Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and may not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com
In furtherance of John Braun’s rebuttal to the shameful, disingenuous, political hatchet job TV ad, approved by Marie Glusenkamp-Perez, I submit the following:
The last two Washington State Legislative sessions, 2025/2026, saw Democrats, the majority in the Legislature, enact laws increasing the tax burden on Washington State citizens by approximately $18,000,000,000 (eighteen billion dollars) all while lecturing Republicans on “affordability”.
In 2026, Democrats, enacting such legislation, knew, at that time, they also created an additional budget deficit of $1 billion beginning in the January, 2027 session.
The Democrats also “raided” the Law Enforcement Officers and Fire Fighters (LEOFF-1) pension plan of $4 billion dollars … here’s where these funds were deposited per AI:
The specific destinations for these diverted funds include:
• Climate Commitment Account (CCA): $569 million is directly transferred to this account, which is used to fund climate-related programs and tax credits.
• Pension Funding Stabilization Account (PFSA): The remainder of the surplus is placed in this account, from which the state can transfer money to the General Fund to cover general state expenses.
• Budget Backfilling: The state intends to use $880 million from the diverted funds to backfill the rainy day savings account, which had been previously drained, helping to cover an estimated $2 billion budget gap.
As noted above, the Democrats transferred $569,000,000 to the foolish Climate Commitment Act (CCA), which has its own revenue streams supporting its operations. Why was there a “bailout” or repayment to this fund?
Why is there so little accounting of where the Legislature spends our tax dollars?
Which of the 15 Washington State union’s pension funds are on the Democrat’s radar screen to be “raided” next?
Adding to every citizen’s 2027 tax burden will be additional costs related to expiring State Employee Union contracts, currently being re-negotiated.
Just about every revenue-generating State fee or cost was increased by Democrats, accounting for the additional $18,000,000,000 tax burden on Washingtonians during the last two legislative sessions.
November 3, 2026 is critical to elect commonsense Republicans to local and statewide offices, including offices deemed non-partisan and to vote “YES” on the 3 ballot initiatives and carefully review the ten (10) proposed Amendments to the Clark County Charter.
Voters can find endorsed or recommended candidates and the recommended “YES” votes for all three (3) ballot initiatives at the CCRP website:
https://clarkrepublicans.org/.
Why is this election so important?
We, all of us, must change the trajectory of the ever-increasing Democrat tax burdens from state government in Olympia and, also, locally here in Clark County.
It is vitally important all Republicans, dissatisfied Democrats and Independent voters seize the day and complete your ballots electing commonsense Republican candidates statewide and electing conservatives for non-partisan offices; and approving the three initiatives on the ballot by voting YES.
The CCRP endorsed/recommended candidates have pledged to reject out-of-control Democrat spending.
Democrat spending habits cannot be stopped without restoring balance to the Legislature.
The “shell game” Democrats play in Olympia forces them to raise taxes and fees on citizens and “raid” other programs to “balance the budget” before a legislative session is over…they’re just kicking the can down the road, as evidenced by the $1,000,000,000 anticipated shortfall in the upcoming 2027 legislative session.
Without more Republican Representatives and Senators in Olympia, the Democrat “tax and spend juggernaut” cannot be stopped.
Republicans work tirelessly trying to prevent the Democrat’s intruding hands from invading your pockets and wallets.
You must vote to constrain Democrat’s out-of-control spending of YOUR money and give Republicans a chance to halt this governmental theft.
Tom Schenk
Amboy
