The upside of I-732? It rewards conservation without hurting business. It is revenue-neutral. It will not increase regulation and is easy to implement.

By year two, it will decrease the sales tax by 1 percent. It will add about 25 cents to a gallon of gas. It will not crimp incomes or undermine business competitiveness. Environmentally, it’s a slam dunk and puts enlightened Washington out in front of all other states.

It will raise revenue about $2 billion a year and eliminate the business tax. It will achieve Washington’s statutory emissions reduction goal by 2050, which is 50 percent below 1990 levels. It appeals to conservatives and liberals. It’s a “no-brainer.”

Economists approve of it because it is easy to implement. No new regulations. That renders it less prone to political gamesmanship that is likely to happen with a “cap-and-trade” approach, which requires the sale and distribution of allowances to various interests and businesses. “Cap-and trade” is too complicated. The Wall Street Journal agrees.

I-732 would make Washington state the national leader in efforts to address global warming. British Columbia has had a program similar to I-732 in place for eight years without negative economic impact. It has allowed British Columbia to outperform all other Canadian provinces.

The Wall Street Journal calls I-732 “A Growth-Friendly Climate Change Proposal.”

Vote yes on I-732. It will improve our lives and increase our prosperity.

C. F. Baumgartner

Mercer Island