Stories by Mark Harmsworth
128 stories
Opinion: Washingtonians are voting with the moving truck
Washington's domestic in-migration is running 18 percent below pre-pandemic levels, with international arrivals masking the loss.
Opinion: Wishing away Washington’s economic engines is policy malpractice
Harmsworth argues Microsoft and Amazon's federal tax deductions are legal provisions that fund tens of thousands of WA jobs and billions in state revenue.
Opinion: When politicians say one thing and do something else
Washington's Dept. of Health is raising mobile home park operating fees by up to 250 percent, Harmsworth argues.
Opinion: Don’t be fooled by the hype
A spring 2026 survey found 24% of WA employers considering relocating out of state, nearly triple the winter 2025 level.
Opinion: IRS data shows Seattle’s progressive policies are driving residents and business away
IRS data shows King County lost roughly 13,000 residents and nearly $2 billion in net adjusted gross income through domestic migration in 2022-2023.
Opinion: Washington’s fading fiscal shine - how decades of uncontrolled spending are eroding the state's AAA credit rating
Moody's affirmed Washington's AAA rating but assigned a Negative Outlook, citing structural budget imbalances.
Opinion: NFIB report shows Washington small businesses are feeling the pinch of labor costs, regulations and high taxes
Washington small businesses rank labor costs as their #2 problem — more than double the national rate.
Opinion: Only a fool or a politician would try to control food prices
Seattle's mayor wants city-backed grocery stores — a Washington Policy Center economist says history proves that never works.
Opinion: Washington’s business exodus accelerates due to high taxes, regulations driving companies away
Washington's business relocation rate has nearly tripled since winter 2025, per an AWB survey.
Opinion: Washington’s retail theft crisis is getting worse and Gov. Ferguson’s veto won’t help
Ferguson vetoed $500,000 for proven anti-theft program despite Washington losing $2. 7 billion to retail crime in 2021.
Opinion: Pennsylvania’s Payback Success – Is it a blueprint for Washington’s counties and cities?
Reducing permit backlogs and setting clear timelines can help Washington communities lower project costs and improve service, Mark Harmsworth argues.
Opinion: California’s $20 fast food minimum wage creates less jobs and lower income
Study data show California fast food workers now face fewer shifts, higher menu prices, and widespread automation after the $20 wage hike.
Opinion: Will the income tax cause a drop in charitable giving?
High-income households leaving Washington after new tax may redirect donations, possibly shrinking local nonprofits’ funding despite the intended deduction benefit.
Opinion: It’s not just the increased taxes that are driving businesses away
Mark Harmsworth of the Washington Policy Center argues taxes, workforce challenges and economic uncertainty are driving businesses to relocate outside Washington.
Opinion: Democrats signal retreat on the death tax as exodus fears mount
Mark Harmsworth argues recent moves on estate and other tax policies reflect mounting concerns about high earners and businesses leaving Washington state.
Opinion: Business is already leaving Washington
Mark Harmsworth argues that recent and proposed tax policies are pushing Washington businesses to consider leaving the state.
Opinion: Washington’s proposed income tax – driving businesses and jobs out of the state
Mark Harmsworth argues that Washington’s proposed income tax would undermine the state’s economy by driving businesses, investment, and jobs elsewhere.
Opinion: Olympia wants a 4-day work week. It won’t work out as the politicians think it will
Mark Harmsworth argues that House Bill 2611’s proposed 32-hour workweek would raise costs, strain small businesses, and undermine Washington’s economic competitiveness.
Opinion: House Bill 1834 would create a regulatory nightmare and restricts parental control on social media
Mark Harmsworth argues that House Bill 1834 would undermine parental authority and create sweeping regulatory and legal risks under the guise of protecting minors online.
Opinion: Who is leaving Washington and why the politicians need to care
Mark Harmsworth argues Washington is losing higher-income taxpayers and business owners, warning that rising taxes and regulation threaten long-term economic stability.
Opinion: House Bill 2481 will stifle innovation and hurt businesses
Mark Harmsworth argues that House Bill 2481 would restrict market-driven pricing, increase regulatory burdens, and ultimately harm Washington businesses and consumers.
Opinion: California’s unemployment debt crisis mirrors Washington’s Employment Security Department failures
Mark Harmsworth compares California’s growing unemployment insurance debt with Washington’s Employment Security Department failures and argues both states must reform or risk continued economic harm.
Opinion: Is the cheap fast-food burger a thing of the past?
Mark Harmsworth argues that rising minimum wages and B&O tax increases are driving higher food prices and squeezing low-income consumers and small businesses across Washington state.
Opinion: Washington is bleeding taxpayers and now a State Representative wants to make it worse
Mark Harmsworth argues that a proposed statewide payroll tax would worsen Washington’s ongoing loss of jobs, businesses, and economic competitiveness.
Showing the 24 most recent of 128.