Dear Washington State: Don’t Follow California’s Tax Model

I’m one of more than 125,000 people who have moved from California to Washington State in the past three years.

Like many of these people, I came to Washington State for its dynamic economy, lower taxes, cheaper cost of living, and the chance to make a better life for my family. I was born and raised in California, but over the past decade started to feel trapped—I saw half of my paycheck disappear in taxes, couldn’t afford a decent house, and worried that I would never make my way up the economic ladder.

Since moving to Seattle in 2015, I immediately saved hundreds of dollars a month in taxes, started building wealth for the future and was able to purchase my first home. My wife found a good job in the tech sector and our son attends one of Seattle’s great public schools. In short, Washington State has allowed us to realize the American Dream that was harder and harder to reach in California.