July 14, 2020


Governor Jay Inslee’s plan to solve the serious state budget crisis is to keep handing out pay raises to state employees and keep refusing to cut a budget that is 20% larger than the previous budget, all while hoping for another federal bailout and, most of all, waiting until after the election to increase taxes even more on Washington citizens.  Instead of being responsible and calling for a legislative special session to align our state spending with the new budget realities of slower growth in revenues, Governor Inslee and Democrat legislative leaders want to keep spending money to create an opportunity to create new taxes (hello, state income tax), despite the financial insecurities of Washington taxpayers.  (Shift)
While Inslee and the Democrats fiddle with the state’s economy, businesses could face unprecedented failures.  The state’s increasingly troubled financial situation, which Inslee is ignoring while waiting for a federal bailout for the state’s reduced tax revenues, is not likely to jump right back.  According KOMO, “Local economists are worried that another surge of COVID-19 cases in the fall could do severe damage to the regional economy…UW Professor of Finance and Business Economics Thomas Gilbert says he expects 20 percent of restaurants and small businesses to permanently close their doors by Dec. 31.” But at least those who do survive will be there to pay the higher taxes the Democrats will pushing during the 2021 legislative session.  (KOMO News)
Beginning Thursday, ballots will be mailed to Washington state voters for the 2020 primary election. There are 35 individuals hoping to unseat Governor Jay Inslee and 11 candidates looking to replace Cyrus Habib, who has chosen not to run for re-election as Lt. Governor. There are also other statewide offices, Congress, legislature, and some local races on the ballot.  (Everett Herald)
Tribal casino to change rules to almost align with state laws on indoor smoking.  Jay Inslee’s campaign contributors at the state’s Indian tribes have not really been doing the governor a lot of favors lately, what with the early re-opening of their casinos to thousands of gamblers daily, while non-tribal Washington entertainment businesses were forced to remain closed.  However, the Cowlitz tribe was not content to poke its finger into Inslee’s eye over re-opening, now they are reminding him that the tribe does not always follow state laws on smoking either. As reported by the Columbian, “the increased rate of infection in our region and continued uncertainty regarding the COVID-19 virus” has caused the tribe to ban smoking inside the casino “until further notice.” Hopefully, the lucrative state monopoly on sports betting which Governor Inslee and the Democrat legislature gave tribal casinos will offset any loss of business from smokers. (Vancouver Columbian)

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