The Democrat answer to government accountability: Who needs facts when you have money to burn? According to the Washington Policy Center, supporters of Washington State’s Climate Commitment Act (CCA) tout the billions in new CO2 taxes as crucial for combating climate change, but they can’t—or won’t—measure its effectiveness. During a debate on I-2117, The Seattle Times editorial board pointed out the total lack of tracking or transparency on how this tax revenue is being spent. Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon, an author of the CCA, openly admitted spending decisions are political, not performance-based. In fact, the last CO2 emissions data available is from 2019, a clear violation of state law.

Governor Inslee, who once promised transparency, now presides over a system with outdated and useless climate data. The governor’s spokesman insists the state’s accountability platform, Results Washington, is “alive and well,” but metrics like greenhouse gas emissions and electric vehicle registrations are years behind. Meanwhile, a flashy webpage was quickly rolled out to show where the tax dollars are being spent, but conveniently lacks any information about the actual results. When you dig into the details, it becomes clear that accountability in Inslee’s administration is as dead as our state’s outdated climate data. Read more at the Washington Policy Center.

Washington voters will soon decide on a controversial tax passed in 2021, which imposes a 7% levy on capital gains income over $250,000. While it was initially aimed at higher earners, there are proposals to extend it to working-class incomes. The tax, signed into law by Jay Inslee, was challenged for being unconstitutional, as the state constitution bans income taxes. As Shift WA reported extensively, Democrats bypassed this by calling it an “excise” tax, a move that the State Supreme Court controversially accepted.

Citizens responded by gathering over 454,000 signatures for Initiative 2109, which seeks to repeal the tax. Democratic leaders blocked it from a legislative vote, so it will go directly to the ballot.

As the Washington Policy Center points out, historically, Washington voters have rejected income tax proposals, and the initiative’s prospects look favorable. Opponents claim it will hurt funding and the economy, but these arguments are not supported by the state’s financial data. The initiative would actually lower taxes and potentially benefit small businesses.

With the capital gains tax driving jobs and investments out of the state, Washington’s business climate is at risk. Initiative 2109 offers a choice: keep the income tax or return to a tradition of no state income tax. Take a moment to head over to the Washington Policy Center and read Paul Guppy’s full analysis on I-2109, available here.

A recent op-ed in Center Square evaluates the plan by Washington state employees to walkout tomorrow, September 10^th, in protest of what they claim are “disrespectful” wage offers from Jay Inslee. The details of these wage proposals remain undisclosed due to the secrecy of the bargaining process, which has been in place since 2004. Prior to this, such negotiations were public and part of the legislative budget process.

As the op-ed points out, WFSE leaders claim they are prohibited from sharing negotiation details until a tentative agreement is reached, a stance they have actively supported. This lack of transparency allows for vague and potentially misleading statements about compensation offers. The op-ed argues that transparency in these negotiations is crucial for public accountability and to avoid disputes over what constitutes a fair offer.

The op-ed also highlights ongoing legal efforts by the Citizen Action Defense Fund and other organizations to increase transparency in government negotiations. These groups are challenging current restrictions through litigation, aiming to ensure that all aspects of taxpayer-funded agreements are publicly accessible. The piece concludes that basic transparency should be prioritized before public employees are asked to strike. Read the full op-ed here.

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