The recent ad in the Mirror, “Thank you Rep. Carol Gregory” funded by Washington United for Fair Revenue is a classic, albeit simplistic, example of the politics of obfuscation and division. Allow me to provide a translation of key terms in the ad.

Fair revenue: “Revenue” is a fancy word that means taxes. The word taxes does not play well with voters, so the less-objectionable word revenue is substituted for the well-understood word taxes.

“Fair” is an obfuscation for as much taxes as we can soak the taxpayer, be it individuals or corporations. Fair share is never quantified because whatever it is today is never enough tomorrow.

If it is 40 percent today, some in government will want 50 percent tomorrow and when they get 50 percent, they’ll want 60 percent.

And so it goes until the people and businesses of high-tax states, like New York, leave for tax friendly states.

Hard working families and wealthy corporations: This is an example of the politics of division. Slice-and-dice the electorate. Divide and conquer is the strategy.

Divide by race, gender, income, age, sexual orientation, whatever.  Concoct phony wars on the middle class, women, etc. Good guys versus bad guys.

In this case, (big number) “hard working families” are the good guys versus (little number) “wealthy corporations” are the bad guys.

That is to say, families are hard working (good) and corporations are wealthy (bad). And by inference, families are not wealthy and corporations don’t work hard.

The simple message: “Don’t worry hard working families, this tax, eh, revenue increase will only affect wealthy corporations.”

A more honest approach would be to say we want to increase taxes on businesses so that we can, among other things, put more money into our schools.

But “honest politicians” once again seems every bit the oxymoron as fresh frozen, military intelligence and lead from behind.

Gary Heil, Federal Way