Here’s a couple of figures in mind as you read this.

According to the , every 0.5% change in Amazon鈥檚 stock price results in roughly a $1 billion swing for its founder, Jeff Bezos.聽Bezos ranks second behind Elon Musk on Forbes’ wealthiest list, with a net worth of $204.6 billion compared to Musk鈥檚 $388.6 billion.

As I鈥檓 writing this, Amazon stock dropped 0.57% for the day, wiping about $1.2 billion off Bezos鈥檚 fortune. Did he notice? Probably not. But the state of Washington might have 鈥� and you could almost hear the collective groan.

Washington Democrats increased capital gains tax

Over the weekend, state lawmakers approved the Democrat-led , which raises the state鈥檚 capital gains tax on large investment sales 鈥� like stocks and bonds 鈥� from 7% to 9.9%. It’s part of a larger tax package to fill in what the Office of Financial Management says a $16 billion deficit for the operating budget over the next four years.

When the original tax was passed in 2021, critics warned it would drive tech billionaires and millionaires to friendlier states like Florida, where there’s no capital gains or estate tax. According to , which tracks corporate insider stock sales, Bezos stopped selling shares in 2021. Coincidence? Maybe not.

Washington’s capital gains tax started at 7% on gains over $262,000 from stock and bond sales. Pending Governor Bob Ferguson鈥檚 approval, the new plan hikes that tax to 9.9% on gains exceeding $1 million.

Jeff Bezos ditched Washington for Florida

At the end of 2023, Bezos announced he was packing up and leaving Seattle for Florida where there are no similar capital gains and estate taxes.

In an Instagram post, Bezos said he wanted to be closer to his parents and his Blue Origin rocket operations. He did not mention taxes – or tax avoidance.

In June 2023, Bloomberg reported that Bezos bought a $79 million mansion in the ultra-exclusive Indian Creek neighborhood near Miami. When exactly he declared Florida his official residence isn鈥檛 crystal clear, but if he managed to switch it before 2024, here’s how the math works out:聽 show Bezos sold 78,541,922 shares of Amazon stock in 2024 鈥� likely his first full year as a Florida resident 鈥� at prices bouncing around $200 a share. That would amount to a gain of about $15.7 billion.

If he had still lived in Seattle? Here鈥檚 the pain:

• At the old 7% rate, after exempting the first $262,000, he would鈥檝e owed Washington about $1.1 billion in taxes.
• Under the new 9.9% rate, his tax bill would鈥檝e jumped to $1.55 billion.

Let鈥檚 put that in perspective:

• That鈥檚 more than the entire annual budget of the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.
• It鈥檚 more than the $1.3 billion the state hoped to save by furloughing every state worker for 13 days 鈥� a cost-cutting idea that Governor Ferguson floated and then ditched.
• It鈥檚 17 times more than the controversial $9 billion in new taxes the legislature approved to patch the much-discussed budget deficit.
• It鈥檚 about 70% of all the money collected statewide in 2024 under the Climate Commitment Act 鈥� a law many blame for the extra 40 to 50 cents per gallon tacked onto gas prices.

Bezos saved big in move to Florida

Bottom line: One man saved a mind-blowing amount of money, and one state lost it 鈥� exactly the kind of 鈥渨ealth flight鈥� supporters of the capital gains tax said wouldn’t happen.

Meanwhile, a proposed wealth tax 鈥� aimed at roughly 4,300 people with assets over $50 million 鈥� fizzled just days before the session ended. Governor Ferguson, who used to be Attorney General, warned it would be legally risky and said he would reject it.

Speaking at a press conference, Democratic leaders of the House and Senate vowed to bring the proposal back for another shot next year.

But lurking in the tax package awaiting the Governor’s approval is a pair of taxes that critics say can have the same effect on the state as the capital gains tax. It includes a big increase in the Business and Occupation (B&O) tax and a new sales tax on services in the high-tech sector.

Combined the taxes make up more than half of the proposed $9 billion tax plan to balance the budget.

Once again, critics are warning: tax the tech golden goose too hard… and you might just watch it fly south, the same way Jeff Bezos did.

John Curley, host of “The John Curley Show” on 成人X站 Newsradio, said that this could be the case, noting that many of those who share posts online could be over-radicalizing the views of the party, giving Republicans a leg up.

“Most people care about…is my kid safe? Am I safe? Do I have a job? Am I making a decent living? Can I afford to buy a house someday?” Curley said. “You know, all that other stuff that you see, because of social media, because of the use of the algorithm, the Republicans don’t have to do a thing. Just put enough people with dyed hair…simply throw them out there and say, well, here you go. These are the Democrats.”

Curley referred to an article in , where reporter Christian Schneider compared the Democratic Party to a farmers market, explaining that Democrats would previously coexist in different kinds of booths, that they “didn鈥檛 necessarily like one another, but they tolerated the strangeness of the coalition because it won elections.”

“Social media, as much as people want to get the word out, is actually causing the party to splinter,” Curley said.

He claimed that social media puts people’s differences on display, forcing the public to see one person’s viewpoint as a symbol for the party.

Repeating history

Curley noted that this happened similarly within the Republican Party as well, recalling the basic philosophy of Pat Buchanan’s Reform Party, which aimed to go “real conservative.” Curley said the creation of this party could be compared to what leaders on the left, like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), are trying to campaign for today.

“(Buchanan) said if you had true conservatives, you would win. It’s when you start to move a little bit to the left and try to pick up some of those people, that’s when you lose,” Curley said. “This will be interesting because, right now, AOC is on a tour across the U.S. with Bernie Sanders, and people like talking to her, saying she would make a great president. If we just did the same thing as Pat Buchanan in the 80s, right? If we just got true left? Well, I think it didn’t work for you before, and it certainly won’t work again.”

Listen to the full conversation below:

Listen to John Curley and weekday afternoons from 3 鈥� 7 p.m. on 成人X站 Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the聽podcast here.

Listen to the Gee and Ursula Show every weekday at 9am on 成人X站 Newsradio 97.3 FM. Listen to 成人X站 Newsradio 97.3 FM or go to MyNorthwest.com to learn more!

Listen to Seattle’s Morning News w/ Charlie Harger and Manda Factor every weekday at 5am on 成人X站 Newsradio 97.3 FM or go to MyNorthwest.com to learn more!

Listen to the Gee and Ursula Show every weekday at 9am on 成人X站 Newsradio 97.3 FM. Listen to 成人X站 Newsradio 97.3 FM or go to MyNorthwest.com to learn more!

Jake Skorheim, co-host of聽鈥淭he Jake and Spike Show鈥� on 成人X站 Newsradio, said he is not only worried about how this will affect him, but also how it will impact the future lives of his children.

“How much longer do you choose to live in a state that doesn’t seem to value you as a citizen and just wants to take, take, take because there are other states where you don’t have to pay these types of taxes,” said Jake,聽 “I can stomach them for myself, but when I start thinking about what kind of life my kids are going to have, it’s tough to buy a house in Washington State.”

$1 million starter homes in Washington?

According to , a Redfin agent shared that most homes in the Seattle area are now starting at or around $1 million and are much smaller than previously expected for that price range.

As of , the average cost of a single-family home in Washington is $658,700. In the neighboring state of Idaho, the average is only $474,700, according to Redfin’s monthly housing market data.

“When you launch your children into this world you’re choosing where you’re going to do that,” said Jake,” If they can’t afford to do it here, which is becoming very unattainable in Washington, they’re going to have to go and do it somewhere else.”

Jake noted that his own parents relocated from California to Washington due to housing costs, and that he would would hate for his kids to relocate when they become adults.

Listen to the full conversation below.

Listen to 鈥淭he Jake and Spike Show鈥�聽weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. on 成人X站聽Newsradio聽97.3 FM.聽Subscribe to the podcast here.

Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary explained that studies link the petroleum-based dyes to ADHD, obesity, cancer, and other debilitating diseases. Parents have also noticed that behavior issues change when these dyes are removed from their children鈥檚 diets.

“They said eliminating these entirely would require reformulating lots of popular foods, from cereal to candy to soda and sports drinks,” Jake said. “Okay, I’m fine with that.”

FDA bans artificial dyes, sparking additional concerns

Given the concern over food dye, Jake other dangerous chemicals in our food could be banned next.

“I also wonder if these dyes are accompanied by things like sugar, rich foods,” said Jake. “I know when I feed my kids any of these foods that they get hyper and crazy.”

Listen to the full conversation below.

Listen to 鈥淭he Jake and Spike Show鈥�聽weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. on 成人X站聽Newsradio聽97.3 FM.聽Subscribe to the podcast here.

Jake Skorheim, co-host of “The Jake and Spike Show” on 成人X站 Newsradio, had a Thursday morning encounter at Starbucks that left him steaming. It started when he was cut off at the drive-thru.

“I’m across the way. This guy drives in. He sees me waiting there, and the Starbucks line starts moving, and he just swoops in. This is at the Lake Stevens Starbucks, he swoops in, and my blood, my blood just is already boiling, and I’m already very upset,” Jake shared.

When Jake got up to the window, he was given an option to tip before putting his card in, leading to his message for the Starbucks CEO:

“Brian Niccol, I have a message for you,” he said. “I like what you’re doing at Starbucks. I like that you’re revamping and you want it to be a family-friendly place where people can come in and just enjoy a good cup of coffee. I like that you’ve gotten rid of a bunch of the stupid stuff, like the olive oils and everything.

“Change the tipping culture. It’s gone too far before I even get my food. They’re shoving a thing in my face saying, how much extra money? Like, why would I tip $3 on $12 the stellar amount of service that you would have for me to do a 30% tip would have to be so over the top, but especially for somebody who’s literally just a middle person handing me my food. I’m watching this person. They’re not making anything, they’re not doing anything. They’re just handing me my food, a drip coffee. Genius. How did you do that? Three bucks? Ridiculous,” he continued.

What is Jake’s next move?

“I’m actually thinking about a Starbucks strike until they stop doing this,” Jake said. “I don’t know if I’m the only one who’s gonna do it, but I’m thinking about never going there again until they stop, like, begging for tips.”

Listen to the full conversation below:

Listen to 鈥淭he Jake and Spike Show鈥�聽weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. on 成人X站聽Newsradio聽97.3 FM.聽Subscribe to the podcast here.

Listen to Seattle’s Morning News w/ Charlie Harger and Manda Factor every weekday at 5am on 成人X站 Newsradio 97.3 FM or go to MyNorthwest.com to learn more!

Spike O’Neill, co-host of 鈥淭he Jake and Spike Show鈥� on 成人X站 Newsradio, said the solution is simple: street racers should have their cars permanently impounded.

“You see these horrible videos of accidents happening and people getting injured,” Spike said. “Taking over intersections and flaunting their criminality. It’s time to lose the car. Maybe not the first offense, but the second time, lose the car.”

Co-host of “Jake and Spike,” Jake Skorheim, agreed that repeat offenders should have their vehicle taken, no question about it.

“Fool me once. Shame on you. Fool me twice. Lose you lose the car,” Jake said. “I am fully on board with it.”

Jake has idea to arrest street racers

Even though Jake agrees with Spike, he believes it could be difficult for police to convict street racers if all police have as evidence are Instagram videos. Because of that, he has some ideas on how Seattle police can curb street racing.

“I think you need to find a youngish-looking cop in the SPD, somebody who’s hip, and have them infiltrate the groups,” Jake shared.

Listen to the full conversation below:

Listen to 鈥淭he Jake and Spike Show鈥�聽weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. on 成人X站聽Newsradio聽97.3 FM.聽Subscribe to the podcast here.

Listen to The John Curley Show every weekday at 3pm on 成人X站 Newsradio 97.3 FM. Listen to 成人X站 Newsradio 97.3 FM, or visit MyNorthwest.com to learn more!

Listen to Seattle’s Morning News w/ Charlie Harger and Manda Factor every weekday at 5am on 成人X站 Newsradio 97.3 FM or go to MyNorthwest.com to learn more!

Former NFL quarterback Brock Huard, co-host of on Seattle Sports, joined “Jake and Spike” to discuss the impact of football on children.

“My son is 10, and some of his friends were asking, 鈥榃hat does next season look like?” Jake asked. “Are you going to play in the flag football league again, or are you moving up to tackle to start developing those skills?”

Brock explained that ensuring your child is ready before moving onto a more physical sport is essential. Even though some children develop faster than others, he says there are “some who got it, and there are some who just don’t.”

“The worst thing is when kids start playing tackle football at eight or nine, and little Johnny gets hit in the face, gets hurt, and realizes he doesn鈥檛 like the pain鈥攕o he quits football,” Brock said. “Let鈥檚 not do that. Let鈥檚 keep them in flag football as long as we can. For some boys, yeah, you can tell鈥攖hey鈥檙e built for it and ready to move up. But others need more time, and that鈥檚 OK.”

Parents should consider if they’re kids are ready for tackle football

Even though it can be difficult for parents to make the decision, a child should never be put in a position where they’re not ready for the next level and could get hurt.

“The other really important thing is just body control, like bigger kids, especially if they, and my son fits into this, I think he may have wanted to play earlier,” Brock said. “I’m like, ‘No, it’s not beneficial for you, because you don’t have the coordination and the body control.'”

Brock added that gender plays a large role in determining when a child is ready to compete at a more challenging or physical level.

“In younger ladies, it’s very difficult if they don’t have it, very difficult to equip and coach it in, they got it, or they don’t,” Brock said. “And, you know, the ones that don’t, yeah, sure, you can always elevate, but you’re never going to change that nature, I think boys are different.”

Listen to the full conversation below:

Listen to 鈥淭he Jake and Spike Show鈥�聽weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. on 成人X站聽Newsradio聽97.3 FM.聽Subscribe to the podcast here.

Listen to The John Curley Show every weekday at 3pm on 成人X站 Newsradio 97.3 FM. Listen to 成人X站 Newsradio 97.3 FM, or visit MyNorthwest.com to learn more!

Listen to Seattle’s Morning News w/ Charlie Harger and Manda Factor every weekday at 5am on 成人X站 Newsradio 97.3 FM or go to MyNorthwest.com to learn more!

Listen to The John Curley Show every weekday at 3pm on 成人X站 Newsradio 97.3 FM. Listen to 成人X站 Newsradio 97.3 FM, or visit MyNorthwest.com to learn more!

John Curley, host of “The John Curley Show” on 成人X站 Newsradio, believes college students should absolutely have to pay back their loans.

“This idea that, ‘Oh, I shouldn’t have to pay it back.’ Why not? What about everybody else? Guy takes out a loan for a truck, and he’s got some business. He’s going around putting up drywall or something, or raking up leaves. He’s got to pay the person for the truck. Why would you not? Right? You’re not writing off his loan. Same thing with houses and stuff. Why should we feel sorry for these college students? I have no sympathy at all,” he said.

John Curley: Not paying student loans increases inflation

Curley believes that students not paying their loans increased inflation.

“Now the college student that was paying on average $300, that’s the average college loan payment monthly, they had that extra $300 to spend on something else. So that helped to fuel the inflation,” he said.

Curley also argued that certain majors aren’t valuable.

“In this case, we just give an 18-year-old $50,000, and then you can go major in frisbee tossing, and then, ‘Oh, shocking, nobody wants to hire me. I thought people would want to hire me. I’ve got this degree in American pottery poetry, but apparently there’s no need for that. But I owe $50,000 or I owe $75,000, what am I going to do? Well, I’ll just wait for a person who’s running for president to come along and try to buy my vote by telling me you don’t have to pay it back,'” he mouthed sarcastically.

When asked why does it matter if the person pays back their loans, Curley responded: “You’re only one person, yeah, but if everybody does it, it screws over everybody. You just have the responsibility just to pay it. That’s why I look at it.”

Listen to John Curley and weekday afternoons from 3 鈥� 7 p.m. on 成人X站 Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the聽podcast here.

Spike O’Neil, co-host of “The Jake and Spike Show”聽on 成人X站 Newsradio, shared that he believes the tax would disproportionately affect local breweries and businesses.

“It makes it an unfair playing field for Washington business owners, people who are trying to do the right thing, lift yourself up by your bootstraps, start your own business,” Spike said. “Live the American dream, provide jobs, provide benefits to your client, to your customer, a sense of community… And then, uh oh, here comes the state.”

New beer tax sparks industry backlash

This tax would rank Washington ninth nationally in beer excise tax, which is seven times higher than Oregon and four times higher than Idaho.

Jake Skoreheim, co-host of “Jake and Spike,” agreed, placing the blame on Washington’s previous mismanagement of funds.

“The state is stepping in and saying, We have mismanaged things so badly that we’re $16 billion in debt,” Jake said. “What we’re going to do is we’re going to try to take that from you guys. You’re going to help us fix the problem that we created, and it’s going to hurt your business.”

Listen to the full story below:

Listen to 鈥淭he Jake and Spike Show鈥�聽weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. on 成人X站聽Newsradio聽97.3 FM.聽Subscribe to the podcast here.

Listen to The John Curley Show every weekday at 3pm on 成人X站 Newsradio 97.3 FM. Listen to 成人X站 Newsradio 97.3 FM, or visit MyNorthwest.com to learn more!