Friends,

 

The Shift WA team has been working to shift the political debate in Washington state since 2013. We’ve spent the last decade providing people like you with the facts and perspectives needed to make a difference in your community. So, as always, we hope to keep you up-to-date with an item or two of interest from your own backyard. Read on…

Paul Guppy, Vice President for Research at the Washington Policy Center and former Chief of Staff for a U.S. Representative, joined us for this week’s Newsmaker Interview. As many of you know, the Washington Policy Center is a prominent free-market think-tank which addresses various policy issues through research and reports for state and local government officials. In his interview, Guppy expressed concern about the increasing tax burden imposed by Democrats in Olympia on Washington State residents and businesses. He explained why he anticipates further tax hikes during the 2024 legislative session, despite existing budget surpluses, while providing a contrary perspective to Jay Inslee's call for additional funds to clear encampments on state properties. Finally, Guppy also highlighted the WPC's upcoming Annual Dinner on October 13th in Bellevue, featuring Dr. Sebastian Gorka and leaders from the satirical website Babylon Bee. Read more.

 

Democrats are still refusing to accept responsibility for rising gas prices due to the implementation of their cap-and-tax law. In response to criticism, hyper-partisan State Senator Joe Nguyen is now pushing for the adoption a law from California that will not actually reduce gas prices, but will give Democrats the power to target businesses they dislike. This would involve demanding proprietary business information to be reviewed by a tribunal or organization of the Democrats’ choosing. Sen. Nguyen's focus seems to be more on investigating his political opponents rather than finding practical solutions to lower gas prices. This kind of political grandstanding has been a characteristic of Sen. Nguyen’s partisan career. Read this story and more.

 

Democrats have effectively tilted the legal scales in favor of the criminals. Car theft has become alarmingly common in Washington. Highlighting the problem, the (Tacoma) News Tribune recently reported that “six vehicles were stolen outside the Tacoma Mall on a single day last week.” Of course, the rise in car theft is largely due to Democrats’ restrictive laws around juvenile interrogations and their anti-law enforcement agenda that has led to a decline in police officers. Read this story and more.