The Pain Comes Later
The pain comes later. It’s a lesson we all learn—sometimes the hard way. Maybe you forgot sunscreen but stayed at the beach all day anyway. Or perhaps, like so many of us, you lived off pizza rolls those first few months after moving out on your own. It all seemed fine—until the scale, the cholesterol numbers, and that haunting voice in your head confirmed: maybe Mom was right about vegetables after all.
Whether it’s one too many scoops of ice cream, splurging on a dream vacation you can’t really afford, or being a New York Jets fan (not really, the pain for them is constant), bad decisions often feel fine in the moment but come with a delayed cost. That same principle applies to public policy. Watching Governor Bob Ferguson and the Democratic leadership celebrate the largest tax increase in state history was a painful reminder of that truth.
To his credit, early in the legislative session, Governor Ferguson spoke of fiscal responsibility. He acknowledged the importance of restraint and even voiced concerns about the level of taxes circulating in budget drafts. But, as the session ended, he fully embraced what he once seemed to oppose.
As the reigning champion of the “believe what I say, not what I sign into law” school of politics, Governor Bob signed into law a $77.8 billion biennial budget and gladly imposed a wave of new/higher taxes onto Washingtonians. The final product? A $9.3 billion spike in new spending over four years—far exceeding inflation, without any sign of meaningful compromise or hard choices.
A Closer Look at the Tax Hikes
As highlighted by a recent Shift WA briefing, here’s a quick look at just a few of the new taxes Washingtonians are now grappling with:
- Gas Tax Hike (SB 5161): +6 cents per gallon of gas, +12 cents for diesel. If you thought groceries and shipping were expensive now, just wait.
- Business & Occupation (B&O) Tax Increases (HB 2081): Businesses pay more based on gross receipts—even if they lose money. It’s a tax on activity, not profit.
- Sales Tax Expansion (SB 5814): Services like IT, custom software, and even advertising are now taxed. Washington’s new motto: If you can invoice it, we can tax it.
- Capital Gains Tax Hike (SB 5813): Jumping from 7% to 9.9%, alongside estate tax rates reaching 35%. Forget building wealth across generations—government gets the first bite.
- Repealing Tax Preferences (SB 5794): Storage units now face a 1.75% gross receipts tax, among other hits to consumers.
It’s not just bad policy—it’s reckless. And it’s driven not by necessity, but by ideology.
The Illusion of Compromise
In Olympia, the idea of bipartisan compromise is little more than window dressing. For the controlling party in Olympia, compromise is merely spoken about, never accomplished, because its only purpose is to excuse excesses in partisan agendas. It’s like justifying the extra large fry and bacon burger by saying you’ll get the salad next time. The gesture is meaningless when the outcome is already decided.
Governor Ferguson and his allies will surely spend the next few months on the campaign trail, touting “difficult decisions” and “budget discipline.” But anyone paying attention can see the reality: no sacrifices, no negotiation—just unchecked ambition dressed up in platitudes.
We’re seeing beloved longtime businesses closing up shop and moving because it’s just becoming too difficult to run a business here. But don’t worry, there’s no entrepreneur behind them looking to start a business in our state because the radical progressives have told job creators Washington State is closed for business. If the taxes themselves don’t kill that business dream, the regulations will. From ranking 45th in state tax competitiveness and 48th on Forbes’ list of best states to start a small business, policymakers are sprinting us toward an economic disaster.
Even Microsoft President Brad Smith sounded the alarm earlier this year:
“God, please give us state legislators who care about economic development and not just taxing our industry to pay for other things that we care about, as well.”
It Didn’t Have to Be This Way
Washington wasn’t always like this. Not long ago, we ranked 6th in the nation for business tax climate. We were a magnet for innovation and job creation. But with each tax increase, regulatory overreach, and progressive policy advancement, we chip away at the foundation that once made our state thrive.
And let’s not forget what’s still on the horizon—like rent control policies that will only increase the cost of living while discouraging investment and development.
Governor Ferguson and his legislative allies can smile for the cameras now, trying to sell their legislative coal as diamonds. But while they bask in self-congratulation, the rest of us are stuck paying the bill and preparing for the predictable result: pain.
