Mark Harmsworth retweeted
Why would they take away tax protections on public pensions if they didn't have intentions of taxing them?
Repeal the income tax. Protect public pensions. Vote yes on I-645.
People keep saying it's no big deal that Washington's new income tax now reaches public pensions, since no retired teacher, firefighter or cop gets $1 million a year in pension payments.
They never take the next step. The $1 million threshold is a starting point, not a promise. Legislators are already talking about lowering it. Once the exemption is gone and the tax is in place, all it takes to put your pension on the bill is one vote to change a number.
Vote yes on 645.
Mark Harmsworth retweeted
Former Gov. Locke: ". . . pretty soon the voters are going to say, 'The promises are not being kept, and we're just being taxed like crazy.'" knkx.org/politics/2026-10-19… #waleg
Ok, but what about promising also not to increase the 9.9% rate and veto any legislative change that increases it?
OPINION: Last week, Gov. Bob Ferguson made a promise on Facebook. “I’ve said it before many times, and will say it again, I will veto any attempt by the Legislature to lower the threshold below a million dollars.”
mynorthwest.com/kiro-opinion…
Mark Harmsworth retweeted
Seattle realestate is so cooked. And we aren’t even close to the bottom.
Thank socialist Mayor Katie Wilson and fellow WA Democrats.
Raise taxes, allow crime to flourish, then reasonable people leave.
At least now they are on their way to “affordable housing.”
Downtown Seattle condo sold for less than its 2012 price as broker warns his best clients are already gone seattlered.com/housing/jeff-…
Mark Harmsworth retweeted
NEW: Democratic Rep Cindy Ryu admits her party plans to lower the threshold on the income tax from millionaires to everyone in WA state & that she wants to tax companies more
She told KUOW, "Let's look at less, about 250,000. Can we live well on$250,000 a year of net income?"
And let's see how fast the price of gas doesn't fall - Olympia is addicted to that revenue....
Good news! Washington’s CO2 allowance price fell from $64.46 to $39.50 per metric ton in the current auction.
That amounts to 31.6 cents per gallon - a drop of 20 cents per gallon from the last auction.
It is still 37% higher than the California price. 1/3 #waleg
Seattle businesses are done with the Seattle Mayor and the Council and want to see action - washingtonpolicy.org/publica…
Mark Harmsworth retweeted
Seattle Times tells voters to reject I-001, and Let’s Go Washington answers with a point by point takedown of the editorial seattlered.com/politics/lgw-…
Multiple reasons that show the economic engine of Washington is leaving - washingtonpolicy.org/publica…
According to some media - everything is great, the real numbers however paint a different picture - washingtonpolicy.org/publica…
Not going to end well - ask Chicago - washingtonpolicy.org/publica…
Mark Harmsworth retweeted
Seems problematic for WA long term fiscal viability. Gonna be really hard to sustain a budget when the people who pay taxes have exited, and the ones who consume tax benefits are all that's left, and growing...
From Gene Balk at the Seattle Times:
"King County experienced a loss of residents due to domestic migration...They took their paychecks with them.
Outbound migrants carried about $8.7 billion in [Adjusted Gross Income] out of King County, while incoming residents brought in $6.7 billion —
a net drain of nearly $2 billion from the local economy in a single year, just from people relocating."
(Oh, but it get's worse)
"Despite gaining more people from other states than it lost to them, King County still saw a net loss of $446 million in AGI to out-of-state migrants.
In other words, the people leaving Washington for other states had, on average, higher incomes than the ones moving in."
TL;DR: King County is losing high earning residents to other states, and replacing them with people who make a lot less money.
Gene Balk | @seattletimes
'King County’s population exodus is mostly local, IRS data shows'
Article: seattletimes.com/seattle-new…
Mark Harmsworth retweeted
Voters this November will be told that repealing the income tax would reduce funding for schools and healthcare.
But how can repealing a tax that won't generate a single dollar until 2029 reduce funding for programs that aren't receiving any of that money today?
The income tax earmarks nothing for K-12 education, higher education, or healthcare. Aside from a 5% allocation to the Fair Start for Kids Account beginning in 2029, the revenue goes into the unrestricted general fund, where future legislatures decide how it's spent.
Washington's Public Investment Impact Disclosure should describe what an initiative actually does, not imply that repealing a tax that won't produce revenue until 2029 would reduce funding for today's schools and healthcare. #waleg
Mark Harmsworth retweeted
Yes Democrats, it is ok to ackowledge to reality. Both former Governors Gregoire and Locke have called out the irresponsible lack of spending discipline in Olympia with the citizen's money. Time to quit handing more matches to the arsonists.
What does former Governor Gary Locke think about the economic direction of WA? What about the new income tax? Exclusive reaction here @TCSWashington
youtube.com/watch?v=HI6Z5fZ0…
Mark Harmsworth retweeted
Washington is drowning in debt, while Idaho, Montana and Wyoming work to clear the books.
#statedebt #governmentspending
Mark Harmsworth retweeted
Gary Locke has entered the budget chat. As a part of my no new taxes budget proposal last December, I introduced a host of budget reforms. Some of those reforms I took directly from Gary Locke when he was Governor. All of those sound reforms were rejected. It goes to show how far away from sound economic policy the current Democrat majority has strayed that they can’t even hear reforms that worked under one of their own previous Governors. Now you have two former Democrat Governors essentially word for word stating what Republicans have been saying for 4 years now of runaway spending and deficits. Republicans and reasonable Democrats should unite to defeat socialism in WA.
The City of Olympia wants to circumvent the will of the voters - washingtonpolicy.org/publica…
