Fagan letter labels governor ‘a lying whore’

Spokane City Councilman Mike Fagan, in a fundraising letter sent to supporters of his anti-tax efforts, calls Washington Gov. Jay Inslee “a lying whore.” The letter, which was signed by Fagan and the two other co-directors of Voters Want More Choices, was part of a mass email soliciting money for the group. Voters Want More Choices advocates for lower taxes through statewide voter initiatives. Tim Eyman, another co-director who signed the letter, confirmed the letter was sent by Voters Want More Choices. “Candidate Inslee repeatedly promised to veto any tax increase,” the letter said. “He said no way to higher transportation taxes in 2013. Inslee said he’d grow jobs to generate more tax revenue. What a lying whore he turned out to be.” Asked in a phone interview today why the group labeled the governor a whore, Eyman said: “For the same reason that the little boy said the emperor has no clothes, because it’s true.” He declined to answer further questions and hung up on a reporter. Attempts made to reach Fagan were not immediately successful. Asked about the letter after an unrelated news conference Thursday morning, Spokane Mayor David Condon said he wanted to talk to Fagan before offering a comment. Inslee said in recent weeks that he sticks by his campaign promise of not supporting new taxes to fix the state’s projected budget shortfall and has said only that he supports extending some temporary taxes that are set expire this year because he doesn’t consider them new. He has suggested he would support a tax increase for roads and bridges, but he hasn’t backed a specific plan. That position does not contradict what he said last year as a candidate.