Thanks to Jerry Cornfield for alerting us to the planning of our governor, legislators and environmentalists to foist yet another tax on the citizens of Washington under the guise of a “carbon tax” (“Concessions may be needed to enact carbon pricing,” Jan. 17).

Jerry presents this a fait accompli. I disagree, it is up to the people of Washington to decide and they have not yet spoken.

Most agree that the climate is, does and has changed from the beginning of time. The legitimate question is how much influence humans, through the use of fossil fuels, has on the environment relative to the impact of the sun and other natural influences. I submit that the later has the greatest impact on climate and we can’t control those.

Even if you believe that the use of carbon fuel has a “significant” impact on the climate, reductions in their use as proposed by the Paris Climate Accord project an almost imperceptible change on the climate over the next 100 years. How then would a Washington carbon tax make a difference in the world “climate.”

The short answer is it wouldn’t have any measurable impact. What would it do? Raise taxes on average families through increases in fuel costs and home energy costs. Don’t be fooled, companies don’t “pay” taxes, they are a cost of business that is passed on to their customers. A conservative estimate is a carbon tax would cost each Washington household hundreds of extra dollars a year.

This money would be used by politicians and unelected bureaucrats to give grants to their pet projects most of which are not commercially viable, money wasted. Haven’t we seen enough questionable tax increases in Washington with the recent gas tax increase and Sound Transit debacle?

I ask my fellow citizens to study this issue carefully and let their legislators know their feelings and to sign any initiative petition only after careful consideration and study. My vote, just say no!

Tim Vendettouli

Bonney Lake