Sean Swope commentary: ‘Manufactured outrage?’ No — it’s a manufactured deficit

As the Washington state Legislature gavels in for its 60-day session, Lewis County families deserve facts — not spin, not distortions and not Seattle talking points.

In a recent column, Zac Eckstein, chair of the Lewis County Democratic Party, dismissed concerns about state spending, taxes and fraud as “manufactured outrage.” That might sound clever, but it collapses the moment you look at the numbers — or at what communities like ours are actually experiencing.

Start with the budget.

The governor increased spending in the 2025-27 biennium by more than $6 billion over the previous budget — after already passing the largest tax increase in Washington state history. That’s not political rhetoric.

That’s straight out of the state’s own financial documents.

At the same time, Olympia masked the true cost by underfunding bond payments and shorting the state’s liability fund. Those aren’t savings — they’re IOUs. The bill just gets pushed onto taxpayers later.

Even after roughly an 8% spending increase, the state still spent more than it brought in and created a deficit. Now we’re told the governor deserves credit for proposing about $800 million in cuts in the 2026 supplemental budget. What Mr. Eckstein leaves out is simple: the Washington Constitution requires the supplemental budget to be balanced. There is no choice.

Cutting $800 million after blowing through billions — and after raising taxes — isn’t discipline. It’s proof the original budget didn’t work. Lewis County families understand that instinctively.

This same disconnect shows up in Olympia’s tax policies. The governor’s gas tax with automatic annual increases doesn’t hurt lobbyists in Seattle — it hits rural commuters, farmers, and small businesses first. That’s why Washington now ranks among the most expensive states for gas, groceries, childcare, healthcare, and home construction. Those costs aren’t accidental. They are the result of Democratic policy choices in “THIS” Washington.

Mr. Eckstein also claims Republican legislators have no “real solutions.” That’s simply not true — especially here in Lewis County.

Working with our delegation in the 19th and 20th Legislative Districts, Lewis County has secured real, measurable investments: more than $40 million for the North Lewis County access project, funding for a new Winlock substation to protect power reliability for South Lewis County and PUD customers, investments in the Northwest Sports Hub, the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds, senior centers, and one of Washington’s first mental-health crisis relief centers at Cascade Community Healthcare.

That’s not talking points. That’s delivery.

Last year alone, our delegation passed real policy: House Bill 1039 by Rep. Peter Abbarno improved tribal-local coordination on infrastructure. HB 1371 by Rep. Ed Orcutt expanded parking access for disabled veterans. SB 5009 by Sen. John Braun fixed the student transportation funding formula for school districts.

Those laws are on the books. They’re funded. They’re public. If Mr. Eckstein missed them, that’s on him.

The same goes for fraud and waste. Pointing out documented fraud in childcare, unemployment, housing, and other programs is not an attack on working families. It’s standing up for them. State Auditor reports and news investigations have already uncovered fraud in COVID relief funds, affordable housing programs, and the Climate Commitment Act and DBE programs. Demanding oversight isn’t a culture war — it’s basic government.

And the idea that Republicans don’t care about education, healthcare, or rural Washington ignores reality. Rural counties feel bad policy first. When Olympia underfunds mandates or uses broken formulas, local governments are left holding the bag.

Lewis County doesn’t need outrage politics. We need honesty.

What our state delegation is doing isn’t fear-mongering — it’s reading the numbers, delivering real projects, and standing up for the people who pay the bills.

If Eckstein wants to keep calling that “manufactured outrage,” that’s his choice. But Lewis County families don’t live in press releases or Seattle narratives. They live in the real world — where gas, groceries, power bills and taxes keep going up — and where results matter more than talking points.

And that’s a reality no column can spin away.

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Sean Swope is a Republican Lewis County commissioner representing District 1, which includes Centralia and surrounding areas.