Gov. Inslee’s budget leaves out the middle class

Punishing billionaires was a higher priority for the governor.

Governor Inslee’s new budget proposal neglects to provide any kind of tax relief to working, middle-class Washingtonians. That’s because he was concerned about who else would benefit from the tax cuts. Inslee’s disdain for the wealthy, who would also benefit from broad tax relief, is a large part of the reason middle-class families are seeing zero tax relief even during the current economic duress.

“Our billionaires do not need a tax cut right now in the state of Washington, and when you give a general tax cut, you’re giving a tax break to billionaires in the state of Washington. I don’t really think we need that right now,” Inslee said recently.

Governors in many Democrat-run states including California and Oregon have already provided massive tax relief and are considering additional tax cuts through various means while Inslee is concerned the upper tax brackets might also receive reprieve along with the middle class were he to consider such measures.

Inslee also argues that unlike other states, Washington doesn’t have a state income tax. While that is true, it does have an unconstitutional capital gains income tax, which Inslee is content to leave in place, the economic consequences notwithstanding.

Recently, Inslee was interviewed by TVW, who prodded the Governor about this issue.

During the interview, Inslee cited the lack of income tax as the leading reason for providing no economic relief, then immediately turned to the state’s widespread homelessness crisis as the state’s top priority, which requires “investment,” to combat.

Inslee also said, “There’s an irony here, actually, because one of the reasons we have this [homelessness crisis] is because our economy is so good and because our state is in such a good position.”

With Washington being in “such a good position” surely Inslee could extend the current proposed relief to the middle class. Yet, he has chosen to ignore them.

Inslee’s priorities are clear – he would rather spite Washingtonians than help the middle class put food on the table.