I have spent decades designing, building and running an S-Corp on the Washington coast. In the construction industry, we are used to navigating tough conditions, from relentless coastal weather to complex supply chains. But today, the biggest threat to a working business isn’t the environment; it’s the state legislature. Olympia is currently operating on a mathematical fantasy, and working Washingtonians are the ones footing the bill.
Take the Climate Commitment Act. Billed as a historic environmental victory, it is functioning as little more than a regressive tax masquerading as a climate solution. By slapping a massive, fluctuating premium on every gallon of gas and diesel, the state hasn’t reduced our need to drive or haul materials — it has simply punished us for doing so. The math has become so detached from reality that it is now completely logical for me to load a 110-gallon transfer tank into my truck and drive across the bridge to Warrenton, Oregon, just to keep my business in the black.
Does buying my fuel across the river reduce global carbon emissions? No. But it saves me nearly a dollar a gallon. The CCA is performative legislation designed to appease a political base. It artificially inflates the cost of living for everyone, while funneling those localized premiums into state-selected pet projects that offer zero tangible benefit to the rural and working-class communities paying the highest price. …
This hostile climate is suffocating the small businesses that can’t afford to pack up and leave. You see it every day in my line of work. Try designing a home for a family today. The moment a floor plan crosses 2,000 square feet, the state’s labyrinth of strict energy codes and mandates forces builders to add tens of thousands of dollars in hidden costs. I watch clients constantly having to gut their budgets, slashing square footage and abandoning garages just to satisfy Olympia’s prescriptive mandates. We are stifling growth, killing new enterprises, and punishing the exact small businesses that keep local economies alive. …
It is a death spiral we cannot afford. We need policies grounded in economic reality, not performative politics. It’s time for Olympia to start doing the math.
Robert Waltemate is a contractor on the Long Beach Peninsula and lifelong resident.
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