Gov. Inslee Delivers “State Of The State” Speech

Today Gov. Inslee delivered the Washington state equivalent of the Presidential State of the Union speech. We've included key points that stood out for us, and some that raise eyebrows.

The 12-page address was delivered at the Washington State House Chambers in Olympia around noon Tuesday. Some key phrases give us a good look at how Inslee's been thinking, and what's his idea for growth and progress for the state.

Speaking on the economy, he tempered the claim that the state has added 150,000 new jobs in the last year with this:

"...But that growth has not been shared equally, either geographically or across the
economic spectrum. The right path for Washington is an economy that provides
opportunity for all.
We know that expanding educational opportunities, launching a transportation
construction program and fighting carbon pollution will put us on the right course."

* *shared equally is commonly recognized as political speak for redistribution of wealth, and he thinks his environmental green economy is the answer.

He also proposes a $2.3 billion dollar education proposal, but made no mention of how it will be paid for. He also openly mentions his pact he signed with California, Oregon and British Columbia that would enact a carbon tax program on our busineses, claiming it will lead the way to a better economy. There's significant talk in Olympia about him using an Executive Order to enforce a costly low-carbon fuel standard, especially if the Senate again blocks his environmental agenda.

And Inslee finally came out and officially confirmed he is going to seek to eliminate what he calls tax loopholes and will pursue a capital gains tax, with this statement (sounding very much like President Obama):

"....Washington has the nation’s most unfair tax system. The nation’s most unfair tax
system.
Our lowest-paid workers pay nearly 17 percent of their income in taxes while the top
1 percent pay less than 3 percent. A new teacher pays three times more in taxes as a
percentage than our wealthiest citizens.
We know there are many forces driving inequality, but we can make policy choices
that move us toward an economy that works for all Washingtonians. We can work
toward a fairer tax system, and we should.
That’s why I am proposing to eliminate five tax loopholes that no longer measure
up when compared with educating our kids.
That’s why we’re asking the wealthiest Washingtonians to do a little more..."

We're not sure how he stretches from tax loopholes to educating our kids, but he does. In short, the State of the State speech confirms what ShiftWA, the National Federation of Independent Business, and other groups have been reporting for months. Get ready for an onslaught of taxes, environmental restrictions and spending the likes of which our state has not seen, perhaps ever.

To read the entire speech for yourself, click here.