Energy taxes: They hurt the poor disproportionately

With the Democrats in control of Olympia for the first time since 2012, Gov. Jay Inslee is proposing carbon taxes to raise revenue.

Our politicians need to be reminded that this money comes from somewhere and that the poorest among us are hit the hardest by any increase in prices for all types of energy.

According to an article by Bjorn Lomborg recently printed in the Wall Street Journal, households are considered energy poor if they spend more than 10 percent of their income on energy costs.

The International Energy Agency estimates that between 10 and 25 percent of Americans are already energy poor.

Raising the costs of energy forces lower-income families to spend a significantly higher percentage of their income on energy needs

Let’s make sure our politicians in Olympia don’t ignore the impact higher energy costs will have on those who can least afford it.

This story was originally published January 14, 2018 at 3:40 PM with the headline "Energy taxes: They hurt the poor disproportionately."