By Cindy Alia 1/5/26

Concise Analysis of HB 2089 (Wildfire Alleviation Support Act) –

The Core Change:

Effective July 1, 2026, the bill amends RCW 82.04.29005 by removing the "located in more than ten states" qualifier for banking institutions. This eliminates the B&O tax deduction for interest on residential first mortgages (previously available to lenders operating in 10 or fewer states), subjecting all such interest income to Washington's B&O tax at the service rate (~1.5–1.8%).

Stated Intent vs. Actual Effect –

12/4/2025

By Cindy Alia

The idea of an unconstitutional income tax on Washington's citizens is especially daunting when viewed from to lens of those already over taxed and over burdened.  We all want to keep more of the money we earn, but taxation especially stings and hits hard when it is collected then wasted by poor oversight, lack of meaningful auditing, and self serving programs.  People are aware of these faults and at some point will vote with their feet, increased taxation feeds this behavior.

December 4, 2025

By Dominique Scarimbolo, CAPR King County President

King County’s Outside Counsel Monopoly: How Taxpayer Dollars Are Used to Block Taxpayers

Through extensive public-records requests, CAPR has uncovered a deeply troubling pattern inside King County government: the County has spent over $56 million on outside legal counsel since the year 2000—despite already employing hundreds of attorneys in-house.

The records we obtained show 20,334 payments to 1,607 different payees, with a staggering $43.6 million (about 78%) of all spending going to 629 private law firms. These are not small solo practices—many are major institutional firms with the staff, resources, and litigation power normally needed to stand up to government agencies.

Posted by Cindy Alia 11/21/2025

Featured Guest Writer Steve Busch

An article from the OMOTS Website 

By Cindy Alia 11/21/2025

Media is quick to publish stories related to the phrase "food deserts" and blaming it for the most part on evil corporations that market foods.  There are a lot of reasons for the so called food deserts, including corporate decision making on the vialbility of certain locations impacted by crime, theft, or other societal ills that make doing business at a given location that is unpoliced too much of a business challenge. 

October 8, 2025 by Cindy Alia

King County has posted its proposed budget for the next biennial and you can review it here:  https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/executive/governance-leadership/performance-strategy-budget/budget/2026-2027-budget  comments you may have can be sent to the county at this email: budget.council@kingcounty.gov 

Below, you will find a comment provided to the county with an overview geared at implementing cost savings through targeted cuts and fraud detection improvements:

Date: October 8, 2025
Subject: Targeted Budget Cuts and Enhanced Fraud Prevention Measures

Dear King County Council,

9/1/2025 By Cindy Alia

CAPR Fought Hard for Property Rights in the battle for property use in the 2005 Critical Areas Ordinance (CAO) Making.  What seemed a savage assault on a constitutionally fair and reasonable regulatory environment suffered in the name of environmentalism.  Now King County has almost completed its update to the CAO for 2025, and it is clear the lessons of the past have not become an intrinsic motivator for ordinance makers at the county.  They are in fact doubling down on such things as fish life, buffers, and more complicated and less equitable regulatory features.  

Here are the two most useful summary of information links, you can peruse them to see if there are features to the planned ordinance you find objectional.

By Cindy Alia 7/24/25

King County, Washington, residents and businesses face a complex sales tax structure that has sparked confusion, particularly with recent tax changes. A July 22, 2025, King County Council announcement about a new 0.1% sales tax for public safety and criminal justice has raised questions about the total sales tax rate, with some mistakenly interpreting it as “10.3 cents per $100.” This article aims to clarify the combined sales tax rate in King County, including the new increment, and address potential misconceptions.

Enjoy and learn from this fact and linked post by Guest Author Steve Busch from his websitehttps://oldmanoftheski.com/ OMOTS

Who Owns AMERICA?  Identifying Threats to Private Property

July 15, 2025 by Steve Busch

The fundamental right of the average citizen to own property is under siege. Threats to private ownership include a net reduction in the amount of property available due to government land acquisitions, increasing foreign ownership of both residential and agricultural land, plus onerous government taxes and regulations.