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Responsible Government

In Brief

Democracy works best when all people have a voice and when those who make laws are accountable to the needs of the people. But increasingly, our government is more responsive to the needs of a very few, while leaving everyone else behind.

One of the most glaring examples of this divide is in our tax system. Washington state has the most regressive tax structure in the nation, in which people with lower incomes pay a greater percentage of what they earn than everyone else. In fact, people earning under $20,000 a year pay as much as 17 percent of what they earn in state and local taxes. The very wealthy pay just 3 percent. At the same time, government is cutting basic services that help ordinary people meet their needs for food, shelter, health care, child care and transportation.

Another example is the prevalence of predatory lending in Washington. Everyone in our state, regardless of their income, has the right to reasonable consumer protections when they borrow money.  However, Washington law allows payday lenders to engage in irresponsible and predatory lending practices that are trapping people in debt.

Poverty Action works to educate and organize people for a fairer tax system for everyone, and for responsible state budgets to ensure that government meets the needs of all people.