Don Brunell - Tax incentives bring value

In the face of our rising budget deficit, Gov. Gregoire is calling on state agencies to become more streamlined and innovative. At the same time, some interest groups are scrambling to increase tax revenues. But raising taxes is difficult, because the voter-approved I-1053 requires a two-thirds vote to increase taxes. Consequently, some legislators are once again targeting so-called “tax loopholes.”

It is a classic case of deja vu all over again, as Yogi Berra would say.

Periodic reviews of tax incentives to ensure they’re cost-effective are perfectly justifiable, but wholesale attacks on ince...