax hike is that it is “hidden” from renters. They may be led to vote for an increase in property taxes not knowing they are voting to increase their own rents.

We asked Mr. Cowan, if his side is so confident Proposition 1 will not raise rents, why they can’t name one landlord or property management company that will pledge not to raise rents if Proposition 1 passes. He punted and attempted to belittle the looming rent increase. He did not name one landlord or property management company that backed up his belittling of the increased burden Proposition 1 will visit on renters.

Lastly, we asked Mr. Cowan what he would say to one of the struggling homeowners, a man already paying more than 40 percent of his fixed income to keep his house who says higher taxes will make him homeless. How could Mr. Cowan justify raising that man’s taxes yet again? Mr. Cowan ducked the question.

But if Proposition 1 passes, our poorest homeowners don’t have that option. They will have to find money they don’t have to pay yet another hike in their already staggering taxes. They can’t punt. If they do, they lose their homes. What Proposition 1 means to them is a week of food, a couple of co-pays, heat, car repairs, electricity, children’s clothing.

Jefferson County is a very poor county. Our very poorest – to repeat, 3,000 households – fight every day to keep their homes. For that they should not be penalized with higher property taxes.

We are better than that. We have alternatives that have been discussed at every town hall and debate.

That is the stark issue in this campaign that cannot be ignored. Proposition 1 will harm more people than it can possibly help. Please vote no.

Jim Scarantino has been a prosecutor, investigative reporter and author. He has raised funds and walls for Habitat for Humanity and worked with the homeless. He currently lives on Discovery Bay. He’s lived in Jefferson County for four years.