June 9, 2020

Source: ShiftWA.org

Two separate acts of divisive partisan politics are currently being considered by Washington State Democrat lawmakers, as we struggle to economically recover from the coronavirus outbreak. First, unless Governor Jay Inslee acts soon and stands up to his major union campaign donors, state employees will receive another 3% pay raise on July 1^st (on top of the 3% raise they received last year).   It would be cruel to the state’s private sector residents, who have absorbed nearly all the lost wages during this crisis, to force them to fund a pay raise for those in the public sector who have been kept on the payroll and have not experienced the same economic hardships.  Plus, the pay raise will add nearly $800 million to the state’s budget at a time when services to the needy are facing drastic cuts. This would be a good opportunity for the governor to demonstrate that the financial well-being of state residents is more important than the campaign contributions he receives from the public employee unions.  Second, despite the multiple problems currently experienced by other states dependent on income taxes, state Democrat lawmakers continue to push for an unstable income tax on capital gains. Setting aside the legal question of whether the tax is constitutional in Washington State (pro tip, it’s not), an capital gains taxes are an undependable revenue source during economic downturns. (Washington Policy Center)

State lawmakers will likely be making spending cuts to make up for the projected $7 billion shortfall in the current budget, yet Democrats are still expected to give their large campaign contributors, state employees, a 3% pay raise starting July 1^st.  While budget cuts are expected to hit nursing home residents, college students, people with disabilities, early learning, foster families, and those suffering mental health issues, Governor Inslee and Democrat lawmakers appear to believe state employees should receive a second 3% pay raise in a year.  Inslee’s budget director David Schumacher attempted to play down the pay raise, saying it has a small impact on the state’s budget. Union bosses must be overjoyed that Governor Inslee’s team believes that $800 million (the four-year cost of the pay raise) would be better spent on government employees than on those in need. (Crosscut)