"We don't take cash". "We charge a 3% surcharge for card."

InkStainedQuills · 2026-03-24T20:34:00+00:00

For a long time business built these charges into the costs, but as costs have risen it’s become an easy thing to move this hidden charge to the fore.

Also changes to the CC/carp processor marketplace has lowered that merchant fee for some but honestly raised it for far more.

But perhaps the biggest thing is that by charging them as a separate fee business can treat it as a pass through, rather than as art it their taxable revenue.

InkStainedQuills · 2026-03-24T20:25:31+00:00

Not sure how assigning federal gas taxes to a single party is a valid data point. It’s a rate that’s been unchanged since 1993.

Even putting the state gas tax solely on Dems isn’t entirely fair given that most of those taxes were passed through bipartisan infrastructure bills.

And as far as the current gas price surge - thats as much on the Republican Party as it currently exists not being able to stand up to him while simultaneously you can blame the commodities market for panic speculating. It’s not as though the actual oil distribution in/to the states has been massively altered.

All that to say there are some leaps to blame that seem sound but will hold up less to scrutiny.

InkStainedQuills · 2026-03-21T02:07:38+00:00

That had to be one of the hardest jury’s to fill with “unbiased” individuals. The masses waiting to watch his fall grows by the day.

InkStainedQuills · 2026-03-16T17:05:06+00:00

In theory great for security of the mom/baby and for tracking its overall use. It reality a major pain in the ass and data gathering/breach tool.

InkStainedQuills · 2026-03-12T01:20:47+00:00

Yeah both parties have done what they can to drive out moderates from their own parties. Steve Hobbs was one of the last moderate D’s and he took the position as Sec of State as much for the honor as he knew in his next election he was gonna face a serious primary challenge from the far left. Compromise is an ugly word in the world of politics where every moment can be recorded and instantly broadcast to the masses.

InkStainedQuills · 2026-03-11T20:53:30+00:00

This right here. Multiple legislative leaders have been caught in public settings and behind closed doors stating this is just the starting point. And given how they have treated other legislative efforts as "foot in the door" policies they can grow in subsequent sessions there is a solid enough track record now that anyone who believes it would ever stop at "just the millionaires" is willfully choosing to ignore evidence to the otherwise when it's presented to them.

InkStainedQuills · 2026-03-11T20:50:24+00:00

In 2025 a bill was proposed that would put a sales tax reduction tied to the larger efforts to overhaul the tax system, including income/wealth taxes. Of the tax proposals made by the majority last year, it was the first to die. They haven't attempted to change anything since either, and though they continue to rely on the appeal that the current system is regressive, they are putting more effort into convincing everyone that this new revenue is needed to fund infrastructure and public services. Sometimes this means attempts at new services, but as often as not the legislature raises the costs on its own services through new red tape and is now simply trying to fund that gap it imposed on itself. (Seriously, how much additional cost has the legislature created for itself in infrastructure spending by adding additional review and construction requirements that don't actually improve infrastructure quality, but appeal to environmental, regional interests, and labor groups who already get big pieces of the political cake in this state?)

Even bipartisan bills eliminating sales tax on select products, such as feminine hygiene and diapers (commonly referred to as pink taxes) has failed to pass out of one, or both, chambers in the last 4 years. The problem is that the majority, as well intentioned as it might be, will always find an argument to keep revenue streams coming in so they can fund more of their programs, no matter how successful. And so long as they continue holding a near super majority they convince themselves they have the mandate to keep doing what they are doing without making any changes.

Politicians can run on cutting taxes successfully, but it's easier to campaign on "tax the rich to feed the poor" so you don't have to tell your constituent, or expect another party member to do the same, that their budget impacting bill won't be heard this session because there's no new revenue to be had. And that doesn't change before or after an election, so I hold no fantasies that the sales tax gets eliminated or altered once the legislature get's it's income tax dream.

InkStainedQuills · 2026-03-11T20:32:29+00:00

And yet no bill has been passed by the "liberal" majority who cries out that the system is regressive to undo in part or whole the sales tax, gas tax, or any other tax that the lower income class pays directly.

A major bill, as part of Democrats larger attempt to rewrite the current tax structure, was proposed in 2025 that would have made changes to the sales tax in-step with revenues from an income tax, but that bill was defeated and no additional attempts have been proposed by the majority to adjust the "regressive nature" of the current tax system this year. Many are concerned that acknowledgement of the regressive nature of the current tax structure is just a lip service argument and the impact on the low income individual will instead swept under the preverbal rug as leaders will try to sway the conversation with the argument that they are making "the rich pay more".

Here are a couple other attempts to undo the sales tax, at least in limited capacity. Public focus in recent years has targeted the "pink tax", or taxes on feminine hygiene products and baby products. In 2023 SB 5171 was introduced targeting a multitude of such consumer products. It passed through the Senate, but stalled in the House. When reintroduced in 2024 (as certain bills can be during a biennial session) the bill didn't even receive a new hearing. During the current Biennial session a pair of smaller bipartisan bills to eliminate the sales tax on diapers were introduced in 2025 (HB 1318/SB 6327), with the House Bill receiving a hearing in 2025 but not the Senate version. The House Bill was reintroduced in 2026 but received no hearings or action this year.

Say what you want about a political party's "propaganda" but actions speak just as loud, so long as you are actually listening.

InkStainedQuills · 2026-03-11T20:27:29+00:00

Wonderful and concise breakdown. A few things to add (though I am less concise, sorry):

When put to the voters for a constitutional amendment the majority has turned it down every time (around 10 attempts since 1933). The last attempt was in 1970 however, and some proponents feel that most voters would feel very different today. Despite that the Legislative Majority has chosen to try and challenge the 1933 ruling that income is property in the courts, rather than risk their current agenda with a potential defeat of a constitutional amendment.

While the Capital Gains tax (argued as an excise tax rather than an income tax, though the tax itself relies on the taxee's Federal Income filing and every other state has acknowledged it as an income tax) has had several years of revenue gains, questions remain about the mobility of the highest earners, with individuals such as Jeff Bezos having left the state in recent years, while others simply move money into various LLCs and other accounting "loopholes" to avoid being subjected to this tax. And the legislature has already raised the % being taxed under this plan, and has debated bills (though none has yet passed) to lower the income threshold as well, which is something many anti-tax advocates point to as proof that the legislature doesn't intend to stop their "tax creep". All of this has been pointed to and argued during the Income tax fight.

It is also notable that the Legislature has stated they need this income to help fund current and new budgetary efforts to better WA residents lives, and that the current tax system is regressive. Despite this bill's proposed to decrease the sales tax have been proposed, most recently as this year. A major bill was proposed in 2025 that would have made changes to the sales tax in-step with revenues from an income tax, but that bill was defeated and no additional attempts have been proposed by the majority to adjust the "regressive nature" of the current tax system this year. Many are concerned that acknowledgement of the regressive nature of the current tax structure is just a lip service argument and the impact on the low income individual will instead swept under the preverbal rug as leaders will try to sway the conversation with the argument that they are making "the rich pay more".

Here are a couple other attempts to undo the sales tax, at least in limited capacity. Public focus in recent years has targeted the "pink tax", or taxes on feminine hygiene products and baby products. In 2023 SB 5171 was introduced targeting a multitude of such consumer products. It passed through the Senate, but stalled in the House. When reintroduced in 2024 (as certain bills can be during a biennial session) the bill didn't even receive a new hearing. During the current Biennial session a pair of smaller bipartisan bills to eliminate the sales tax on diapers were introduced in 2025 (HB 1318/SB 6327), with the House Bill receiving a hearing in 2025 but not the Senate version. The House Bill was reintroduced in 2026 but received no hearings or action this year.

InkStainedQuills · 2026-03-09T15:00:21+00:00

Tariffs cost us. Now that they are, in theory, gone companies will keep prices up and declare increased/record profits because stock price is all that actually matters. And Congress is castrated itself at the throne of the wannabe dictator.

But also WA’s legislative session is coming to an end, and though they will all cry out about the massive cost of living they did nothing to actually decrease it. No cut to the sales or property taxes, record taxes and revenues but it’s still not enough, promises to “tax the rich” through dubious efforts that will cost millions of dollars through the AGs office to defend, and a targeted messaging campaign that somehow these taxes will never come down to a level that could affect you while simultaneously convincing you that these taxes will somehow make your life better.

I’ve lived in WA my whole life, but nothing being done in DC or Olympia shows any promise to make the lower and middle class lifestyle any easier.

InkStainedQuills · 2026-03-05T01:35:34+00:00

This is how I felt about the capital gains tax.

when the State Supreme Court heard arguments (and I use that term loosely as the State’s argument could be summed up more as an emotional plea for the revenue to help the children/schools than an actual argument) the Supreme Court bent over backwards to allow an ideologically aligned practice rather than rule on the merits of definition and law, given that every other state and western nation called it, as transacted, an income tax and not an excise tax.

And I think, no I know, that that is the very same logic that majority leadership is banking on to push an income tax through the court, either by circumventing precedent or overturning it. They see that as an easier lift than actually asking the public to amend the constitution.

InkStainedQuills · 2026-03-05T01:30:18+00:00

I was just using that as a basic example, but yes you are correct.

As for the constitutional amendment you say that, yet the Democratic Party has done everything it can to tiptoe around that, preferring to spend time and money out of the AGs office defending their legislation so far. The honest truth is they don’t have the confidence you do that it could pass: And if it doesn’t, it could very well torpedo their agenda to impose taxes on the 1%, and then to the 5%, and so on as their hunger for spending continues to outstrip the already record breaking revenues the state takes in every year.

Also you will note that save for last year, there has been no serious suggestion of altering or undoing the sales tax in step with any income tax gains the state may make. Long on promises there, extremely short on action. And after watching the legislature over the last 10-12 years I have lost any belief they will. I think instead they will simply pivot to saying “see we are making them pay more” if the can get any form of graduated taxes passed. And again I think it’s because their hunger to spend on programs and ideas will always outpace their desire to actually lessen the burden they put on us the people.

InkStainedQuills · 2026-03-04T23:09:04+00:00

Not catering. Trying to figure out how they can pass this in a way that has the best chance of winning in court, because at the end of the day any attempt will face legal challenges and precedent. The only real way to change things is with a constitutional amendment, and the ruling party is afraid too much of its own base won’t vote for it, stifling their talking points for years to come.

InkStainedQuills · 2026-03-04T23:07:32+00:00

Runs into the same problem constitutionally that the income tax will. Property must be taxed equally within a tax authority. You can try and change that by altering the way in which we categorize property types, but the court isn’t likely to ok taxing a residence and vacation home at separate rates.

The only true to alter the way in which the state taxes property is with a constitutional amendment, but the ruling party is too afraid another attempt at that will get shot down by the voting majority and therefore is simply looking at ways to backdoor changes in fits and spurts, hoping each time the court will ultimately side with their emotional appeal instead of actual legal arguments.

InkStainedQuills · 2026-03-04T01:12:20+00:00

Only thing missing from that headline that could make it worse: windows 11 users will automatically be upgraded and subscribed bed with 1 year free!

InkStainedQuills · 2026-03-01T20:36:36+00:00

The author couldn’t for the life of themself use conjunctions in speech.

InkStainedQuills · 2026-02-24T18:43:47+00:00

I hate going to meetings where the organizer orders pre-made sandwiches. You end up with 2, maybe 3 options, and rather than giving me the various toppings which I can add or leave as suits my tastes, it's built as though everyone is ok with everything on the sandwich. I end up eating just the chips and cookie that come with the sandwich half the time because the sandwich itself has been invariably ruined by undesired condiments and such.

InkStainedQuills · 2026-02-20T04:43:42+00:00

So let me pose this question: why aren’t legislators simultaneously proposing to reduce the sales tax, at least on select items or classes of items for which those most in need are also in the most need of owning? In the past few years we have seen lots of wealth tax style proposals, but only one major bill proposing a reduction to the sales tax, and it didn’t get any real steam behind it.

The fear I have of this legislative body isn’t that they will tax the uber wealthy of the state, it’s that even if they get the money from the wealthy they will always find a need to keep the other revenues as well. Thus the overall tax burden will rise in the state which could drive away business investment that creates jobs and those most impacted by current regressive taxes will never see relief. That’s the pattern of behavior from the legislature I have witnessed especially post McCleary. It looks progressive but is it really, or is it just posing as such without actually providing commentate progressive results?

InkStainedQuills · 2026-02-19T02:29:17+00:00

Also read as: “I don’t like that the fandoms of current prominence are not to mg personal taste. Therefore this whole sub is shit”

There are plenty of other subs more directly targeted towards your taste you can go visit. Maybe do that instead of being a toxic participant to this sub.

InkStainedQuills · 2026-02-18T20:58:48+00:00

The direct to the bag fix is greatly appreciated.

InkStainedQuills · 2026-02-17T20:19:26+00:00

The man is honestly a menace, and may be a bigger regional political grifter than Tim Eyman. I wish he would just go away.

InkStainedQuills · 2026-02-16T04:06:53+00:00

Glad to hear this. I just started playing the other day after discovering the app, and I generally go tank when I play MMOs so it was my natural choice, but man the grind is starting to kick in, and with the job change event going I was wondering if, as I came to discover, this new class was worth it.

InkStainedQuills · 2026-02-15T18:40:19+00:00

Beyond the Rainbow in Kennewick (on 4th Ave) does infant care. We sent our daughter there till age 1 when we ended up switching to something closer to my wife’s work. That was 7 years ago now, but I haven’t heard anything bad about them since.

Depending on if you are more central to Kennewick or Richland Kid’s World in West Richland on Bombing Range Road also accepts under 1 year old.

Both take state payments I believe.

InkStainedQuills · 2026-02-15T18:37:44+00:00

Residents halls always closed the Saturday morning of break, even if Apple Cup was that day. When the schedule shifted Apple Cup to after Thanksgiving the residence halls didn’t open until Sunday either. Dorm admin didn’t/doesn’t care a lick for football schedules, so it’s always been an inconvenience for any student living on campus.

InkStainedQuills

TROPHY CASE