Hour 3: WA will hire 300 employees as it enacts high-earners income tax

The John Curley Show delves into Washington State's newly passed high-earners income tax, which will impose a 9.9% tax on household incomes exceeding $1 million. The host criticizes the state’s plan to hire 300 new employees and spend $557 million to administer the tax, calling it an extravagant misuse of public funds. He argues the tax is unconstitutional, citing repeated voter rejections and a Washington Supreme Court ruling against income taxes, while also condemning the political will to override these legal and democratic barriers. The episode frames the tax as a symptom of government overreach driven by envy and a failure to recognize that wealth is created in the private sector, not by government. The host contrasts this with private philanthropy—citing Rick Steves and Warren Buffett—as examples of responsible giving that doesn’t rely on coercion. He warns that this tax will inevitably expand beyond its stated scope, echoing historical patterns of tax creep, and predicts a fierce political battle over a potential referendum, with unions likely funding opposition ads. The segment concludes with a lighthearted but pointed critique of the Mariners’ poor start to the season, using baseball as a metaphor for resilience and mindset, before transitioning to listener messages and sponsor spots.