I AM BACK ON THE RADIO…

FOR A WEEK. NEXT WEEK, FEBRUARY 22-26, I will be filling in for David Boze on 770 KTTH from 3-6 PM. And, since Michael Medved is in Israel, I will fill in for him in case of technical problems on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday of next week. Hope you all listen, it will be good to be back behind the mike. I thank David and Michael for this opportunity and for being my friends.

OLYMPIA UPDATE

WELL, FAIRLY GOOD-SIZED CROWD today in Olympia – 3 – 4,000. The takers and spenders got 6,000, or so the press reports. Of course many were paid to be there while many of you worked to pay them.  State workers, students, teachers, social workers and other state bureaucrats had a holiday today, so many got paid to demonstrate to take more of your money today. Many wore union T-Shirts and I found it illuminating that there were more socialist newspapers than American flags at their rally. Dori Monson did a great job, good to see other talk show folks stepping up to the plate. The fight continues and we must never give in.

I am now state director of Americans for Prosperity, a large nationwide grass roots group that defends limited, Constitutional government and the free market. We need you to sign up and help us all. You can check out www.americansforprosperity.org, costs nothing to join and we are not intended to replace any other group but to help bring us all together. Let me know if any questions, kirbywilbur@hotmail.com.

REMEMBERING TOM STEWART

News reports indicate that Tom Stewart, head of Food Services of America and former Vashon resident, was killed today in a helicopter crash near Scottsdale.  I knew Tom, he was a good man and friend. He sponsored the annual GOP picnic at his Vashon ranch for several years, at his expense. It was always a great event, and one year, the year John Carlson and I co-MCed it, it drew 13,000 people. Tom financed the event every year. He moved to Arizona after the Legislature reinstituted the state inheritence tax and, he was also tired of being used by local politicians who always asked him for money but never seemed to be around when he could use their help. It’s men like Tom that built America, the vital few whose success fuels the rest of the economy. He will be sorely missed. May God bless and comfort his friends and family.

WHY YOU NEED TO BE IN OLYMPIA ON PRESIDENT’S DAY. TIME TO BREAK THE ADDICTION.

HAVE YOU BEEN KEEPING UP WITH developments in Olympia? Yesterday, the Democrats on the House Finance Committee voted to suspend Initiative 960, which requires a 2/3s vote to raise taxes, supposedly for a year.  ( Any bets on whether they would really vote to reinstate next year? Don’t kid yourself.  You are smarter than that. ). The hearing before the votes was full of personal stories and testimonies, the silliest of which was from state Representative Steve Kirby, who brings dishonor to the name we share by his economic ignorance. ” I need to help the little people in my district“, he said. In bad times, quoting the Seattle Times, everyone should ” reach into our pockets to do that.”.

Where do I start? Little people?? Reach into our pockets?? Representative Kirby, you are free to reach into your own pocket as much as you want, and I encourage that.  But you are reaching into everyone’s pocket, including the pockets of the 10% unemployed and the struggling small business owners, and all of those who couldn’t come down to your hearing and cry. You are adding to their burden. If you all had not overspent and overcommitted during the good times, but put some away and not spent every dime and then some, we would have the resources we need now. This downturn does not just impact the little people, but everyone, and your well-intentioned but ignorant ways of helping will make matters worse.

Not only are the Democrat’s lifting the 2/3s requirement for a sales tax increase, but several have introduced HB 3183 which would raise the statewide sales tax by a full point, with a trigger to take it off when unemployment hits 5% for four continuous months.  Of course, the increase in the tax will impede the ability for jobs to be created, though they claim that the tax will do just that. So, now, we raise taxes to lower unemployment? Where in the H#)) did these people study economics? BTW, this tax hike would make Washington #1 - that’s right, the highest sales tax in the nation.

In addition, bills have been introduced in the Legislature to raise cell phone taxes ( to the highest rate in the nation, another #1 rating), impose taxes on candy and bottled water,  impose higher car tab fees for transit operations, increase water right application fees 500 to 1000%, impose a windfall profits tax on oil companies, and increase midwide license fees. ( Thank you Dori Monson). They just don’t get it, a recession with high unemployment is not the time for massive tax increases.

And, on top of all this, King County is discussing a .3 cent increase in the County sales tax for criminal justice. Add these up, and the sales tax is over 11% in restaurants and bars in King County. ELEVEN PERCENT!

Some liberals are starting to get it. Joni Balter of the Seattle Times in a column published Thursday raised some serious questions about spending and new taxes proposed by the Legislature. And Kate Riley, editorial columnist for the Times, someone I know and like, but disagree with on most issues ( she is a little too leftie for me ), said Friday in the paper, ” I’m not the only cranky taxpayer starting to lose patience with a governor and Democratic-controlled Legislature that knowingly approved unsustainable budgets. The overspending made the state extra vulnerable when the recession crashed in and state revenues dropped precipitously.”

Meanwhile, the Washington Policy Center reported Friday on their website that the state forecasts a 12% increase  in revenue for the next biennium and a multi-billion dollar deficit. Read that again. A 12% increase in revenue, but still a multi-billion dollar deficit. My friends, that is a spending problem, pure and simple. Spending other people’s money, expanding government, refusing to be responsible, refusing to acknowledge the issue and look for answers besides more, these are the signs of addiction, a deadly addiction that the addict is helplessly in the throes of.  It’s time you and I intervened for our future, for our kids and, for the little people.

JOIN US IN OLYMPIA, 10 AM,  THE CAPITOL STEPS.  BRING YOUR KIDS, YOUR PARENTS, YOUR CUSTOMERS, YOUR STUDENTS, BRING EVERYONE. IT’S TIME TO DRAW THE LINE AND JUST SAY NO. SEE YOU THERE.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SARAH!