Hey, City Hall: What's the holdup on head-tax repeal?

LEGISLATION to repeal Seattle's unpopular and misguided employee head tax will be introduced to the City Council Monday, but the change won't be voted on until budget proceedings in the fall

What's the holdup?

A few weeks ago, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels joined City Council members Tim Burgess and Richard Conlin in denouncing the head tax. All three agreed it should be revoked.

Under most scenarios, no change would take effect until January.

Still, repealing the tax now sends a powerful message city leaders understand the tax is off-putting to businesses struggling to create or keep jobs.

The legislation was expected to be approved earlier, but Burgess and Conlin cannot collect sufficient council votes until regular budget proceedings in the fall. A few council members say that is the only way they support repeal.

That's ridiculous. If recalling the tax is a good idea — and it is — the council should vote promptly to make the change.

When government does something thickheaded and realizes it, that is the right moment to make the adjustment. Not later, whenever, sometime.

The money raised supports improvements for sidewalks and streets. Everybody loves these kinds of basic upgrades. The issue was never the use of the money but the method of tax.

Charging employers $25 per employee per year made little sense when it was enacted three years ago amid a robust economy. In the current economy, the tax, with all its burdensome paperwork and bureaucracy, is absurd.

Clearly, some council members oppose the idea of forgoing revenue that comes from the tax. Others are fence-sitters.

The head tax sends a lousy message about the city's attitude toward business. The legislation should be passed post haste.