Nick Hanauer, a backer of I-1098, gave TechFlash a quote that he must have thought helped the cause:

“For people like me and Jeff Bezos and Steve Ballmer, this is a very expensive tax. People where 99 percent of your income is above $500,000, this is a very expensive tax, and I get how it’s a lot of money,” Hanauer said. “But it’s absolutely a lot of money they don’t need. It will be better spent on public school teachers than on jet fuel.“

This is very troubling.  It illustrates some of the thinking behind this effort: the government knows better than you how to spend your money.

As written, I-1098 affects only high-earners, but if it is approved, and an income tax structure is put in place, the legislature will have the power to expand it two years down the road.

Can we be sure that they will not look at those making $100,000 or $75,000 or $50,000 and think, “This is money they don’t need.  It will be better spent on education”?