Elan

Washington's own lawyers told Gov. Ferguson his signature "millionaire tax" was almost certainly unconstitutional, in writing, before he signed it. I obtained the public records. Here's what they show. 🧵

Of this were true they would not need to engineer an end run around the state constitution to attempt to pull it off. They neither have the law nor the votes and they know it… but they did it anyway.

@NickSattele @asher_971 It’s doubling. That’s all the number you need.

@engele @asher_971 It’s $29 per median two person household. The article is wrong

Wild that they keep approving of this stuff:

@greggmaykish I don’t know if it’ll be a swift correction, but I think we will begin to moderate.

@engele I don't share your optimism. The people who put us in this dire downward situation control the 3 houses of state government, the largest city, and the WA courts are their best buds. It will take massive counter-organization to dislodge this momentum.

I’m genuinely optimistic about WA. Even the most committed folks are talking about what is broken in WA right now. This is a major change from only a year or two ago where there was a a lot more reluctance to just say it as it is. We are going to be okay.

@GovBobFerguson How are you into away money right now while our own office of financial management says we are in a spending crisis? (And no I don’t oppose financial aid, but we just faced back to back massive tax increases including the largest in state history).

If your family of four makes: $83,500 or less, your college or career training could be free. Up to $139,500, you could get some money for college or training. This legislation will unlock free money for thousands of young people across our state.

It’s out of control. At a minimum vote for the income tax initiative and against Coleen Melody and Theo Angelis. Income taxes like Pedersen wants… and he and Ferguson architected the tax, would apply to everyone. They called this a “test case” to change the WA constitutions ban on income taxes.

@KIRO7Seattle I’m a blue dem. Why do I see new taxes or tax hikes being proposed almost daily in WA and Seattle?? This is getting beyond ridiculous. Stop taxing people to the gills. It’s already expensive to live here. Make it work within budget. Shit got bloated during Covid and never reduced

Seattle considers a proposal to double the transit sales tax #Echobox=1783991618" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">kiro7.com/news/local/sea…

Phenomenal quote that explains a great deal about a great deal:

Most data centers use the same amount of water—or less—than an average large office building. Meanwhile, they're helping lower electricity costs by financing new power generation. The hysteria over AI data centers is going to age very, very poorly.

@asher_971 @stevemur That’s still an incredibly dishonest way to frame it (as you are aware).

@engele @stevemur The total tax per person is $29 but the current tax is $15 per person. So it’s an incremental $15. We always talk about tax increases in terms of change not the full amounts.

@asher_971 It’s doubling a regressive sales tax. That’s a great way to frame it. Especially given the current state of service.

@engele The current tax is $15 per person per year. We are asking to double it. So an incremental $15.

@asher_971 @stevemur The article cites $29… if you actually read it.

@KathrynPaisner @kane Agreed completely. I’m not sure it has any impact on bike thieves whatsoever to be honest.

@kane I wish calling the police reliably impacted bicycle thieves’ lives.

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition’s official advice if your bike is stolen is to “consider the potential impact of calling the police” on the criminal.

Failed state level issues:

The reality is… most voters do not know that SEIU exists, has any power whatsoever, and has never had a conversation that included them. Our local WA press has failed voters on this, but the reality is still true that if you ask a random voter on the street what SEIU stands for, they can’t tell you.

Hate to say we told you so, but we told you so... But don't worry, the SEIU 775 still gets their vig to use in the campaign to keep the unconstitutional income tax. If you're a voter that doesn't know the outsized role the SEIU 775 plays in WA elections, YOU'RE THE PROBLEM.

Anyone else think it's weird that the groups who stand to gain the most money from the income tax are working with the governor to repress the vote of the people?

@stevemur Not a fair comparison. They had fewer rules back then Steve. There’s nothing we can do about that today /s 😉

In 1926, The Lake Quinalt Lodge was built in just 53 days.

@future42org I’m hopeful, and realistic about November. Hopefully we can stop the income tax. That’s a material impact on the state and we need to work at that.

@engele That depends on how November goes.

@roon0292 They do though. They pay for the grid upgrades they need that subsidize all of us as well as provide significant tax revenue that offsets other taxes. It’s a win for utility payers and taxpayers.

@engele Which is what I already mentioned cause they absolutely should be paying their fair share

Idiotic The states that resist this will be better off (And to be clear I support forcing data centers to pay their fair share of electricity costs)

Capital gains tax revenue is procyclical. It tracks the stock market, not the health of the tax. We've been in a historic bull run. Of course collections are up. The "number of payers" going up is almost certainly asset price inflation pushing more households above the threshold, not a growing taxpayer base. A rising market lifts more people into the tax bracket. That's not proof people are staying. That's proof the S&P went up. Capital flight is a lagging indicator. Wealth doesn't relocate overnight and certain households who may have been willing to pay the cap gains tax are pushed over the edge with the income tax. People plan over years: time their realizations, restructure holdings, buy property out of state, then eventually move. The revenue hasn't dried up yet because the base hasn't fully adapted. By the time collections drop, the damage is done. You don't wait for the cliff to prove gravity.

@JAllen_NYC @Liebz3 And American voters contributing to it. I wonder if this guy feels the same about Justice Dems, Our Revolution, etc.?