Washington drivers are paying some of the highest gas prices in the country — and Democrats want you to believe it’s mostly because of turmoil in the Middle East. Nice try. The reality is prices here were already sky-high long before any conflict overseas.

Yes, global oil disruptions matter. But they don’t explain why Washington consistently sits near the top nationally. That honor belongs to Olympia, where Democrats have stacked some of the highest gas taxes in America — with automatic increases to make sure you keep paying more every year.

Then there’s the Climate Commitment Act — the state’s favorite cash machine. Billions collected, hundreds of extra dollars per household in gas costs, and still no clear results to show for it. But hey, at least the state’s coffers are full while your tank drains your wallet.

If this were really about global events, Oregon would be right there with us. It’s not. Washington drivers are paying significantly more — because Washington politicians made it that way.

And when refinery issues hit? Instead of building resilience, Democrats created a fragile, overregulated system that turns routine maintenance into price spikes.

So when Governor Ferguson and company blame Iran, remember: that’s only part of the story — and the convenient part. The bigger reason your gas bill hurts is sitting much closer to home. In Olympia. Read more at Seattle Red.

Democrats love to talk about “equity,” but when it comes to transit in Washington, the numbers tell a very different story. Instead of helping low-income residents, the system is quietly squeezing them — hard.

The average household in the Sound Transit district is shelling out about $2,370 a year in taxes to fund transit. And where does most of that come from? Regressive sales taxes, car tabs, and property taxes — meaning the people with the least are paying the biggest share of their income. So much for “fairness.”

And what do they get in return? Not much. Over 80% of lower-income workers still drive or carpool to work, while fewer than 10% actually use transit. In other words, Democrats built a system that forces working families to bankroll a service they largely can’t use.

Why? Because transit simply doesn’t compete. A car gets you to far more jobs, much faster. Meanwhile, billions are poured into rail projects and expansions that look good on paper but fail the basic test of getting people where they need to go efficiently.

Sure, there are subsidized programs like ORCA LIFT — but they reach only a tiny fraction of those who need help. The vast majority are still stuck paying into a system that doesn’t serve them.

Bottom line: Democrats didn’t fix inequity — they rebranded it. And in the process, they built one of the most expensive transit systems in the country on the backs of the very people they claim to help. Read more at the Washington Policy Center.

The latest Census data paints a pretty uncomfortable picture for Washington Democrats: people aren’t just complaining — they’re leaving. And not in small numbers. King County has lost more than 95,000 residents to other U.S. states since 2020, including over 12,000 in just one recent year alone.

Meanwhile, places like Idaho and Montana are booming. Ada County (Boise) has gained nearly 39,000 new residents since 2020, with thousands more flooding into surrounding counties. Same regional story: coastal blue strongholds shrink, interior red states grow.

According to Chris Cargill, President of the Mountain States Policy Center, this isn’t random — it’s policy in action. Washington has doubled down on high taxes, heavy regulation, and sky-high housing costs, making it harder for middle-income families to stay. Businesses face rising costs, workers face longer commutes, and families are left doing the math — and increasingly deciding it doesn’t pencil out.

Meanwhile, Idaho and Montana are offering the opposite: lower taxes, fewer barriers, and actually building enough housing to keep up. Not surprisingly, people are choosing affordability and opportunity over ideology.

And here’s the kicker: King County’s population only appears stable because of international migration. Strip that out, and the domestic exodus becomes impossible to ignore.

Democrats didn’t just make Washington expensive — they made it optional. And more and more people are opting out. Read more at Center Square.

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