Paul Guppy, Vice President for Research at the Washington Policy Center and former Chief of Staff for a U.S. Representative, joined us for this week’s Newsmaker Interview. As many of you know, the Washington Policy Center is a prominent free-market think-tank which addresses various policy issues through research and reports for state and local government officials. In his interview, Guppy expressed concern about the increasing tax burden imposed by Democrats in Olympia on Washington State residents and businesses. He explained why he anticipates further tax hikes despite existing budget surpluses during the 2024 legislative session. He also criticized Jay Inslee’s call for additional funds to clear encampments on state properties and highlights the negative impact of Seattle’s anti-business policies on community opportunities. Finally, Guppy highlighted the WPC’s upcoming Annual Dinner on October 13th in Bellevue, featuring Dr. Sebastian Gorka and leaders from the satirical website Babylon Bee. Read more.

It seems like a pretty simple request from a legislator, really – just provide the information the law requires. However, as State Senator Perry Dozier is finding out, despite “raking in more than $1 billion from the carbon-pricing program that is behind Washington’s crushingly high fuel prices, the state Department of Ecology isn’t being fully open about who is buying and holding the carbon credits.”

The state secrecy about the carbon tax (or CCA) is starting to bother the good senator, who points out that “the very information that the Legislature intended to make available when it enacted the CCA is being withheld by the department as it enforces the CCA.” You can read on for the senator’s suggested solution here… Washington State Legislature.

For those who need a reminder, sometimes folks in the private sector change their minds (read Facebook/Meta here), and it doesn’t matter how much public money has been plowed into an area for their benefit. That’s the story from the Seattle Times, with a lengthy piece on how the “Spring District has been among the largest and top-profile developments in Seattle’s metro area for more than a decade … But all has not gone according to plan … the entire development now faces uncertainty over Meta’s plans for its sprawling office campus.”

So what does it mean for the region when even high-end Bellevue developments can’t attract residents and businesses back out? Well, you can read how one real estate expert explains that the good news is the “suburbs are definitely doing better than Seattle, but, sadly, that is kind of a low bar” here… Seattle Times.

Shakedown cruise is an old expression being given new meaning by Seattle Port Commissioner Fred Felleman. And now we will find out how much King County voters are paying attention this fall, as the Port Commissioner running for re-election cruised through the primary before the Seattle Times reported that Felleman “violated the Port’s code of ethics by using his position to gain special privileges or exemptions with a nonprofit.”

Clearly, Commissioner Felleman was not expecting this or didn’t take the process seriously, as the only excuse he could come up with was that “I recognize that my words and actions sometimes lack respect and courtesy. That is not intentional.” You can read more about how he is “actively engaged in improving the effectiveness of my workplace communications” here… Seattle Times.

It used to be that liberal groups were in favor of freedom of speech and association.  But many Northwest environmental groups don’t believe those courtesies extend to people they disagree with, leaving the Washington State Standard reporting they are “asking two of the largest electric and natural gas utilities in Oregon and Washington to end their membership in a powerful gas trade group.”

It seems a little like unilateral disarmament when industry groups are told to stop advocating for their own interests while the Sierra Club and its brethren align themselves with whatever extremists will advance their cause.  You can read more green hypocrisy here… Washington State Standard.

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