Following his budget roll out, Jay Inslee went on KOMO’s news show with John Carlson to discuss certain aspects of his budget proposal. Attempting to present his cap-and-tax and fuel mandate schemes as alternative revenue sources to the current gas tax, our green governor made quite a claim. Inslee said,
“The gas tax is actually not a stable sources of funding… the gas tax is declining as a percentage of miles we travel, fortunately cause we are having a lot more fuel efficient vehicles… it is not keeping pace with the demands of traffic.”
Inslee’s claim proved not to be true. Carlson jumped in to clarify matters. He said,
“Actually, I should point out that gasoline tax revenues are up well past the rate of inflation year to year and that is the reason why transportation revenue is above the amount forecasted because there is more gas tax revenue than they had anticipated.”
Our green governor did not respond to Carlson’s correction. Rather, he defensively reiterated his position that his cap-and-tax and fuel mandate are valid alternatives to the current gas tax. Inslee responded,
“… We gotta make some transportation investments and we have to come up with a replacement for the gas tax over the long term. What I have suggested is that we have polluters pay for this charge rather than people.”
The fact that Inslee is attempting to pass his extreme green plans as alternatives to the current gas tax proves his desperation. As Shift has pointed out time and time again, Inslee cannot escape the fact that—as a direct result of his extreme green agenda—gas prices could increase by more than $1 per gallon. Inslee’s own consultants projected the prices increase, as did the state budget writers.
Carlson went on to point out that Inslee’s agenda is just a back door gas tax—fuel refineries burdened with higher costs will pass on those costs to consumers. Inslee denied that this would happened and—once again—steered the conversation elsewhere.
Just another deception our green governor engaged in during 2014.
Eastside Sanity says
Inslee & his Liberal Progressive Hordes are out of their minds, this IS a Tax & Spend policy that like the rest of democratic ideas will destroy the middle class and send the this states economy in to a tailspin until it crashes like the Great Depression of the 20 Century. Who voted for this court jester? One & Done! Paint this state Red!
Ken says
Just like Obama, Inslee likes to make up facts to support his rhetoric. They both live in a fantasy land and will share equally the destruction of the state of Washington along with the USA. Everywhere the left is in control the economic news is awful. But this has no effect on the ruling democrats. They don’t care. The progressive left does not care about prosperity. They are only interested in the environment and inequality. The worse the economic situation becomes the more voters are likely to vote democrat. The worse the economic situation the greater number of people receiving government assistance; the greater the number of people receiving government assistance, the greater the number of people who will vote democrat. Thus Inslee’s underlying reason for increasing taxes is to increase the size of government. Get it now?
John W Tobin says
“…polluters pay for this charge rather than people.”
Does he feel that those who drive are not “people” but just “polluters”?
I guess we should change the Constitution to read, “We The Polluters off the United States…”.
Billca says
Has Inslee ever run a business? Seems doubtful to me. Otherwise he would know that the taxes a business pays are part of it’s “cost” structure that goes into the price of the products or services they sell. Especially taxes which are pure “overhead” or part of the cost of doing business.
I’ve said since before Al Gore’s book came out that the progressives will not rest until we are like Europe. Where people quaintly shop on foot almost daily to bring home a bag or two of food they store in a refrigerator half the size of one in the US, walk or take mass transit everywhere in their town, pay high prices for most fuels, pay higher taxes and live under the thumb of a government that sees them as a revenue source.
James Blair says
The gas tax as it currently is will be even more income due to the lower cost of fuel as more people can afford to drive further. Once they force the cars to go away, there will be no need for roads.
Billca says
Really? You think so? How will companies deliver their products to markets? Even if we become a nation of on-line shoppers paying for delivery in some efficient manner, how will all those products move around the nation? From manufacturer to warehouses to consumers you will need more than railroads. Big rig trucks haul most of our commerce around. Rail can’t be everywhere. And I certainly don’t want drones attempting to deliver a refrigerator to my house or even my neighbor’s house.
James Blair says
If no-one can drive, there will be no jobs. Businesses like Boeing are one foot out the door already. WA will become a ghost town like other areas where there are no jobs. Who will pay for infrastructure then?
Even the port is suffering due to the way things are going.
Billca says
Oh, I read your last sentence as saying roads wouldn’t be needed as a “positive” statement, like it would be a good thing. My apologies for thinking you were a uber-green hippie.
James Blair says
Lol! I drive Jeep
scooter says
Don’t forget all the tax breaks for electrics, not only do we now get the burden of carrying more of the gas tax, we also get the burden of paying for charging stations in public places.
ldmstr says
And the poor citizens of this state will continue to vote these people in because 4 cities in this state controls the voting numbers.
Chuck Heinitz says
Those wishing for change that keep voting in the same party again and again are just proving the old adage. Repeating the same behavior over and over and expecting a different outcome is a sure sign of Insanity!!!
MeanieHead says
“I can’t breathe because Inslee’s taxes are choking the life out of me!!! Recall Inslee!”
I’m starting my own protest. I’ll now lay on my living room floor as the first “die-in”.
Jim Thomas says
Recall, recall, recall! Stop this crap before we go back to the late ’70’s ” Will the last person to leave Seattle please turn off the lights” History repeats itself….pull your head out and look at what is going on!
Mike in Spokane says
Hey! It takes a lot of money to run a Progressive/Fabian Socialist state. Inslee is just trying to fund all his programs of bribery, propaganda, graft, largess, et. al. Those, after all, are his constituents. They are the ones who elected the guy. Divide the state at the Cascades summit and let East Washington run a common sense state government, and let West Washington officially become the cesspool it’s trying to turn the whole state into.
Scott Lord says
Polluters pay the bills and pay his paycheck. I wonder if he wants his paycheck.
Donald Gault says
vote in a republician, get those lying dems out of Washington st