...glittering prizes and endless compromises shatter the illusion of integrity...
Joined June 2014
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Sean Hansen retweeted
April Berg talks a lot about affordability.
So we went through every vote she's cast since 2021.
35 tax and fee increases. 33 of them reach working families.
At the pump: the gas tax went up to 55.4¢ a gallon, with an automatic 2% increase every year.
At the DMV: license plates went from $10 to $50. Driver's licenses from $72 to $80. The tire fee from $1 to $5.
On your utility bill: the utility regulatory fee doubled.
When you buy a home: two new $100 fees on recorded documents.
Her own press release calls Washington's tax system "regressive." Then she voted to raise the gas tax, put sales tax on more services, and hike the fees every driver pays. Those are the taxes that take the biggest bite out of working families.
A government that keeps making life more expensive and then offers assistance isn't making life more affordable.
Affordability is what you vote for. Not what you say.
My plan. Her record. Your decision.
Be heard November 3rd.
Audit this.
Source: WA House Roll Call Votes 2021-2026, Rep. Berg (D-44); final bill reports
#VoicesUp #VoteTonya44 #RestoreWashington
Sean Hansen retweeted
The only way out of our budgetary mess is for voters to put constraints on what the legislature can spend, just as we did in 1993 with I-601.
If we don’t, legislators will keep raising taxes to fund new spending, find that revenue wasn’t enough, and raise taxes again. #waleg
Since Washington's spending limit went away, legislators have blown state spending well beyond tax, population, and inflation growth. In fact, Washington's spending has increased more than 140 percent over the last 12 years.
Help us send a message to your legislators and the governor that Olympia needs budget discipline, and the only way this will reasonably occur is through a spending limit.
Click the link to directly contact your representatives:
washingtonpolicy.org/takeact…
Sean Hansen retweeted
$30 million in new property taxes & fees? 💵
Check out this video to learn more about what's being proposed in Snohomish County's 2027-28 biennial budget and where I stand on these issues.
Sean Hansen retweeted
I would just like to point out just how dishonest @GovBobFerguson and WA Democrats are.
This "Millionaires Tax" is estimated to generate around 3.5- 4 billion dollars... 🤔
We take in around 36 billion and the budget is around 80 billion, if you add 4 billion that still leaves them around halfway short.
Then what happens?
They lower the threshold to address budgetary concerns.
By then everyone will have to file income taxes and you get an exemption based on your income.
The ground work will be laid and all it takes is one session to change the dollar amount and the entire state will have to pay a 10% income tax.
Bob says he will veto it but he is a liar and fails to tell everyone that the legislature can overrule his veto with 2/3 vote.
This is Bob and Jamie's plan.
Sean Hansen retweeted
Two key figures from the NASL Sounders era, Mike England & Pepe Fernandez, are on the current Eternal Sounders Circle of Legends ballot. Here's Mike congratulating Pepe for his '75 winner vs Denver and also for battling back from a broken leg. Cast your votes by Nov. 7. #TBT
Sean Hansen retweeted
VOTE YES ON SNOHOMISH COUNTY CHARTER AMENDMENTS
Snohomish County neighbors,
You'll be receiving your general election ballot any day now, and there are some critical local charter amendment proposals that I hope you'll join me in voting "YES" to approve:
Prop 1 would establish a foundation government services policy. In other words, it would require that the county fund core services before discretionary services.
Prop 2 would require the county to maintain a budget stabilization fund for emergency situations or natural disasters.
Prop 3 would make all county offices nonpartisan so that we can focus on candidates' qualifications just like many counties and all cities currently do.
Prop 4 would increase public access to county financial transparency without charging fees.
Prop 5 would require a 4/5ths supermajority vote of the Council in order to increase your taxes.
I encourage you to join me in voting "YES" to approve all 5 of these Snohomish County charter amendment proposals!
Sean Hansen retweeted
As expected, ESD announced WA's PFML payroll tax will increase again, hitting its 1.2% cap in 2027 — triple the 0.4% rate when collections began in 2019. Some lawmakers are considering busting the cap, taking it to 2%. Read more about that here: washingtonpolicy.org/publica… #WaLeg
Sean Hansen retweeted
April Berg said it herself: "We're getting there."
First capital gains. Then an income tax. In 2026, she voted yes, and it passed.
So here's my question: Where exactly is "there"?
Let's look at the record.
In 2025, Berg prime-sponsored HB 2046. It proposed a 0.8% tax on stocks, bonds, and other financial assets above $50 million.
Not when you sell them.
Not when you make a profit.
Every year, just for owning them.
It didn't pass. But it tells you exactly what kind of taxes are on the table.
She also wrote bills to tax small-business stock sales and higher-value home sales.
And as House Finance Chair, she ran a 2025 revenue package through her committee:
💰 Higher B&O taxes and business surcharges. Now law.
💰 A capital gains surcharge. Now law. She voted yes.
💰 Higher estate tax rates. Now law.
💰 Tax exemptions repealed. Now law.
🏠 A property tax cap raised from 1% to 3%. Approved in her committee, stripped on the floor.
Bills, sponsorships, and votes are the public record. Together, they show where a lawmaker wants to take our state.
Before Olympia asks for one more dollar, Washingtonians deserve answers on spending, accountability, and results.
We are not undertaxed. We are underaudited.
Raise the bar, not your taxes.
Be heard November 3rd.
Audit before ask.
Source: Washington State Legislature, 2025–26 bill records
#VoicesUp #VoteTonya44 #RestoreWashington
Sean Hansen retweeted
Seattle's popular Hawaii General Store of 28yrs is shutting down due to the minimum wage increase to $22.14, over taxation, and higher than average inflation in the city making everything more expensive.
And she is warning others that she "won't be the last."
@HeatherBosch | @KIRO7Seattle
'Owner of Seattle Hawaiian store says ‘Aloha,’ warns other Seattle small businesses'
Article: kiro7.com/news/local/owner-s…
Sean Hansen retweeted
KIRO host Jake Skorheim rejected State Superintendent Chris Reykdal’s call to spend more of Washington’s budget on schools. He argued that Washington is spending far more per student than states like Mississippi and getting worse results.
mynorthwest.com/kiro-opinion…
Sean Hansen retweeted
WHAT DO THE LOTTERY, CIGARETTE TAXES, LIQUOR TAXES, CAPITAL GAINS, AND THE CLIMATE COMMITMENT ACT HAVE IN COMMON?
FOLLOW THE MONEY. 🔎
Over the past several days, I’ve been digging into Washington’s tax laws, budgets, and spending decisions.
And one thing keeps coming up.
Washingtonians are told what new revenue will fund and what results we can expect.
But over time, funding rules change. Accounts get restructured. Budget priorities shift.
And now we have a new 9.9% income tax.
We’re told it starts with income over $1 million.
But what about tomorrow?
What guarantees that threshold won’t be lowered? What protects the original spending promises? And who’s measuring whether we’re actually getting the results?
These aren’t accusations. They’re questions worth asking when we look at the history of how Washington manages public money.
I’ve managed budgets for 30 years, and here’s what I know:
You audit before you ask for more.
Before Olympia asks Washingtonians for another dollar, we deserve transparency, accountability, and measurable results from the dollars already collected.
We are not undertaxed. We are underaudited.
Follow the money. Measure the results.
Raise the bar. Not your taxes.
#VoteTonya44 #FollowTheMoney #WashingtonState #TaxpayerAccountability #RaiseTheBar
Sean Hansen retweeted
“PENNIES. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT PENNIES.”
Remember that promise?
That’s what Governor Inslee said about the impact of the Climate Commitment Act.
Washingtonians were promised cleaner air, reduced emissions, healthier communities, and minimal costs to consumers.
Now let’s talk about what we’re paying.
⛽ AT THE PUMP: Washington drivers pay 56.5 cents per gallon in state gasoline tax. On top of that, testimony before the Legislature estimated CCA compliance costs at another 43 cents per gallon.
That’s nearly $1 per gallon when you combine the state gas tax with that CCA cost estimate. The CCA portion isn’t technically a gas tax, but it’s an additional cost associated with the state’s emissions allowance program.
💡 ON OUR UTILITY BILLS: Puget Sound Energy natural gas customers see a “State Carbon Reduction Charge” on their bills. CCA compliance costs are part of what households are paying, alongside other utility expenses and rate increases.
🛒 AT THE GROCERY STORE: Food processors, manufacturers, and transportation companies face higher energy and fuel expenses. Those costs can work their way through the supply chain and contribute to higher grocery prices.
And here’s what makes this worth a closer look.
While Washington families are absorbing these costs, lawmakers have restructured the original CCA accounts and used $539.9 million in CCA revenue in a capital-budget financing arrangement that freed other state resources for operating expenses.
So let’s revisit that original promise.
Pennies?
How much are families actually paying because of the CCA? How much of the revenue is reducing emissions? And are we getting the results we were promised?
Not every increase in gas, electricity, or groceries is caused by the CCA. And the 43-cent gasoline figure is an estimate presented in legislative testimony, not a fixed surcharge paid by every driver.
But these costs deserve scrutiny, and Washingtonians deserve to know where the money goes and what results it produces.
Follow the money. Measure the results.
We are not undertaxed. We are underaudited.
Raise the bar. Not your taxes.
#ClimateCommitmentAct #WashingtonState #FollowTheMoney #TaxpayerAccountability #VoteTonya44
Sean Hansen retweeted
FIVE FACTS on Washington's Income Tax:
FACT 1. The INCOME TAX Engine Is Built (Title 82A RCW):
The hardest part of passing an income tax is building the administrative machinery. ESSB 6346 creates the full infrastructure: tax definitions, tracking, enforcement, and auditing under the Department of Revenue (ESSB 6346, Part I). Washington is already planning to hire HUNDREDS of tax agents.
Once in place, lowering the tax threshold from $1,000,000 to $500k, $250k, or lower only takes a simple statutory vote.
FACT 2 .Volatile Revenue Trap: The tax relies heavily on high-earner income and capital gains (Sec. 101, 201), which swing wildly during economic downturns. Because the law ties this money directly to funding permanent entitlement programs like universal K-12 meals and childcare (Sec. 1(2), 1(5)), budget shortfalls will force future legislatures to lower income thresholds to keep programs funded.
FACT 3. Inevitable Taxes on Pensions, 401(k), IRA, and MORE:
The tax is anchored to Federal Adjusted Gross Income (FAGI) (Sec. 101(3)). Any large 401(k) or traditional IRA distribution flows into FAGI. If threshold levels drop in the future, middle-class retirees making standard withdrawals or Roth conversions will get caught in the tax net. THIS IS INEVITABLE.
FACT 4. Pension Protections Are Temporary:
While the bill statutory carves out certain state pensions (Sec. 2.10.180, 41.32.052, etc.), statutory exemptions are policy choices, not permanent constitutional shields. What one legislature grants, a future legislature can modify or repeal.
FACT 5. Constitutional Precedent Breached:
By establishing a 9.9% tax on income (Sec. 201(1)), the bill creates the legal precedent that an income tax on Washington residents is permissible. Once the principle is legally normalized for the top 0.5% (Sec. 1(9)), the constitutional barrier protecting every other income bracket is effectively removed. THE INCOME TAX IS COMING FOR GROCERY STORE WORKERS, UPS DRIVERS, BOEING LINE WORKERS - EVERYONE.
Emotional septum ring outbursts aren't a counter argument. The facts are the income tax is comoing for everyone and their retirement accounts.
Go ahead, fact check me to find your counter argument. Avoid hyperbole. Good luck.
Sean Hansen retweeted
“We went from capital gains, now we’re at income tax. So we’re getting there.” — April Berg
Getting WHERE? And at what cost to Washington families?
We are not undertaxed. We are underaudited.
My plan. Her record. Your decision.
Raise the Bar. Not Your Taxes.
#LD44 #VoicesUp #VoteTonya44
Sean Hansen retweeted
Washington’s new state income tax must be repealed geekwire.com/2026/opinion-wa… via @GeekWire
Sean Hansen retweeted
NEW:
Microsoft, Starbucks, Costco, Alaska Airlines, other major employers call for Seattle public safety improvements
komonews.com/news/local/micr…
Six charts that explain Washington's budget problem washingtonpolicy.org/publica…
Sean Hansen retweeted
"If we don't take a course correction...we're going to lack those startup companies that are your Microsofts and Amazons of tomorrow. We are going to see some of our standard 'hero' companies, start distributing workforce elsewhere in the country."
Former Democrat Governor Christine Gregoire sat down with Chris Daniels and discussed the budgetary failures and economic challenges facing Washington state today.
Yes, she held short on acknowledging it was her party's doing (it absolutely was). And weirdly, she said that Gov. Ferguson was trying to fix things (he's making them so much worse lol).
But...
She is saying the quiet parts out loud to Progressives in her party that run the state, who are now having a harder time ignoring her as they do the rest of.
Worth the watch.
@ChrisDaniels_TV | @komonews
'Former Gov. Gregoire weighs in on Washington’s future amid policy debate'
Sean Hansen retweeted
It’s the De-Growth agenda. I write about it. cascadeparty.org/summit/2025…
