Surprise, surprise.
After months of watching Ron Sims get rave reviews for his bold tax reform plan (and I strongly suspect, watching her lead over Sims steadily shrink in her own internal polls), Christine Gregoire is finally starting to warm up to the idea.
The Seattle P-I reported today that Gregoire softened her stance on tax reform during an endorsement interview, apparently backtracking on her earlier statement that an income tax would be “dead on arrival”.
Gregoire said yesterday that officials should start a “discussion” about creating an income tax, “reform” business taxes and persuade voters that the recent 5-cent gas tax increase is not enough to “get the job done.”
The income tax has long been considered “the third rail” of Washington politics (a curious metaphor for our rail-challenged state.) But rather than electrocuting Sims, the issue has clearly recharged his campaign.
And now Gregoire seems to be looking towards tax reform for a jolt in the polls too.
