Jay Inslee has often sought a national stage for his far-left ideas, from the environmental policy book/screed he “wrote” while in Congress that no one will buy, to the grandstanding Shift highlighted at global climate change events like last year’s Paris conference.
Now that he has been re-elected, Inslee is getting attention for again breaking his no-new-taxes promises, this time from the respected national Tax Foundation. The “nation’s leading independent tax policy research organization” points out that Inslee “seeks a tax trifecta” in his budget proposal.
Of course, the Foundation also points out that Inslee’s ideas are recycled ones, which gave failed with voters and legislators in recent years. From its analysis, “over the past two years, Washington’s legislature and voters have rejected a capital gains tax, a carbon tax, and an increase on gross receipts taxes on services. In his new budget, Gov. Jay Inslee (D) chose to serve up all three with a proposed budget package that would increase revenue by $4.4 billion in the first biennium even though the two largest components—worth at least $2.7 billion—don’t even kick in until the second year.”
So, Inslee can go into his Christmas break secure in the knowledge that he has once again slipped his way into a national spotlight – one that will, like previous efforts, end in failure for his ideas.
But at least Jay can say he got attention – no matter how embarrassing it is for Washington State.
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