The Everett Herald’s editorial board, which has long been recognized as the Washington State daily newspaper with the most Left-wing opinions in a region full of very liberal newspapers, attempts to convince readers that a union-financed pro-tax group is “non-partisan,” to justify its own belief that Washington workers are not taxed enough.  The newspaper made this claim while ignoring the fact that state government has received record-breaking tax revenues that are more than twice what the state received just nine years ago when Jay Inslee brought his tax-raising obsessions and bigger government views to the governor’s mansion. There appears to be no limit to the amount of taxes that liberal politicians and their special interest supporters seek to squeeze from Washington residents, especially when they know newspapers like the Everett Herald still believe that all of the state’s problems will be solved by a bigger and more powerful government. (Click to read full Shift Article)

Democrat lawmakers in Washington State continue to demonstrate that they live in their own secluded world.  Our state’s own Seattle-led lefties are not just the only group in the country to believe a capital gains tax is not a tax on income, but they also appear to be the only group of elected officials in the country which does not believe that over two years of one-man emergency rule of a state is not excessive and dangerous to our democracy.

As we have pointed out often in Shift, the IRS and all 49 other states agree that a tax on capital gains is an income tax, which makes the tax unconstitutional in Washington State.  Yet this did not deter Democrat lawmakers from passing legislation (SB 5096) to impose a state income tax on capital gains.  A Douglas County Superior Court judge has used legal precedent, and the views of the IRS and 49 other states, to rule that the Democrat’s tax is an unconstitutional income tax.  It is evidently the belief of Democrat legislators that the nine liberal members of the Washington State Supreme Court will ignore the findings of the superior court judge, the views of all other tax entities in the country, and Washington State legal precedent to fabricate some legal mumbo jumbo to falsely label the capital gains tax as an “excise tax” in order to avoid its obvious unconstitutionality.

The same isolation from reality is also on display as the Democrat legislators continue to enable Governor Jay Inslee on his never-ending undemocratic and divisive abuse of emergency powers (now on day 808 and counting).  Democrats across the country are speaking out against the excessive undemocratic powers that have been given to some executive branches, yet this still doesn’t deter Democrat legislators in our state from allowing Governor Inslee his never-ending one-man rule.

Democrat Oregon Governor Kate Brown recently said emergency powers should not go one forever and “should be transitioned to normal government processes and authorities, as soon as possible, to ensure that essential checks and balances remain in place.”  The Democrat Chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee Jerrold Nadler (D – NY) said, “we must reform the National Emergencies Act to ensure that future abuse will not occur.” Nadler said that failure to set time limits on emergency powers means “the unmistakable drift toward [a] one-[person] government will continue.”

Hundreds of other Democrats across the country have made similar statements as many states have limited the length of time when executives can wield emergency powers.  But once again, the Democrats who control the Washington legislature have shown that not only are they out of step with most of Washington, but also with members of their own party across the country.  This is likely why they are so nervous heading into the 2022 elections and why they have continued to seek limitations on the power of the citizens. (Washington Policy Center, Washington Legislature Bill Summary, U.S. House Judiciary Committee media release, and Maine Policy Institute)

Americans of Chinese descent have labeled actions by Democrat Speaker Laurie Jinkins as “discriminatory” and have paid to place a large billboard in her Tacoma legislative district to express their outrage. The group is seeking to have the state declare January as Americans of Chinese descent month. During the 2022 legislative session the Senate unanimously passed Republican Senator Keith Wagoner’s SB 5264 to support creating this month of recognition.  Despite its overwhelming Senate approval, the bill died in the House as Speaker Jinkins never allowed the bill to make it to the House floor for a vote.  In a media interview, Speaker Jinkins said the “majority Democrats had questions about assigning months to ‘sub-ethnic’ groups.” Yet many of these same representatives, including Speaker Jinkins, had no problem in 2019 passing a bill to designate October as Filipino American History Month.

The large billboard points out that in 1885 Chinese Americans had been expelled from Speaker Jinkins’ hometown of Tacoma and that students should be encouraged to learn more about this racist behavior, so it is not repeated.  In a media release from WA Asians for Equality, it was stressed that Democrat Representative Cindy Ryu (Shoreline) led the opposition to SB 5264.   Representative Ryu is a Korean American and she was concerned that the passage of the bill “would have been further emboldened” the Americans of Chinese descent organization. (WA Asians for Equality media release and Washington Legislature Bill Summary)

A triple murderer could be released this summer unless Governor Inslee overrules the state’s parole board.  Timothy Pauley was convicted of three brutal murders in 1980, after he and an accomplice robbed a Sea-Tac tavern for $1,500. After serving 42 years, the Washington State Indeterminate Sentencing Review Board decided to parole Pauley despite strong pleas from the victims’ families. Former Republican Congressman and King County Sheriff Dave Reichert investigated the murders 42 years ago and said, “This was one of the most grisly, horrendous scenes that I have seen in my career.” Reichert also said, “there is no way he should be walking free.” (MyNorthwest)

New 42^nd District Republican Senator Simon Sefzik (Ferndale) has issued a debate challenge to his Democrat opponent, Representative Sharon Shewmake (Bellingham).  Senator Sefzik was appointed to the Senate position in January, after former Senator Doug Ericksen passed away.  Senator Sefzik immediately made waves in the Senate when he sought to help lower- and middle- income workers by temporarily removing the state’s 49 cents-per-gallon tax on gas, as fuel prices were skyrocketing.  Democrats, including Representative Shewmake, were resistant to reduce any tax even though many Washington residents were facing difficult financial decisions because of out of control inflation.

Senator Sefzik said in a letter to Representative Shewmake “We owe our constituents this opportunity (to debate) so they can make an informed decision over the future of Whatcom County.”  He stated that after they find a mutually agreed upon moderator, “then name the time and place and I will be there.” (Senator Simon Sefzik Facebook post and Shift Newsmaker Interview)

Spokane Police Chief Craig Meidl stated that much of the blame for the increase in crime in his city is due to the 2021 anti-police reforms passed by the Democrat-controlled legislature and in the failure of the same Democrat legislators to “fix” the state’s drug possession laws.  Chief Meidl said that the Democrats’ anti-police legislation has led to an increase in “resistance” to legal authorities.  The chief also claimed that the Democrats’ failure to “fix” drug possession laws after the State Supreme Court’s Blake decision essentially legalized hard drugs, is one of the major reasons why fentanyl is so prevalent in his city and why there has been an incredible 1,100% increase in seizure rates of the drug. (CenterSquare)

Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward earned a small victory on Monday when the Spokane City Council approved zoning changes to allow the city to move forward with a large homeless shelter.  The city is looking to convert a former 32,500 square foot warehouse into a shelter, but needed the city council to first rezone the area to include “community services.” Previous efforts had failed, but wording in the zoning change were made so that the measure passed unanimously. With the zoning change made, Mayor Woodward said two more steps are required before the shelter can open.  First they must reach a lease agreement with the building owner and then the city needs to approve an acceptable operator for the shelter. (Spokesman-Review)

Democrat politicians in Washington State suddenly became aware that the price of gas is rapidly increasing and evidently they forgot that they are the ones who imposed the taxes and regulations which predictably caused the cost of fuel to climb sharply.  The Democrats keep blaming everybody (Putin, Trump, oil executives, etc.)  but themselves for the negative impact of their own reckless actions.  And that’s even before Washington residents feel the full impact of Governor Jay Inslee’s latest set of failed environmental policies. Soon drivers will have to pay even more at the pump as the fees and increased costs of the ineffective cap and trade and Low Carbon Fuel Standard schemes hit the market later this year.  Since transportation costs will continue to rise, so will the cost of nearly every good and services that are purchased. (Click to read full Shift Article)

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