At Microsoft, Two Views on a New Tax

In Washington State, high-income residents and corporations are coming together to battle I-1098, a ballot initiative that would levy a 5 percent tax on “income above $400,000 per couple and a 9% levy on income above $1 million per couple.” Microsoft, in particular, has come out strongly against the initiative: Steve Ballmer is the biggest contributor to Defeat 1098 and the company itself has donated $75,000 to the effort. The Gates family, meanwhile, is on a different page. Bill Gates supports I-1098 (but hasn’t donated any money to the campaign), while Bill Gates Sr. has donated $600,000 to the Yes-on-1098 campaign. [%comments]