Month: August 2018

Earlier this week, while the air quality across King County was extremely unhealthy due to wildfires in Canada, Governor Jay Inslee used the opportunity to grandstand and promote a gas tax (Initiative 1631). The Governor’s alter ego, “Captain Planet,” has been pushing a gas tax for years, and the idea has failed to pass in both the Legislature as well as an initiative in a previous election. Inslee and the rest of those advocating for this tax do not seem to understand one very clear issue: a gas tax is unwanted.

 

Sadly, a gas tax in Washington State has no impact on the smoke blowing down from Canada to pollute the Puget Sound region. But that didn’t stop our governor. Last week, as our state was blanketed in smoke and haze from forest fires, Inslee surrounded himself with children on a smoky playground scene, claiming the virtues of his latest gas tax initiative at a press conference. The smoke from this week’s wildfires in Canada (a country that already embraces a carbon tax) is hardly related to combustion engine emissions. Connecting the smoke from wildfires with a gas tax is simply misleading and dishonest.

 

According to Todd Myers from the Washington Policy Center, “the tax would start at 20 cents per gallon and increase about six percent per year (3.5% plus inflation). In 2029, the tax would be about 36 cents per gallon.” The idea of imposing a tax on gas and carbon emissions has been on the Democrat’s minds for a while now, as they worked to try and pass it as an initiative in 2016. I-732, or the Washington Carbon Emission Tax and Sales Tax Reduction, was overwhelming rejected by voters, losing 59.25% to 40.75%. Thankfully, we are happy to report that SB 6203, a bill that would create a gas tax, failed to pass the state Senate this year. Now, Democrat leaders have pushed for it to be on the ballot again as an initiative.

 

A gas tax was soundly rejected by Washington voters in 2016 and fell flat in the legislature earlier this year. Yet “Captain Planet” and the rest of those advocating for a gas tax are still trying to find a way to force its creation, this time as another initiative. Voters should do what they did in 2016 and vote no on a gas tax (I-1631 when it appears on ballots across the state this November.

Earlier this week, it was reported that 8th Congressional District candidate Kim Schrier compared her campaign to fighting in World War II. These comments made by Schrier are extremely disrespectful to the selfless veterans who actually put their lives on the line and served in WWII. A political campaign involves no physical threat compared to fighting in a war and the comparison that was made is simply appalling.

After learning of these comments from Kim Schrier, veterans from across the region released a joint statement that was distributed by the Washington State Republican Party. The statement opened with the veterans expressing their “deep concern and disappointment in congressional candidate Kim Schrier’s comments, comparing the sacrifices made by veterans to her political campaign.”

KIRO radio host Dori Monson picked up the story on his show and added “this is a nauseating comparison. It shows such a lack of perspective. You’re not likely going to take a bullet in your brain like all of the young men at the front of those landing boats in the first wave at Normandy.”

8th Congressional District candidate Kim Schrier’s extremely hyperbolic comparison of campaigning to fighting in WWII proves that she is out of touch with reality, and out of touch with the constituents of the 8th Congressional District. Current Congressman Dave Reichert has always focused on veterans during his time in office, and Republican candidate Dino Rossi would do the same. Schrier, on the other hand, does not seem to respect our veterans in the way they have so earned and deserve.

Last month, The News Tribune reported that the Federal way light rail project is $460 million over budget, adding up to a total projected cost of more than $2.5 billion. This news comes just one year after it was announced that the Lynnwood light rail station was $500 million over budget and would be completed six months late. After a huge increase in car tab fees, an increased sales tax, and more, voters from across the region are fed up with Sound Transit. It is time for the organization to be held more accountable.

Sound Transit is quickly building a pattern of going significantly over budget. Mariya Frost at the Washington Policy Center explains that “In just one year, Sound Transit has reported over $1 billion in cost overruns.”

In both the Lynnwood and Federal Way projects, Sound Transit has deflected the blame, putting it on labor, materials, and land costs rather than owning up to their huge mistakes.

This past year, Sound Transit has been taking a great deal of taxpayer money through insanely high car tab fees, an increased sales tax, and more. Yet the transit agency has proven that they are not able to handle taxpayer money properly. Voters should stand up against Sound Transit and communicate their opposition to cost overruns and delays. The organization must be held accountable. Going over budget by hundreds of millions of dollars (twice!) is simply unacceptable.

The deadline to cast your ballot for the 2018 primary election is less than a week away and closing in quickly. Be sure to submit your ballot by Tuesday, August 7th, by placing it in an official ballot drop box or mailing it in. For a list of official ballot drop box locations, click here.

This election has crucial races all over King County, from races in Shoreline to Enumclaw and everywhere in between.

Below are candidates endorsed by the King County Republican Party for the 2018 primary election.

Questions about other races on your ballot that you don’t see here or would like to help out with a local campaign? Please contact our office at 425.990.0404.

Candidates

Federal

  • United States Senator – Susan Hutchison
  • United States Senator – Art Coday
  • United States Senator – Dave Bryant
  • United States Representative Congressional District No. 1 – Jeffrey Beeler
  • United States Representative Congressional District No. 8 – Dino Rossi

 

Legislative

1st Legislative District

  • Legislative District No. 1 State Representative Position No. 2 – Debra Blodgett

 

5th Legislative District

  • Legislative District No. 5 State Representative Position No. 1 – Chad Magendanz
  • Legislative District No. 5 State Representative Position No. 2 – Paul Graves

 

30th Legislative District

  • Legislative District No. 30 State Senator – Mark Miloscia
  • Legislative District No. 30 State Representative Position No. 1 – Linda Kochmar
  • Legislative District No. 30 State Representative Position No. 2 – Mark Greene

 

31st Legislative District

  • Legislative District No. 31 State Senator – Phil Fortunato
  • Legislative District No. 31 State Representative Position No. 1 – Drew Stokesbary
  • Legislative District No. 31 State Representative Position No. 2 – Morgan Irwin

 

32nd Legislative District

  • Legislative District No. 32 State Senator – James Wood
  • Legislative District No. 32 State Representative Position No. 1 – Diodato (Dio) Boucsieguez
  • Legislative District No. 32 State Representative Position No. 2 – Frank Deisler

 

33rd Legislative District

  • Legislative District No. 33 State Representative Position No. 2 – Anthony Lamb

 

37th Legislative District

  • Legislative District No. 37 State Senator – Beth Broadway

 

39th Legislative District

  • Legislative District No. 39 State Senator – Keith Wagoner
  • Legislative District No. 39 State Representative Position No. 1 – Randy Hayden
  • Legislative District No. 39 State Representative Position No. 2 – Carolyn Eslick

 

41st Legislative District

  • Legislative District No. 41 State Representative Position No. 1 – Tim Cruickshank
  • Legislative District No. 41 State Representative Position No. 2 – Michael Appleby

 

43rd Legislative District

  • Legislative District No. 43 State Senator – Dan Harder
  • Legislative District No. 43 State Representative Position No. 1 – John Peeples
  • Legislative District No. 43 State Representative Position No. 2 – Claire Torstenbo

 

45th Legislative District

  • Legislative District No. 45 State Senator – Dale Fonk
  • Legislative District No. 45 State Representative Position No. 1 – Michael Curtis
  • Legislative District No. 45 State Representative Position No. 2 – Amber Krabach

 

46th Legislative District

  • Legislative District No. 46 State Senator – Beth Daranciang
  • Legislative District No. 46 State Representative Position No. 2 – Jerry Zeiger-Buccola

 

47h Legislative District

  • Legislative District No. 47 State Senator – Joe Fain
  • Legislative District No. 47 State Representative Position No. 1 – Mark Hargrove
  • Legislative District No. 47 State Representative Position No. 2 – Lindsey Shumway
  • Legislative District No. 47 State Representative Position No. 2 – Ted Cooke