I supported Tim Eyman’s Initiative 976, which was passed overwhelmingly by the voters of Washington state.

It sets vehicle tabs at $30. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and elected and appointed officials are “crying the blues” and are saying that there won’t be sufficient funds — in other words, tax dollars — to cover costs for roads, potholes, bridges, etc.

That is an outright lie.

The truth of the matter is that the state of Washington (and local government) has more revenue from taxes coming in than ever before. The year 2018 was a record year for state revenue. And 2019 will be an even greater year for state revenue.

The state of Washington has many exorbitant taxes. We have one of the highest gas taxes in the nation. We also among the highest B&O tax, property tax and real-estate excise tax in the nation.

I’ve contacted the Washington State Department of Revenue and the Washington State Office of Financial Management recently. They say that it looks like there could be a state surplus by the year 2021.

We have a “deep state” — also called a swamp — in Olympia that does not tell the truth. All they want to do is tax you to death. They tell you that there is not enough revenue to take care of state services without raising taxes or creating new taxes. I have an answer for that excuse: cut the size of local and state governments. Washington state’s economy is very robust and there is record-low unemployment.

The passage of Initiative 976 is a good example and a direct result of what happens when our Washington State Legislature does not do their job.

Rob Daugherty

Olalla