Governor Bob Ferguson just signed off on the biggest tax hike in Washington state history—and now he wants you to believe he’s your economic savior because he’s “fighting” Donald Trump’s tariffs. Seriously? The guy who just made it more expensive to drive a car, rent a car, own a car, get married, die, or even go hiking now claims he’s protecting your wallet.

On X, Ferguson proudly declared he’s battling Trump’s “unlawful” tariffs that are allegedly “harming our economy.” The only problem? Washington’s economy isn’t actually being crushed by tariffs. It is, however, being steamrolled by Ferguson’s own tax-happy policies.

Let’s recap the damage: a new 6-cent gas tax (on top of the Climate Commitment Act’s hidden taxes), 2% annual increases, spiked B&O, capital gains, and estate taxes, plus higher fees for everything from driver’s licenses to marriage certificates to outdoor recreation. And just to make sure no one escapes, sales taxes are now slapped on services that used to be exempt. Ferguson even managed to double rental car taxes, including for Turo users. Economic justice? Try economic mugging.

Meanwhile, Ferguson is out here forming coalitions and posting dramatic anti-Trump threads like he’s the hero in an economic Marvel movie. The reality: he’s using Trump as a scapegoat for the mess Democrats have made.

If your paycheck’s shrinking, your bills are growing, and your gas tank costs more than your grocery haul, don’t look to D.C. for blame. Just look to Olympia—Bob and the Democrats have that disaster well-covered. Read more at KTTH.

Sound Transit has mastered one thing: collecting your money while delivering delays, cost overruns, and a board that couldn’t find a train schedule with Google Maps. With more than $21.8 billion in tax revenue collected since 1996—and $10.3 billion just since 2019—you’d think they could build a few light rail lines on time. Instead, opening dates keep getting pushed back (hello, 2026), and voters keep getting steamrolled.

The root of the problem? A board packed with political cronies handpicked by county executives—many of whom conveniently serve alongside the guy who just appointed them. Exhibit A: former King County Executive Dow Constantine, who chaired the Sound Transit Board for years, then moonwalked into the CEO role like no one would notice. Spoiler: we noticed.

Critics, including the Washington Policy Center’s Charles Prestrud, have called out the “in-bred” structure for what it is: a rigged system built to avoid accountability to voters and protect the pet projects of the ruling political class. Translation: they don’t want transit experts; they want yes-men in suits who rubber-stamp budget-busting boondoggles.

The solution? How about letting voters elect some board members, or requiring at least a shred of actual transportation expertise? King County Assessor John Wilson says he’d push for that—though his reform message is now tangled in a legal mess and calls to drop out of his race for county executive.

Meanwhile, other cities, like New York, at least pretend to care by giving leadership roles to people with real transit experience. Chicago? They’re not much better, with just 3 actual transportation experts appointed to their CTA board in 40 years—though even they beat Seattle’s zero-for-zero record.

Sound Transit’s legal structure may be set in stone, but the public patience isn’t. Twenty years of cost overruns, missed deadlines, and insider back-scratching has turned this agency into a monument of mismanagement—with taxpayers picking up the tab and waiting for a train that’s always “arriving soon.” Read more at Center Square.

Just when you thought Washington politics couldn’t get any more unhinged, former Seattle City Councilmember and full-time Marxist cosplayer Kshama Sawant is back—this time with her sights set on Congress. Yep, she’s filed to challenge longtime Democratic Rep. Adam Smith in the 9th Congressional District, because apparently the Democrats aren’t radical enough for her tastes.

Sawant, best known for pushing Seattle as close to full-blown socialism as legally possible from 2014 to 2024, plans to launch her campaign with a street rally outside the federal building. Because nothing screams “serious leadership” like holding a press conference on the sidewalk.

Among her greatest hits? Demanding $5 billion a year from local companies (yes, billion with a B) to fund “free” healthcare for Seattle. She’s calling it a “ballot initiative,” but it sounds more like a ransom note to Amazon.

Sawant’s campaign is technically listed as “independent,” which makes sense—she’s too far left even for the Democrats, who’ve already spent years cringing through her rent control fantasies, “tax the rich” mantras, and over-the-top activist stunts. Let’s not forget she barely survived a recall election after dragging protesters into City Hall during COVID lockdowns and was hit with ethics complaints and defamation suits for calling landlords “slumlords” and cops “murderers.”

And yes, she’s now pushing a national campaign called Workers Strike Back, which sounds more like a rejected Star Wars sequel than a political platform. It includes all the usual greatest socialist hits: unionize everything, free housing, free healthcare, and absolutely no clue how to pay for any of it beyond “make billionaires cry.”

She’s even taken a break from city council to attend anti-Israel protests and cry foul when India wouldn’t let her in. Apparently, even other countries are tired of her lectures.

So here we go: Sawant vs. the Democrats. Communists vs. capitalists-lite. Get your popcorn. Read more at MyNorthwest.com.

Washington Democrats have officially handed landlords their next legal headache—wrapped in red tape and branded as “predictability” for renters. Governor Bob Ferguson just signed House Bill 1217, capping rent hikes at 10% or lessthrough the end of 2025. And yes, they’re calling that “moderate.”

Progressives originally wanted a 7% hard cap, but had to dial it up to win over a few less-socialist Dems who still claim to believe in math. Meanwhile, Republicans—and every small landlord with a calculator—warned this is rent control by another name and guaranteed to kill development. But don’t worry, the Rental Housing Association of Washington is already gearing up to sue, so grab your popcorn.

This new law doesn’t just cap rents—it also bans increases in the first year of a lease and demands 90 days’ notice for any future hikes. Violators can face lawsuits from tenants or the state AG’s office, which can collect up to $7,500 per violation—a nice little payday if you’re into rent policing.

Of course, the bill is riddled with carve-outs: newly built units (first 12 years), low-income housing, public housing, and owner-occupied smallplexes are all exempt. Because when Democrats write legislation, some landlords are magically less evil than others.

Bottom line: in a state where housing is already scarce, Democrats just made it even riskier to build or rent homes—then patted themselves on the back for “helping.” Let’s check back in 2026 when the housing supply crisis somehow got worse, and they’re shocked. Again. Read more at the Washington State Standard.

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