"A major two-year study blows away the myth that Indians in Washington don't pay taxes.

According to leading independent economist Jonathan B. Taylor of Cambridge, Massachusetts, tribes pay and generate more than

$140 million in local and state taxes.

Furthermore, tribal governments play an increasingly important role in Washington's overall economy. The total value-added, multiplier effect of tribal government and enterprise spending within Washington exceeds an estimated $2.2 billion a year.

My tribe - Squaxin Island - together with the other 28 tribes in Washington, buy hundreds of millions of dollars in goods and services from private businesses in communities around the state. Those purchases and wages produce millions of dollars in new business for local companies and taxes for state and local governments.

And it's not just casinos."

Get the Story:
Jim Peters: Indian tribes significantly contribute to tax base (The Olympian 9/12)

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Ron Allen: Washingon tribes fuel state economy (08/15)