For a man worth $12.7 billion, Paul Allen has kept a relatively low political profile, aside from his mega-development in South Lake Union. He's donated about $93,000 to federal candidates since 2006 - pocket change compared to his philathropic ventures - and given to an ecclectic cross-section of mostly Northwest candidates, from Republicans Gordon Smith of Oregon and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska to all the Washington Democratic delegation.

His flight museum in Everett will be the site for Bill Clinton's visit next Tuesday Monday on behalf of Sen. Patty Murray. And earlier this month, he donated a whopping $100,000 to the Defeat 1098 campaign to turn back Initiative 1098, the income tax for high earners. That donation matches those from other local billionaires, but puts him sideways with the Gates family, Sr. and Jr.

David Postman, an Allen spokesman, said the Clinton visit came about after Murray's staff checked with the flight museum staff about hosting a get-out-the-vote rally. As for the income tax, Postman wrote in an e-mail:

"Because he (thinks) the initiative would create one of the highest tax rates in the nation, making it more difficult to recruit highly skilled workers and having a negative effect on the economy in general by discouraging businesses from locating or expanding here.

Don't take my word for it. The state Dept of Commerce lists no income tax as a very important element in the state's ability to recruit businesses."

He includes a couple of other arguments against the income tax, from a couple different perspectives:

"Paul also knows that history shows that the Legislature has changed every dedicated fund initiative in the past 20 years; this tax rate is likely to go up, it likely will be expanded to others, and it is unlikely to remain as a dedicated funding source for health care and education. History shows us that."