In his Dec. 10 column, your editorialist, Andrew Villeneuve, argues that we should fall in love with an ever-increasing tax burden.

His argument centers on two contentions. Both are nonsensical uses of words and data.

First, he equates the word “commonwealth” with “common wealth.” This is pure poppycock.

“Commonwealth” refers to a state or nation in which there is self-government and citizens agree to be bound by certain laws for the common good. This accepted definition makes absolutely no reference to money, taxes or sharing wealth. By implying that living in a commonwealth requires we pool our “common wealth,” Mr. Villeneuve proudly carries the banner of the left-wing think tank (Northwest Policy Institute) which he chiefs.

Second, Mr. Villeneuve accurately states that Washington state taxes have actually declined from $118.27 per $1,000 of personal income in 1990 to $105.49 per $1,000 in 2008, an 11 percent decrease. From this he concludes that “actually, taxes have been going down slightly.”

This is an old canard which the left trots out when convenient. What he doesn’t mention is that personal income per capita in Washington state over that same period surged from $19,637 to $43,732, a 123 percent increase (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis). So what Mr. Villeneuve states is an increase of “only” $7.78 per $1,000 of personal income over that period is actually $52.40 per $1,000.

Once again Mr. Villeneuve is entitled to his own opinion … but not to his own facts.

Roger Trepanier, Redmond