Gov. Jay Inslee speaks at Centralia College in June 2017.
Inslee is very concerned for us and said so in Vancouver on Nov. 2. I was quite touched by this sincere concern for little people, like me, and the unfair tax burden the Washington, D.C., Republicans are planning for us.
And so he has sounded the alarm.
Although as I write this, the alarm he raised sounds exactly like every liberal talking point in the country.
That’s weird.
But that wasn’t his only concern. There is also the increase in national park fees proposed by the Department of the Interior. Wow, I don’t want that either!
I’ve been waiting for years to hear a fee or a tax Inslee didn’t like, and I guess this fee increase is it. But is he really mad about it? Or, is he just mad he didn’t think of it, and couldn’t do it to us himself?
Really, I’m not sure what he’s worried about. The feckless Republicans in Washington, D.C., can’t pass anything anyway. Lobbyists have descended on D.C. and are screaming, and we can count on some lawmakers to cave and vote no … for our own good of course.
So tax reform or cuts aren’t likely anyway, so please Gov. Inslee, just calm down.
But can we really believe his concerns for us? Is it real?
I doubt it.
In his own words as a candidate in 2012, here is some of what he said about taxes in interviews and during debates:
When asked if he would veto a legislative tax increase, he replied “blah blah blah, what I’m saying is I hope to lead an effort to grow our economy so that is not necessary”.
At a Seattle press conference when reporters challenged Inslee on that plank of his candidacy, he said “blah, blah, blah, increase school funding by creating enough new jobs to generate more state revenue … and can raise revenue … without raising taxes.”
Without raising taxes? That sounds great!
Then there was the Oct. 16, 2012, debate where he said “and I don’t believe that tax increases are the right, uh, route forward for our state.”
Maybe the biggest lie of all was in Spokane when asked if he’d support more taxes for schools. “Why, no.”
Again, that’s great, just not true.
Some say that was 2012, so long ago and so unimportant. Maybe. But what did he do last December?
He proposed billions more taxes (or investments, as he calls them), and that was before the Democrats controlled the three branches of state government.
I have a choice whether I go to the national park or not, but when Inslee and his kind keep increasing taxes, I don’t.
Can’t wait to see what no increases in taxes looks like in 2018.
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And while the wrangling in Washington D.C. continues and lobbyists descend on legislators like the leeches they too frequently are, our county commissioners have a tough job settling on a 2018 budget, and they can’t just print money.
Since meetings have started, they have authorized a new person in the Assessor’s Office at $73,000 plus change, and apparently are debating the need for a cold case unit in the prosecutor’s office to look over old homicide cases.
I’ve said getting a county budget balanced wasn’t going to happen without pain, and Thursday’s edition of The Chronicle reported as much. It’s not all done yet, but apparently only one employee has been laid off in 2018, which is sad.
But the budget analyst (note: only an analyst, not a manager) for the county said if things don’t change for the better next year, “the likelihood of more layoffs for the 2019 year is high.” That’s even more sad.
If only we had just one more county employee, let’s say a county manager, an expensive one would be best I think, they could analyze this budget, use some magic or maybe just a wizard’s hat, and come to a different conclusion.
If only…
•••
John McCroskey was Lewis County sheriff from 1995 to 2005. He lives outside Chehalis, and can be contacted at musingsonthemiddlefork@yahoo.com.
