A Washington state Democrat appears to have mistakenly emailed all of Olympia’s U.S. senators with internal talking points about his sweeping revenue plan and tax hikes, Fox News has revealed.
Washington state Democrats are pushing for increased property taxes and gun protection, according to documents initially distributed to all members in late December by Deputy Majority Leader Noel Frame (D-Seattle) and later obtained by Fox. A new double-digit tax is one of the proposals being considered. News Digital.
The message included a document titled “2025 Revenue Options” and a PowerPoint presentation explaining how to talk to voters to defend the plan.
The document lists a proposed 11% tax on ammunition and firearms, reclassifies storage unit rentals as retail transactions, and increases the cap on property tax levies for some Washington residents. .
A PowerPoint slide highlighted by Seattle radio host Jason Lantz explained “the best way to talk about taxes,” along with a chart of do’s and don’ts for lawmakers.
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Say, “Pay what you owe,” but don’t say, “Tax the rich,” or “Pay your fair share.” Because the graph shows that “tax is not a punishment.”
They also suggested using the terms “fund,” “provide,” and “guarantee,” rather than “invest in,” when explaining the clear benefits of tax increases. [X]. ”
“Avoid focusing on taxes or talking in ambiguous terms about the economy or education.”
One of the new proposals is a “capital asset ownership tax.”
This has been described as similar to a property tax, but would instead extend real estate-type taxes to holdings of stocks, bonds, and other financial instruments.
“Very wealthy Washingtonians can now ensure that their assets are taxed in the same way that middle-class families are already taxed on their assets,” the slide reads.
Another sentence instructs lawmakers to “identify the bad actors” who are holding back the proverbial “progress” and show them “how we can act to solve the problem.”
“We have an upside-down tax code that benefits big corporations and the wealthy few. It was written 100 years ago and is in dire need of an update for the 21st century. If we can ensure that the wealthiest people in Washington pay the taxes they truly owe, the rest of us will have the peace of mind that we need, including affordable health care, housing, and food. you can get it. ”
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In a column on MyNorthwest.com, Luntz said the plan, which was accidentally shared, “directly contradicts” Democratic promises made during the campaign and would impose a total of 10 new taxes on residents.
“These proposals come at a time when the state has had years of record revenues,” Luntz said, adding that some of the “tax plans” may also be unconstitutional. he claimed.
He added that capital gains taxes could actually stifle growth and lead to fewer job opportunities for the same workers that pro-tax Democrats say they want to help.
One example he cited was Amazon founder Jeffrey Bezos’ departure from Washington state. One of America’s richest men saved about $1 billion in taxes when establishing a new residence in Florida, but those taxes will no longer go toward funding Evergreen State programs. .
Luntz added that Democratic voters in Washington state often blame the affordability crisis but continue to reelect the same politicians who made it worse.
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Additionally, with Democratic Gov.-elect Robert Ferguson set to take office later this month, state Rep. Travis Couture (R-Allyn) slammed outgoing Gov. Jay Inslee’s 2025 budget proposal.
“This budget is not a serious proposal,” said Couture, the top Republican on the House Budget Committee.
“Our state has a spending problem, not a revenue problem,” he said.
Fox News Digital reached out to Frame for comment, but did not hear back by the time of publication.
Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital.
He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant.
Charles covers media, politics and culture for Fox News Digital.
Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduate of Temple University with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism. Story tips can be sent to charles.creitz@fox.com.
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