Time for the super rich to pay what they owe in Washington state.

NEW in the New York Times: Mitt Romney says it's time to tax billionaires! https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/19/opinion/romney-tax-the-rich.html

New letter in the Yakima Herald-Republic! https://www.yakimaherald.com/opinion/letter-state-lawmakers-shouldnt-short-change-child-care/article_4a9a16ad-4249-4ace-8237-fac6d558c1bb.html

The report: https://www.theguardian.com/inequality/2025/dec/10/just-0001-hold-three-times-the-wealth-of-poorest-half-of-humanity-report-finds

"We’re counting on the governor and state lawmakers to stand with working families and reject any cuts to critical child care, health and education funding." https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/protect-kids-health-care-education-from-state-budget-cuts/

Just how big of a raise have some of Seattle's CEOs gotten? Check out this chart from the Seattle Times:

Have you written your note to lawmakers yet? These Washingtonians have -- and they're ready to tax billionaires in our state to fund the things we need. Take action here ⬇️ https://investwanow.org/stop-cuts-only-budget

It's time for Washington to step up.

Seattle-area CEOs are getting raises, but it's budget cuts for the rest of us?

"There aren’t enough things for us to cut to make up for that loss," - Dr. Elaine Batchlor, M.L.K.’s chief executive. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/18/upshot/urban-hospitals-medicaid-cuts.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

The Governor just announced that he's planning an "all cuts budget," but frankly, Washingtonians can't afford more cuts. Tell the Governor and lawmakers to make mega-millionaires and billionaires pay what they owe so we can fund programs Washingtonians need ⬇️ investwanow.org/stop-cuts-on...

"CEO pay packages hit another high last year, and some of the Seattle area’s largest companies are contributing to that trend." https://www.seattletimes.com/business/local-business/ceo-pay-spiked-at-microsoft-starbucks-how-much-do-seattles-chiefs-make/

It shouldn't need to be said.

"... the wealthiest 10% of Americans own roughly 87% of the stock market, according to Federal Reserve data. The poorest 50% own just 1.1%." https://fortune.com/2025/12/01/what-is-k-shaped-economy-inequality-inflation-rich-poor/

As Congress is making the rich even richer, we need to take action in WA to protect the programs families rely on.

Do taxes in Washington feel unfair to you? Correct, they are. The solution is restructuring taxes for fairness so that all Washingtonians can have the services & systems they need.

Let's be clear about why our state is in a budget crisis.

"A growing share of lower-income Americans are struggling to get by financially as their wages fail to keep up with inflation, according to a recent analysis." https://www.cbsnews.com/news/inflation-wage-growth-economy-paycheck-to-paycheck-bank-of-america/

The numbers are clear: The Big Ugly Bill was a giveaway to the rich. Read the full analysis: https://itep.org/tax-provisions-in-trump-megabill-national-and-state-level-estimates/

The super rich got their big tax cut earlier this year. When it came time to fund healthcare and food assistance for the rest of us, we got a shutdown. https://www.king5.com/article/news/nation-world/single-moms-fight-to-feed-her-family-amid-snap-delays/507-eea1079b-06b9-4a4e-8eac-36bd717fe5b5

What progress have we made in Washington over the past 5 years? Treasure Mackley, our Executive Director, explains.

Colorado voters stepped up to fund the programs families rely on! "The new funding from Proposition MM will ensure meals continue to be provided to all Colorado school children." https://coloradosun.com/2025/11/04/proposition-mm-results-colorado-election-2025/

👏👏👏 "In a country and state with so many resources, we should not let our neighbors go hungry, live outside, or suffer without health care. To make sure everyone in our community has what they need, legislators need to look at additional sources of revenue, like raising taxes on the wealthy." #WaLeg

Did you know? Around the world, people are becoming frustrated by wealth inequality and the political influence of the super rich. https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2025/01/09/economic-inequality-seen-as-major-challenge-around-the-world/

"How do you make a meal out of that?" Reverend Jan Bolerjack of Tukwila is seeing the effects of the government shutdown firsthand. https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/11/04/washingtons-food-banks-are-stretched-thin/

The longer this shutdown goes, the more strain it puts on Washington families. It's on us in Washington to fill in the gaps. https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/seattle-food-banks-face-a-wave-of-need-on-first-day-of-snap-lapse/

"Why are you a billionaire?"

We've endorsed 8201! If passed, it won’t cost taxpayers a penny. But projections suggest it could raise investment returns by at least $67 billion over the next 50 years. In the face of the healthcare cuts that Congress passed earlier this year, passing 8201 is essential.

What do the cuts from the federal level mean for immigrant communities in Washington? "HR 1 devastates and destroys our immigrant communities, putting so many of us in Washington state with any kind of status whatsoever in fear of what may happen."

Big tech is paying for a luxurious new ballroom, yet they want you to think they can't afford to pay what they owe in taxes?

Reverend Jan Bolerjack has seen the effects of federal cuts firsthand.

"HR 1 is poised to strip away programs that keep food on the table for millions of families like mine." it's up to us in Washington to step up and protect families from federal cuts.

"While some members of Congress have sold us out, I hope state leaders will have our back." Take a listen to some of the highlights from Lu Hill's recent piece in The Spokesman-Review. https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/oct/05/lu-hill-state-leaders-must-act-to-protect-people-i/

Washington's tax code is upside down.

It's time to fix our upside down tax code.

📹 What happens when funding gets cut? Here's one example:

We want to get to know you! That's why we're asking activists to fill out our 5-minute Activist Survey. By sharing your thoughts, you can help us know how to best work with you when the legislative session starts up. https://x38vctv1a4o.typeform.com/to/rknnZ2bC?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=social

📰 New column from Lu Hill! Read the full piece ⬇️ https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/oct/05/lu-hill-state-leaders-must-act-to-protect-people-i/

Why do we say "tax the rich"? Fatema Boxwala from @tech4taxes.bsky.social explains.

While wealth inequality is at a peak, Congress chose to pass a bill to make things even worse. Now, it's up to lawmakers in our state to fix our tax code so we can fund the things families rely on.

Most Washingtonians pay our share for education, transit, health care, and housing. We all contribute through state and local taxes – mostly property and sales taxes – for the public services we all depend on. The rich should do the same.

📰 From the Seattle Times https://www.seattletimes.com/education-lab/wa-lawmakers-cut-spots-for-free-preschool-program/

📰 From the Seattle Times: Federal and state cuts are leading to staffing cuts at Washington hospitals. "About 1.5% of all workers will be laid off." https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/seattle-childrens-to-lay-off-more-than-150-staffers/

🟢 NEW from IWN Executive Director Treasure Mackley in the Everett Herald! "Put simply: The cost of our lawmakers doing nothing will mean thousands of people in Washington will suffer." Read the full column ⬇️ https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/comment-states-tax-code-needs-rewrite-for-fair-share/

While parents across America navigate a childcare crisis, New Mexico is working on a solution: They’re making childcare free. Full article ⬇️ https://apnews.com/article/universal-free-child-care-new-mexico-ec514c3b828e1100d4e5cd7ab17412db

Let's talk about some good news: New Mexico is making childcare free! Read the full article ⬇️ https://19thnews.org/2025/09/new-mexico-first-state-free-child-care/

Medicaid cuts from the federal level could spell the "impending failure of rural healthcare." https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/sep/07/strained-past-our-breaking-point-washingtons-small/

👍 if it's time for the wealthy to pay what they owe.

Why doesn't it feel good to pay taxes? And how can you get more for your money? Simple: It's time for the rich to pay what they owe.

📰 New from the Washington State Standard: “Washington’s Food Banks Face a Crisis” “If even more people start coming in, the only solution Chavez sees is to reduce the amount of food each person can get. Read: seattlemag.com/seattle-cult...