Jay Inslee launched this legislative special session calling for lawmakers to adopt his cap-and-tax scheme. During the last three months, Inslee could not even garner enough support for his scheme to pass the Democrat-controlled state House – a very embarrassing situation for the rookie governor.
Inslee’s insistence on resurrecting a failed policy bill revealed he still views himself and his role as a “player on the field,” rather than as a leader. It also revealed that he is willing to engage in deeply partisan politics and obstruct the people’s business if it means achieving his extreme green agenda.
This Throw Back Thursday, we’re taking a look back on one big lie Inslee relies on to advocate for his cap-and-tax scheme. Inslee has and continues to claim that his cap-and-tax scheme only costs our state’s “polluters,” not working families.
Inslee sells his cap-and-tax scheme as a tax on Washington State’s “biggest polluters” who need to be punished. The list—generated by the state Department of Ecology—originally included 130 businesses like the University of Washington, Washington State University, US Army Joint Base Lewis‐McChord and Naval Base Kitsap. Of course, Inslee’s claims are far from the truth.
The truth is that Inslee’s cap-and-tax scheme would reduce the average annual employment by approximately 56,000 jobs over the next 20 years. Nearly 6,000 of those jobs would be in the manufacturing sector. The study also found that the total aggregate income for workers and business owners would be reduced by an annual average of $3.1 billion per year. That figure, divided by total Washington households, is equivalent to a reduction of $1,200 in annual income per household.
The average household could expect an increase in gasoline, natural gas and electric bills by nearly $60 a month—that does not include the indirect cost increases in consumer goods, such as groceries.
But, that’s not all. According to one study, Washington State would lose an average of $658 million in annual net tax revenue due to lower sales, property and excise taxes resulting from the reduced future economic growth. Additionally, the study found that the average annual net revenue from the cap-and-tax scheme would be just nearly 60% of Inslee’s predictions.
The study points out that Washington State’s per capita greenhouse gas (GHG) emission rate is already 36% lower than the national average. And, despite our state’s booming population growth, emission rates continue to drop. In fact, Washington State is within 3% of the state’s 2020 GHG emissions goal—the goal that Inslee so often cites as a reason why our state must move forward with his extreme “green” plans.
Yet, despite all the punishments our green governor’s cap-and-tax scheme doles out to businesses and working families alike, Inslee was still willing to even make the attempt to obstruct the people’s businesses (passing a balanced budget and transportation package) at the start special session.
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