$25 billion more in taxes

The legislature of Washington State have voted to lay an additional burden on the people of $25 billion, payable over the next 10 years.  Governor Jay Enslee (D) is expected to sign the bill.  Lucky us.  They did this despite the fact the state has a current surplus of $4.5 billion surplus, because of the national economic recovery.

Are you getting tired of this government greed?  Vote for responsible spending in government.  Vote the rascals out in 2020

Cindy Ochoa beats union bosses

Cindy Ochoa’s story undermines every union lie and lays bare their true motivation.

Ochoa, a Spokane homecare provider, opted out of SEIU 775 shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2014 ruling in Harris v. Quinn struck down mandatory dues and fees for Medicaid-reimbursed caregivers and childcare providers.

By 2017, however, the union began garnishing her checks again. That’s when she contacted the Freedom Foundation.

It turns out one of SEIU 775’s arm-twisters had paid Ochoa a visit a year before to coerce her back into the fold. And once again, she refused to sign.

Unfazed, the union rep simply forged her signature on a membership card and submitted it.

SEIU 775, of course, never scrutinized the document. Nor did the state of Washington, which dutifully began deducting dues once again.

Suddenly the burden was on Ochoa to prove fraud had been perpetrated in her name.

And true to form, SEIU 775 dragged its feet and attempted to dodge every step of the way — long after it was obvious to all that the signature was bogus.

In April, thanks to unrelenting pressure from the Freedom Foundation, the union finally folded its bluff hand and agreed to pay Ochoa $15,000 to settle her claims.

Equally satisfying was the $13,000 SEIU 775 paid to the Freedom Foundation for its legal fees.

After two years, Cindy Ochoa finally has justice and the Freedom Foundation has once again forced SEIU to pay for its misdeeds.

In the meantime, SEIU 775 has been exposed as the predator it is — yet again.

From the Freedom Foundation

Eastern Washington relies on dams -- does Olympia know this?

U.S. Representative Dan Newhouse states he has been a strong supporter of the Columbia and Snake River dams that are the economic lifeblood of our region and all of Eastern Washington. It is disappointing that some folks on the west side of the state cannot recognize that salmon and dams can co-exist. 

In Congress, Newhouse has been working with Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers and other colleagues from the Pacific Northwest to make sure that we are finding ways to ease fish passage and not doing harm to salmon populations, as we utilize the renewable, carbon-free electricity generated by the dams.   

The Tri-City Herald Editorial Board stated, "Why do [the Democrats in Olympia] want another study? Because they don't like the evidence that already shows how vital those dams are to Eastern Washington, how salmon and dams can co-exist and that dams are not the only factor in the fish struggles. Other issues include overfishing and pollution in Puget Sound."  

This should not be a partisan issue, but it requires both sides of the state to listen and learn from one another.

The editorial in the Tri-City Herald.

-- by Dan Newhouse

No one is safe with this legislature in session.

Last Summer, the US Supreme Court ruled government workers have the freedom not to be forced to support unions (Janus v. AFSCME).  The Supreme Court ruling is based on the public employees’ First Amendment right to make personal decisions about whether to financially support a union.

Straightway, Washington State's government union bosses huddled into a dark corner and made a deal with Washington State's "Democratic" Party.  The deal was that the union bosses would use their connections and -the media to support the Democrat legislature candidates, if the Democratic Party would use the state's resources to break the Janus decisions.

Part of the payback came today:  The Washington State House voted to approve House Bill 1575, a government union-backed measure intended to subvert Janus.   HB 1575 claims it will "strengthen the rights of workers through collective bargaining." 

Impolite asks, What workers' rights are strengthened by compulsion?  Isn't it clear that only civil right guarantees workers' rights?  Apparently not to the authoritarian leftists in the Democratic Party of Washington State.

Two Democrats sided with individual freedom.  Tim Sheldon (D-Potlatch) joined the chamber’s Republicans in voting against the bill.  Bob Hasegawa (D-Seattle) voted against the legislation because of his philosophical opposition to removing now-unenforceable mandatory union fee requirements from state laws.

The rest of the legislature's Democrats voted to milk government workers.

“Union-backed lawmakers in Olympia are establishing quite a track record of passing illegal and unconstitutional laws to benefit their political allies at the expense of public employees’ civil liberties,” said Maxford Nelsen, the Freedom Foundation’s director of labor policy.

The the Freedom Foundation promotes individual liberty, free enterprise and limited, accountable government.

Democrat budget increase taxes and kick backs

Gas tax bills could give us $4-$5/gallon gas like California

If Olympia Democrats get their way, some Washingtonians could see gas prices eclipse $5 per gallon due to Inslee’s energy tax. “In California, gas has gone over $4 a gallon, and is approaching $5 a gallon in some places because of the low-carbon fuel standard,” wrote Dori Monson. He contends that if Democrats pass Inslee’s low carbon fuel standard, our gas prices will follow the same path as California’s.

The Democrats act ashamed of this.  They are going to remove tax information from the pump. Posting the information was required by House Bill 1633, but the Democrat Party controlled Senate Transportation Committee has decided not to move the bill through committee. The Democrats are not interested in an informed public.

Legislature's government union-protection kick back scheme moves forward

Late last week Senate Democrats advanced a bill that would make it extremely difficult for public employees to choose not to be a member of a government union — even if the union supported causes to which they were fundamentally opposed. The Democrats passed this bill even though they knew it violated the Constitution. It's a payback for campaign support.

The bill attempts to undercut a U.S. Supreme Court decision that found it unconstitutional to require public employees who are not members of the union to pay fees to that union. During debate on the Senate Floor, Senator King said the bill would allow threats, bullying and intimidation towards people deciding whether to join a union or not.

Legislature eliminates statute of limitations for child sex crimes

The House and Senate delivered a bill to extend the statute of limitations for felony sex offenses to Inslee’s desk. He of course was off campaigning on the other side of the country when this historic bill passed. “This is the most important move the legislature has made for victims in the last 20 years, easily,” said Mary Ellen Stone, who has been executive director of the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center for four decades.  “It recognizes that there are many barriers to coming forward and reporting, and that time limits are not in the best interest of justice or the victim.”

Don’t allow inequitable school levies

“If the levy were to pass,  it would kill a plan the Legislature hammered out in 2017 in response to the Supreme Court’s 2012 McCleary decision.” The Seattle Times editorial board did not mince words when it described Senate Democrat’s attempt to undue education funding progress post McCleary. “I have to believe my Democrat colleagues on the budget committee know in their hearts that this goes completely against the lessons that should have been learned from the McCleary court ruling in 2012,” wrote Senator John Braun.

Budget updates

You don’t have to be an accountant to see that Washington state has a huge surplus of revenue. Because of a strong economy, Washington is set to see billions in additional revenue – more than enough to invest in special education and mental health treatment. In short, the last thing we need is new taxes. Perhaps Democrats didn’t get the memo, packing their budget proposals full of new, unnecessary taxes. The Democrats' budget strategy is that new taxes (and the misery they cause) are pure enjoyment.

A Capital Gains Tax Can Not Improve Budget Sustainability

The Washington Research Council published a brief outlining a few, of the many, problems with the Democrats’ capital gains income tax. For starters, the capital gains income tax “would be highly volatile,” the report points out. Democrats say they want to use this highly unpredictable revenue source to help fund education.

The Research Council’s report mentioned another important detail. The Democrat’s key tax proposal violates Washington State's constitution (Article 7)

Jay Inslee couldn’t answer easy question he based his entire campaign on

Last week, Useless Inslee spent even more days out of the state campaigning to occupy the White House. This time he took time off of work to appear on national television and appeared to struggle to answer questions related to the single issue he’s running on. “I thought I had the answers to every question and I don’t have (an) answer to that,” Inslee responded when asked how can we fix our broken recycling system.

State socialises health care

If you pay for a thing, you control a thing.  The legislature now controls your health care.

The Legislature has passed SB 5526 -- state control of health care access.  This Washington state version is all the wonder of ObamaCare in miniature... with all the indifferent bureaucracy and ever increasing expense.  Lucky us.

The official digest of SB 5526

"SB 5526 - DIGEST

"Requires the state health benefit exchange, in consultation with the insurance commissioner, the state health care authority, an independent actuary, and other stakeholders, to establish up to three standardized health plans for each of the bronze, silver, and gold levels.

"Requires the state health care authority, in consultation with the state health benefit exchange, to contract with one or more health carriers to offer silver and gold qualified health plans on the state health benefit exchange for plan years beginning in 2021.

"Requires the state health benefit exchange, in consultation with the state health care authority and the insurance commissioner, to  develop a plan to implement and fund premium subsidies for individuals whose modified adjusted gross incomes are less than five hundred percent of the federal poverty level and who are purchasing individual market coverage on the exchange.

"Exempts the following from disclosure under the public records act: Data submitted by health carriers to the state health benefit exchange for establishing standardized benefit plans."

Additional link:  The Senate's Bill Report on 5526.  Note the laughable use of the term "affordable health coverage."  Since when has government anything been more affordable than private?

Income tax, hyperactive spending & special interests

Call capital-gains tax for what it really is - an income tax

Despite what Senate Democrat talking points might say, the capital gains tax is not an income tax. Washington Policy Center’s Jason Mercier says it’s time to call the capital gains tax what it is – an income tax. Democrats are doing everything they can to avoid being truthful  call it what it really is – since Washington voters have rejected the idea multiple times. “…they want to close the so-called ‘loophole’ on capital gains via an ‘excise tax.’ If you don’t know what an ‘excise tax’ on capital gains is, you are not alone. Such a tax does not exist anywhere in the country,” Mercier wrote.

Democrats even push for state income tax in budget

The big news item of this week was the release of House and Senate Democrat budgets. Both of them rely on a laundry list of taxes, headlined by a state income tax, to shuffle even more money tax dollars to their special interests. To try to make their tax hikes more palatable, Senate Democrats are claiming their income tax is offset by breaks on other taxes and includes certain exclusions. But, as Shift WA points out, Senate Democrats’ income tax opens the door for higher taxes in the future. 

One other note.  The state is required to release details of tax & fee legislative bills in a timely manner as the bills get acted on.  The required budget bill report was delayed 3 days after its introduction and vote.  Apparently the legislature planned to stealth-rush the budget through before considering what it contains. 

If you wish to examine the budget details, even though your voice has been silenced, the links are

For the budget overview
The budget's homepage
The 745 page budget

Sen. John Braun responds to Ways & Means levy-lid lift passage

Literally in the dark of night, Senate Democrats advanced a bill that will raise property taxes and undo the work to fix the way our state funds education. Sen. John Braun said of the bill: “If there are funding needs that rise to a statewide level, like support for special education, then the Legislature should consider them. But the Senate has already passed bills that would do much more for special education, including the bill I introduced, so it’s obvious from this move – which took place at 1:30 a.m. – that other forces are at work.” Our students deserve better than the “special interests first” policy agenda being pushed by Senate Democrats.

With Jay Inslee running for president, here’s who might lead WA next

Late last week solicitor general Noah Purcell added his name to the list of Democrats already vying for their next job. With Bob Ferguson having spent the last year basically campaigning to become our next governor, Purcell decided he would begin doing the same. Purcell announced an “exploratory committee” for attorney general. As one of our state’s top legal officers, we wonder why he wouldn’t know there’s no such thing as an “exploratory committee” in Washington state.

Inslee’s presidential campaign should shoulder security costs

“Inslee should recognize the burden he’s putting on the [State Patrol] and, by proxy, taxpayers, and offer to reimburse the agency. It seems the right and equitable thing to do, given that he wouldn’t be traveling out-of-state nearly as often if he wasn’t running for president.” The Yakima Herald editorial board wrote what a vast majority of Washington is thinking, and what Senate Republicans tried to fix last week. Republicans offered an amendment that would direct the additional security funding for Inslee’s campaign into providing screenings for different types of cancer. Senate Democrats rejected the amendment.