Editor,

The Washington Policy Center claims tax exempt status on the basis of it being a non-partisan entity. On April 13, 2016, Todd Meyers, from its communications department, sent an email in the name of, and on behalf of the Washington Policy Center, that is anything but non-partisan. His email addressing billboards warning that unregulated agriculture is putting the state’s waterways at risk is nothing more than a partisan rant against what he calls “Seattle environmentalists [who] are all hat and no cattle.” Such political hyperbole is an unfortunate outgrowth of the chasm that has developed between the two major political parties over the past 30 years, but it has no place coming out of a tax exempt organization that owes its tax exemption to its pledge to refrain from partisan activities. Such rants should take place, if at all, on the floor of the House and Senate and should come out of the mouths of our elected officials, not out of the mouth of a spokesperson for the Washington Policy Center.

I have long questioned whether the Washington Policy Center is nothing but an instrument of the political right. In fact, I have previously written to the Internal Revenue Service requesting a review of the center’s entitlement to continued tax exempt status. Missives such as Mr. Meyer’s email provide additional strong evidence that its tax exempt status should be revoked.

To be clear, I have no objection to the Washington Policy Center continuing to provide talking points and right-wing analysis to conservative members of the House and Senate, providing it does not do so under the umbrella of tax free status. I simply object to the center’s continuing its partisan activities under false pretenses. As a taxpayer, I should not have to foot the bill for a right-wing political entity that is not fulfilling its stated mission in its tax exempt application, and for which it was granted an exemption in the first place.

I request that Gov. Jay Inslee, state Sen. Barbara Bailey, R-Oak Harbor; and state Rep. Norma Smith, R-Clinton; and state Rep. Dave Hayes, R-Camano launch an inquiry into the legitimacy of the Washington Policy Center’s tax exempt status, and that the findings of such an inquiry be provided to the Internal Revenue Service for appropriate action.

Sincerely,

NELS KELSTROM

Clinton