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.