Bargaining for tax breaks has become a routine part of doing business. During every legislative session, business lobbyists line the hallways of the state capitol demanding their own special tax exemptions.
And they get heard. In the past three years, Washington’s Legislature passed 61 tax break packages for businesses ranging from software giants, to car dealers, to soda pop distributors, giving away nearly half a billion dollars from the state’s 2007-09 budget. ...