Jeff Reifman

Cause Some Beautiful Trouble with Us in Seattle

Initiative 103 will be partying it up with other local creative activists for the Beautiful Trouble book launch on Wednesday, May 16th at the Richard Hugo House. Hope to see you there! RSVP on Facebook!

Introduction to Initiative 103 - Confronting Citizens United, Ending Corporate Spending in Seattle Elections

Here are some introductory highlights from our Initiative 103 kickoff event:

How Microsoft's Tax Dodge Led to $4 billion K-12 and Higher Education Cuts

Jeff Reifman on the Microsoft Tax Dodge

Apple's not the only company to save billions in taxes through Nevada as The New York Times reported yesterday. Here's how Microsoft's saved $4.37 billion in tax payments to Washington State and how it's led indirectly to $4 billion in K-12 and Higher Education cuts since 2008. 18% of University of Washington freshman are now foreigners (because they pay more) up from 2% six years ago. Washington State ranks 47th nationally in 18-24 yo college enrollment and 48th in K-12 class size. This hasn't stopped the architect of the company's Nevada tax dodge from writing in The Seattle Times: 'it's [Washington] state's paramount duty to provide for the public education of all children. Unfortunately, steady declines in public resources now threaten our ability to live up to that commitment.' Yes, indeed.

Seattle Times Hits Amazon Hard, Gives Microsoft a Pass

I've had personal meetings with The Seattle Times' Executive Editor David Boardman and his journalists about Microsoft's $1.51 billion dollar Nevada tax dodge. Despite David's spoken intent to cover the issue, the paper never has.

So, I thought it was a bit surprising that The Times hit Amazon with a front page article on its poor record of corporate giving in Seattle. The article ran on April Fools Day - so perhaps this was The Seattle Times treating its readers for fools.

But seriously, doesn't paying your taxes come before corporate giving? Isn't tax dodging a bigger sin than failing to make donations to your community?

When newspapers fail to cover the problems in our tax system and the former-Microsoft employee turned legislator that contributes to the problem, then the region's safety net falls apart and we depend more heavily on corporate donations. But surely The Times should do a better job of covering this issue first.

Shame on The Seattle Times. Shame on Microsoft.

 

 

Montana's Challenge to Citizens United is Very Limited in Scope

There's been a lot of discussion and excitement about the Montana State Supreme Court's recent decision to strike down portions of Citizens United. Sorry to bum you all out but my cursory read of the court's Western Tradition Partnership ruling is that it actually challenges only a very small part of Citizens United. Read my full post over at Envision Seattle.

Initiative Measure 103 to End Corporate Rights in Seattle

I am lead organizer behind Seattle Initiative Measure 103 http://www.i103.org which will end corporate personhood in Seattle and elevate the rights of residents above corporate rights.

Three things you can do right now:

1) Join the Measure 103 Facebook page or sign up for our mailing list.

2) Collect petition signatures from your friends and family

3) RSVP for our Kickoff Party March 29th in the University District

What Measure 103 will do in Seattle:

• End corporate personhood and limit corporate rights
• Ban corporate spending on elections
• Ban corporate lobbying except in public forums
• Close the revolving door of employment  between elected officials and large corporations
• Provide citizen oversight of the Seattle Police Department
• Provide constitutional rights for workers
• Provide neighborhoods the right to approve major zoning changes
• Provide rights for nature
• Provide equal access to a free and open Internet, known as network neutrality

Our efforts in Seattle are part of an emerging statewide and national movement to place peoples' rights above corporate rights. 

Learn more about Measure 103

Microsoft's Tax Dodging Killing Education in Washington State

How Governor Gregoire, the legislature, the courts and The Seattle Times have enabled Microsoft's hypocritical stance on education and tax dodging to lead to $693 million in cuts to Washington State's education system:

    When John Burbank, a columnist in the Everett Herald, wrote that Microsoft’s unpaid royalty taxes “could be funding high-quality schools for Washington's children,” the company demanded a correction from the paper but refuses to release data that would prove its position. Listen to Brad Smith acknowledge the company's Nevada tax practices in this clip from our 2004 interview for Citizen Microsoft (Seattle Weekly).

Full story at Microsoft Tax Dodge

Asking Microsoft to Back Up Its Attacks on My Investigative Reporting

Update: Microsoft refuses to release the amounts of its royalty tax payments to Washington State.

In December, John Burbank of the Economic Opportunity Institute wrote in The Herald that,"By running its licensing sales through a shop in Reno, Nev., it avoids royalty taxes that could be funding high-quality schools for Washington's children." Microsoft's Jeffrey Reading asked The Herald for a correction "Much of the information regarding this issue is misinformation primarily spread by a blogger [me]."

I've written an open letter to Microsoft's General Counsel and Senior Vice President for Microsoft to release its Washington State Royalty Tax payments for the years 1998 - 2010 so they can prove their case against me.

Dear Brad Smith, Did Microsoft Pay Royalty Taxes in Washington 1998 - 2010?

Last month, Smith wrote a column in The Seattle Times in which he expressed concern that falling tax revenues are hurting education: "Like many states, Washington continues to battle significant budget challenges. Unlike many states, however, our constitution declares that it's the state's paramount duty to provide for the public education of all children. Unfortunately, steady declines in public resources now threaten our ability to live up to that commitment."

How to Occupy the Law - Yes! Magazine

Update: Now on Common Dreams as well...

Yes! has republished our model Community Bill of Rights template for Occupy (and all) communities! Check it out!

To Refute Claims, Microsoft Should Disclose Its Royalty Tax Payments

Last week, after John Burbank, Executive Director of the Economic Opportunity Institute, wrote an editorial condemning the company's hypocritical record of tax dodging while advocating for more education funding, Jeffrey Reading, Microsoft's Senior PR Manager wrote The Herald to refute the claims Burbank made (Burbank based his article on my reporting):

"Mr. Burbank does not include sourcing to support his claims regarding Microsoft’s Nevada licensing, which is part of a very complicated piece of state tax law. Much of the information regarding this issue is misinformation primarily spread by a blogger, and no state official has ever provided any factual data supporting his claims."

I stand behind my research and all of my claims. If Microsoft wishes to prove that it paid Washington State Royalty Taxes during the years 1998 - 2010, it should disclose its worldwide licensing revenue and its Royalty Tax payments for this time period. It would be quite simple for the company to provide these two sets of numbers and would put the issue to rest once and for all (as I have done here). 

Read the full post