SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES

Gov. Inslee ranks #50 in CATO Institute’s governors list

Oct 7, 2020, 3:15 PM | Updated: Oct 8, 2020, 8:31 am

The Cato Institute released its annual report card on U.S. governors and Gov. Inslee landed at the bottom at number 50.

Inslee, Culp set to square off in first (and only) gubernatorial debate Wednesday

“He wants higher energy taxes, capital gains tax to raise a billion a year, tobacco tax that mainly lands on lower-income folks, Business and Occupation tax there in Washington state,” said Chris Edwards, who compiled the list. “On taxes and spending, Jay Inslee has been the worst governor in the United States for many years. It’s really unfortunate for Washington’s economy and for citizens.”

‘A’ grades go to governors who’ve cut taxes and spending the most, according to the institute. Governors Chris Sununu of New Hampshire, Kim Reynolds of Iowa, Pete Ricketts of Nebraska, and Mark Gordon of Wyoming earned ‘A’ grades. Inslee shares ‘F’ grades with Ralph Northham of Virginia, Andrew Cuomo of New York, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Phil Murphy of New Jersey, JB Pritzker of Illinois, and Kate Brown of Oregon.

All of the “top” governors are Republican, while all of those who received ‘F’ grades are Democrats. However, the Cato Institute, founded by the Koch brothers, claims to be a non-partisan libertarian think tank.

FILE - People march while taking part in a protest against the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, and agai...

Associated Press

Republicans face a midterm verdict as Iran war drags on months longer than Trump promised

BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) — Mike Gibbons sat out the presidential election two years ago, frustrated that Democrat Kamala Harris did not take a stronger stand against Israel’s war in Gaza and unable to bring himself to cast a vote for Republican Donald Trump. That is not his plan this year. The 33-year-old restaurant server in […]

51 minutes ago

Palestinians walk past a food-aid warehouse damaged in an Israeli airstrike that targeted a nearby ...

Associated Press

Regional powers seek off-ramp from Iran war, and other Middle East developments

JERUSALEM (AP) — Regional powers sought an off-ramp from the war with Iran as another tanker attack was reported in the Strait of Hormuz and Tehran dismissed Washington’s latest sanctions. Elsewhere in the Middle East, a Jerusalem court acquitted a man accused of beating a Catholic nun but ordered him to undergo years of psychiatric […]

2 hours ago

FILE - China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi attends the Comprehensive Strategic Dialogue between Indone...

Associated Press

Chinese foreign minister calls for US and China to ‘overcome obstacles’ ahead of presidential summit

BANGKOK (AP) — China’s foreign minister said his country and the United States should overcome obstacles between the nations ahead of an expected summit next month between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Wang Yi met with U.S. ambassador to China David Perdue on Wednesday and called on both sides to “focus […]

5 hours ago

A person walks near an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei index at a securities firm Thu...

Associated Press

Asian stocks are mixed after Wall Street losses following economic updates

HONG KONG (AP) — Asian stocks were mixed on Thursday following modest losses on Wall Street, while oil prices declined. U.S. futures were trading higher after Nvidia’s latest quarterly earnings beat Wall Street’s expectations as demand for its advanced artificial intelligence chips surged. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 slipped 0.2% to 66,162.72. Multinational investment holding […]

6 hours ago

Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate Abdul El-Sayed speaks at a news conference at the base of the Sp...

Associated Press

Michigan Democrats want to fight Trump. First they have to stop fighting each other

SAUGATUCK, Mich. (AP) — When Democrats gathered this week in a West Michigan congressional district they’re trying to flip blue, they wanted to talk about the cost of living under President Donald Trump. But it didn’t take long for the conversation to turn to a controversy dividing their party. One attendee chided U.S. Rep. Hillary […]

7 hours ago

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before boarding Air Force One, Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, ...

Associated Press

After six months of Iran war, US goals have shifted. The Strait of Hormuz is now a top concern

WASHINGTON (AP) — When President Donald Trump launched the war with Iran in late February, he initially forecast it would last four to five weeks. Six months later, there’s still no off-ramp in sight despite Trump’s repeated assertions that the war has been won or a deal to resolve it was nearly complete. A June […]

7 hours ago

Gov. Inslee ranks #50 in CATO Institute’s governors list