Outcomes were definitely mixed on Tuesday for those who care about economic growth and efficient government. Republicans did capture complete control in D.C. (except for that oft-pesky 60-vote filibuster reality in the U.S. Senate), but in this state (as we pointed out Wednesday) the largely status quo results meant we barely hung on to a Majority Coalition Caucus in the State Senate to keep the (unfortunately) re-elected Governor Jay Inslee from running amok.
However, as we delve a little deeper into the lessons learned from the election, more silver linings appear. So, today we look at how the voters dealt with a few key tax-raising initiatives that would have harmed our state’s economy in the name of liberal government activism.
First, no review of voter-approved tax policy would be complete without acknowledging the damage that King County voters did by passing Sound Transit 3, the $54-billion light rail program that will not help reduce congestion in the central Puget Sound region. The never-ending taxes that transit bureaucrats (and the liberal politicians who love them) will control will likely crowd out other priorities for decades to come, for a fixed-route system that may be as obsolete as the Kingdome by the time it is scheduled to be finished in 2041
And we deliberately put the blame on King County voters – and may well narrow that to Seattle-only voters once those results are available – as the Sound Transit voters in Pierce and Snohomish County are rejecting the ST3 boondoggle by over 20,000 votes so far. Unfortunately, it has a 99,000 vote advantage in King County, so we’re stuck with it.
However, the tax-lovers in Seattle were not able to lift two other initiatives which were subject to voters across the state instead of just three counties. First, the carbon tax in Initiative 732 fared miserably, and is currently down by over 400,000 votes, failing 59-41%. It passed only in ultra-liberal (and thankfully small) San Juan County and King (though will less than 52%).
Second, the truly bad policy that was Initiative 1464, the “public money for politicians” measure, is likewise going down in 37 of 39 counties, supported only by the San Juan-Seattle comrade coalition. This measure would have raised taxes on border communities especially, by eliminating a tax break for out-of-state shoppers.
That liberal voters who were otherwise overwhelmingly supporting a tax-loving Governor like Inslee and U.S. Senator in Patty Murray would turn solidly against I-732 and I-1464 is perhaps a sign that taxes for taxes’ sake is not an electoral winner in Washington State.
Additionally, the apparent failure of the City of Olympia’s income tax initiative might make it a little harder for Inslee to push his capital gains income tax next year. When an income tax can’t even get to 47% in a liberal city like Olympia, there is hope.
As the Washington Policy Center Points out an income tax has lost the last 10 times its been on a Washington ballot. One can only hope that Democrats are listening.
Radio Randy says
Demoncrats ARE listening AND learning. They will bury their liberal agendas even deeper in confusing legalese so voters will have to “pass it so we can know what’s in it”.
tensor says
I like how our enactment of “the largest tax increase in state history” magically provides the lesson “maybe higher taxes aren’t the answer.”
(Just like Washington voters’ easy retention of all Democrats — but not all Republicans — shows how much we adore Shift’s core message, right?)
Biff says
Just like Washington voters’ easy retention of all Democrats — but not all Republicans — shows how out of step you left coast liberals are with the rest of the country.
tensor says
…shows how out of step you left coast liberals are with the rest of the country.
Hillary Clinton received the majority of votes cast for President in Washington, Oregon, California — and across all fifty states in total.
Too bad you’ll never know what a useless anachronism your belief system truly is.
Biff says
If you want take time away from your safe space to do a little analysis of the 2016 election results, you’ll find that while Hilliary received 2.1 million more popular votes “across all fifty states” than President-Elect Trump, the pathological liar received 3.5 million more votes in California, 500,000 more in Washington and 200,000 more in Oregon, for a total of 4.2 million more votes from the 3 states you cited alone, which proves beyond a shadow of a doubt how soundly she was rejected nationwide and only garnered strong support from you left coast liberals and proves how out of step you are with the rest of the country.
If you want to break it down further, you better have another case of tissues handy. Looking at Washington election results, her 500,000 vote margin came ENTIRELY from King County and she won Los Angeles County alone by 1.6 million votes. Even someone with a Seattle School District “education” can figure out the she-devil’s total popular vote lead came solely from those 2 counties. If you wouldn’t have been getting stoned in the parking lot during civics class, you might know this is precisely why the Founding Fathers wisely created the electoral college system.
Of course, you’d be down with Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland and Seattle electing our president, regardless of what the rest of the country decides, just as long as it’s a fellow Democrat that gets elected. It’s the same way you feel about Greenie (D) being re-elected to continue the “Generation of Failure”, by King County alone, and broken down to the precinct level, probably by Seattle alone.
Too bad you’ll never know what a useless idiot (D) you truly are.
tensor says
…which proves beyond a shadow of a doubt how soundly she was rejected nationwide…
Yes, Biff, Hillary Clinton having received millions more votes across the country than did her nearest competitor clearly shows “how soundly she was rejected nationwide”. That you seriously made that claim shows how complete the rejection of even the most obvious reality is required for someone to cling to your failed ideology.
If you want to break it down further, you better have another case of tissues handy.
I’m dealing with you, Biff, so I’ll clearly be needing not tissues, but toilet paper. Cases in point:
Looking at Washington election results, her 500,000 vote margin came ENTIRELY from King County and she won Los Angeles County alone by 1.6 million votes. Even someone with a Seattle School District “education” can figure out that King County is entirely within the state of Washington, just as Los Angeles is entirely within the state of California. Look, we all understand that “geography” is a painful word for you just in the number of letters you have to type, one after the other after the other and all in the correct order and such, but it should be obvious — even to you — that a candidate who received so many votes in those localities did well in those states. That you must deny even something so brutally obvious again just shows what a complete and utter failure you belief system must be.
Of course, you’d be down with Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland and Seattle electing our president, regardless of what the rest of the country decides,
Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle were in the majority, so yes, they should determine our president. You’re the one who wants the minority to prevail. That you can’t even tell the difference between a majority and a minority anymore shows how twisted you’ve become.
SouthernRoots says
ST3 was a no win situation for Snohomish and Pierce Counties. As of today, the Yea’s and Nay’s in those counties are 406,850. The Yea’s alone in King County are 434,678.
Per Sound Transit documents, it will not reach break even until 2071. Thanks for nothing Seattle.
tensor says
You really need to learn how to tolerate redistribution; you don’t have to like it or agree with it.
SouthernRoots says
I pay the taxes. I don’t agree with them or like them. I tolerate them until another election opportunity arises to scale them back or eliminate them.
From what I gather from your posts, you love the tax increases and can’t wait for the next election opportunity to raise even more taxes.
tensor says
Roots, nobody likes paying taxes. I cited that quote from you because you seemed perfectly a-ok with me paying taxes for the things you want, but not with you paying taxes for the things I want. (And if you really meant I should try to reduce the taxes I pay for the things you want, well, you kinda forgot to include that part.)
SouthernRoots says
BS. You love paying taxes. There hasn’t been a tax increase you haven’t defended.
I want smaller, limited government. I’m fine with you paying for that.
You want government to dictate every aspect of my business and life and you want me to pay extra for that. You want government to spend wasteful amounts of money on solutions that only work for small percentages of the population and you want me to pay extra for that.
Some of the things I really want are none of government’s business and so I don’t want them to tax me or you for those.
ST3 is a bad idea and is way too expensive. My point above is that Pierce and Snohomish could have voted 100% NO and due to the numbers in King County, it wouldn’t have mattered a bit. Tax tyranny of the majority.
tensor says
There hasn’t been a tax increase you haven’t defended.
Ah, I see. Your problem resides in your failure to comprehend the basic meanings of the common English words you use. Since I’m a liberal, generous of spirit and willing to help the less-fortunate, I’ll happily make the effort to educate you. Pay close attention to the following sentence:
While I do not like demonizing, hate-filled, and thoroughly degrading rhetoric polluting my state’s civic discourse, I nonetheless will always defend the First Amendment right of the front-page posters and sympathetic commenters at (u)SP and Shift to behave like petulant, spoiled, and nasty little children when we voters won’t give them every last little thing they happen to believe they want.
Do let us know if you require additional remedial lessons in English.
Biff says
Ah, And I see all that off-topic blather does nothing to address the quote you cited, your love of big government and your lust for the tax revenue that enables it makes you defend any and all tax increases. Nice pivot, though.
tensor says
“Defend” and “like” are two entirely different words, (Since we’re talking about the common meanings of English words, you’ll just have to accept what other people tell you.)
…your love of big government and your lust for the tax revenue…
I’ve been pretty clear about not wanting to pay taxes for a freeway nobody needs in Spokane. I can tell you all about that again if you keep missing it.
Biff says
“”Defend” and “like” are two entirely different words”
We know. What we don’t know is how that, or all of your off-topic blather, for that matter, addresses the quote you cited; “There hasn’t been a tax increase you haven’t defended”. Are you moronically trying say that you “like” all tax increases, but wouldn’t “defend” them? Just “like” a Democrat (D).
You’ve been pretty clear about not wanting to pay taxes for a freeway in a Republican district but are totally cool with billions in subsidies for ferries in Democratic districts because you’re a partisan hack, comrade “I’m not a Democrat”
tensor says
Are you moronically trying say that you “like” all tax increases, but wouldn’t “defend” them?
No, reading comprehension genius; as usual with you, it’s exactly the other way around. I explicitly stated that no one likes paying taxes (that’s the opposite of saying I like tax increases, by the way). Roots, who is normally far more careful, was this time apparently so incensed by our democracy having worked per design that he attempted to turn my defense of some tax increases into my liking all of them.
You’ve been pretty clear about not wanting to pay taxes for a freeway which nobody needs…
Fixed that for you. You’re welcome.
…billions in subsidies for ferries…
Which, under the Washington State Constitution, are part of the subsidies for motorists provided by the Washington State Department of Transportation. If you want to talk about reducing the tax subsidies our state pays to motorists, I’m all ears.
tensor says
I want smaller, limited government. I’m fine with you paying for that.
Yes, Roots, we all know you’re fine with having other taxpayers buy for you what you want from government; it’s you paying your share which causes you to complain so much. And you’re no proponent of “smaller, limited government,” as your own recent behavior shows:
A proponent of “smaller, limited government” will not quickly and easily list tens of billions of dollars in pet projects he’d have government build. This is because a proponent of “smaller, limited government” sees huge pet projects as a problem, not a solution.
A proponent of “smaller, limited government” will not declare current government spending to be “irrelevant” in a dialog about possible tax increases, because a proponent of “smaller, limited government” will see existing spending as the problem which is driving the possibility of needing new taxes.
A proponent of “smaller, limited government” will not counsel another taxpayer to tolerate the use of government to redistribute wealth, because a proponent of “smaller, limited government” will see the governmental redistribution of wealth as a primary problem to be attacked, not as a side issue to be passively accepted.
You want government to dictate every aspect of my business and life…
No, drama queen, we’re talking here about extending an existing mass-transit system. Nobody here gives a damn about what you do in your private life. We’re just not that into you.
You want government to spend wasteful amounts of money on solutions that only work for small percentages of the population and you want me to pay extra for that.
I’m already paying for a needless freeway in Spokane. You have no need to remind me of that.
Some of the things I really want are none of government’s business and so I don’t want them to tax me or you for those.
We’re not talking about taxing me to pay for your rent boys, or whatever the heck it is you’re alluding to here. We’re talking about extending a mass-transit system, and you’re overblowing rhetoric like some 20th-Century totalitarian regime is banging at our gates. Such huffing and puffing didn’t work for you before the election, so why do you bother continuing it now?
Speaking of which:
ST3 is a bad idea and is way too expensive.
You said that before the election. Your viewpoint lost in a landslide. Deal with it.
My point above is that Pierce and Snohomish could have voted 100% NO and due to the numbers in King County, it wouldn’t have mattered a bit.
That’s because votes count; counties don’t vote. King County has the overwhelming number of taxpaying voters in the Sound Transit region. (Also, since it appears Snohomish County has voted to pass ST3, I’m sure having two out of three counties vote for it will make you all happy about accepting it, right? Sure it will.)
Biff says
Da comrade, we really need to learn to tolerate redistribution. It’s glorious when some commissar decides how much the lowly proletariat gets to keep. It’s the Democrat way
tensor says
I was quoting Roots. Please take your objections to him.
Biff says
I have no objections with the fine gentleman. If your not lying about it, his description your philosophy was spot on.
tensor says
It was a direct quote. Please let him know what you think of his defense of using government to redistribute wealth from liberal taxpayers to conservative recipients.
Biff says
The only place I saw the direct quote was from you. Apparently I don’t obsessively troll Shift like you do. It’s also interesting that when it’s someone else, it’s a “defense”, but when you rush to the pathological lying loser’s defense, you’re “merely pointing out facts”. Hypocrite much? Of course, it’s what you lying Democrats do.
tensor says
Still insisting that a delay of several days was a “rush,” eh?
Little wonder you can’t ever seem to convince a majority of your fellow citizens to vote the way you want.
Biff says
Still insisting on lying about when you initially saw the post you made the FIRST comment on, eh?
Little wonder about how lying Democrats get elected by King County liberals. All you Democrats need is a (D) after the candidates name to convince you to fall into lockstep and vote the way they want you to.
SouthernRoots says
And I was mocking you for you avid support of all tax increases for all sorts of programs while at the same time complaining how unfair it was that others receive more back from taxes than they put in.
tensor says
I was merely noting the people who complain the loudest about the governmental redistribution of wealth are, today in Washington state, the persons most likely to receive such wealth transfers.
Please feel free to condemn such persons at your leisure.
Biff says
UnSound Transit will never reach break even, not it 2071, not in 2525. Remember, these are the same people that said ST2 funding would last until 2023.