The following message was sent to the Legislature on Sunday from key tech leaders in Washington. The letter speaks for itself.
Legislators,
The decision you make in these final days of a short legislative session could determine the direction of the state’s job creation, economic growth and social policy for decades.
Voting for a state income tax would set Washington’s economic growth back for decades, making it virtually impossible to compete with California – where the tech ecosystem is far stronger – and low-tax states like Texas.
Washington state became a world leader in technology and innovation due, in part, to the welcoming climate for innovators. As a result, we are now home to some of the most innovative people from across the planet. People from across the globe have enriched our innovative economy and community because our business climate welcomed companies that made our state a magnet for entrepreneurs.
That welcoming, innovative spirit is seriously threatened by the income tax proposal and the trend over the past decade that tells innovators and risk takers that they are unwelcome.
We strongly encourage you to postpone the vote on an income tax until 2027. This is a critical decision and a decision that risks the future of job creation and economic growth in Washington state should not be rushed.
If you have questions or need more information about our specific concerns, please feel free to reach out to any of us.
Luis Vargas, PhD
Founder, Evolver & Fomer VP of AI at Microsoft
Aviel Ginzburg
General Partner at Founders’ Co-op
Jesse Proudman
President and CTO, Venice.ai
Brian Hall
Former VP Microsoft, AWS, Google Cloud
Charles Fitzgerald
Startup Angel Investor
