When Jay Inslee campaigned for governor in 2012, he promised no new taxes, but after 12 years, his tune has certainly changed—along with the size of the state budget. In 2013, Inslee inherited a $38.4 billion biennial budget. Now, as he prepares to leave office, he’s proposing a staggering $78.8 billion budget, funded in part by $4 billion in new taxes, including a controversial wealth tax. So much for that “no new taxes” pledge.
During the Great Recession, lawmakers slashed $11 billion in spending to deal with budget shortfalls. Inslee? He’s opting for tax hikes and calling it leadership. Even with record revenues pouring in, the state faces a budget shortfall projected to reach up to $16 billion over four years. How does that happen in a “booming economy”? Inslee claims the state’s tax system is “regressive,” even as Washington ranks among the top 12 states for per capita taxes, according to the Tax Foundation.
His wealth tax targets Washington residents worth over $100 million, supposedly just 3,000 people. Inslee insists their wealth “will continue to grow after this tax,” as though that’s supposed to make the pill easier to swallow. Meanwhile, his plan also includes a 20% hike in the business & occupation (B&O) tax for service businesses earning over $1 million, which he calls a “modest” change. When asked how this might hurt small businesses, he dodged, saying it’s better than Trump-era tariffs. Not exactly comforting.
Republican lawmakers weren’t impressed. Sen. Chris Gildon summed it up by saying Inslee is ending his tenure the same way he started: “tax-and-spend to the end.” He noted that the state doesn’t have a revenue problem—it has a spending problem. Instead of using the extra $5 billion in expected revenue to balance the books, Inslee wants more taxes, making Washington even less affordable for residents and businesses alike.
Inslee’s parting gift to Washington? A budget that raises costs for everyone while blaming a system he’s had over a decade to reform. This isn’t leadership—it’s a legacy of bloated spending and broken promises.
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