Manousos Kouidis Jacobsen: Why are working families Gov. Ferguson’s first resort?

Washingtonian working families are being asked to sacrifice, again. Gov. Bob Ferguson’s proposed budget would furlough state employees, effectively cutting our pay by 4.8%, raise health care costs and cut the services everyday Washingtonian working families depend on. Meanwhile, the ultra-rich still aren’t being asked to contribute their fair share.

Let me be clear: This is a failure of leadership.

My name is Manousos Kouidis Jacobsen and I live in Spokane. I’m a proud union member with the Washington Federation of State Employees. I grew up in a working-class immigrant family where opportunity always had to be fought for. My mom, a single parent, worked as a teacher, and nannied kids on the side, but it was Medicaid and SNAP that helped keep our family afloat. I worked hard, went to college using FAFSA grants and loans, and I’m now earning my master’s in public administration while working full-time. Today I work at Spokane Community College, where I help nontraditional students become nurses, mechanics, welders and EMTs.

My students don’t want handouts. We – the workers who keep Washington running – don’t want handouts. We want opportunity, and a Washington that works for all of us. I believe in the American value of opportunity, that’s why I am dedicated to helping others grasp the limited opportunities left in our country.

State employees are the backbone of public services. We are social workers protecting vulnerable children, transportation workers keeping roads safe, and higher education professionals helping people rebuild their lives. Our work matters, which is why it’s infuriating that the governor’s budget makes workers pay for the problems they didn’t create.

Gov. Ferguson’s plan forces mandatory furloughs one day a month for the next two fiscal years, cutting thousands of dollars from family budgets – money meant for groceries, rent or child care. Senate Bill 5793, meanwhile, proposes 13 furlough days in the next fiscal year alone, a raise in health care premiums from 15% to 20% and to strip union bargaining rights over health benefits, even though state employees already earn 10-17% less than private-sector counterparts, according to the Economic Policy Institute.

Gov. Ferguson’s proposal includes no new taxes on the ultra-rich, despite Washington having the most regressive tax system in America. The poorest 20% pay 16.8% of their income in state and local taxes, while the wealthiest 1% pay just 2.4% (ITEP).

Working families are already sacrificing enough–the ultra-rich must share our burden and contribute fairly to our great state. But Governor Ferguson says he’s “skeptical” of taxing the rich and sees it as a “last resort”.

Let me say this clearly: working families should not be your first resort.

I’ve lobbied and testified multiple times in Olympia – on my own time, all the way from Spokane – including to support a modest 1% wealth tax on individuals with more than $50 million. This proposal could generate billions, easing our budget challenges without hurting workers. I’ve sat across from lawmakers who won’t even look me in the eye as they vote to cut the services working families depend on.

Washington is for all of us. We don’t want handouts. We want opportunity. It’s time for the ultra-rich to pay their fair share.

If our leaders truly want responsible governance, they should fix our upside-down tax system, invest in public services, and stand with the workers who hold this state together. When workers are told they don’t matter, they’ll leave – and the system will collapse for everyone.

I didn’t come to public service to get rich. I came because I believe in it. But belief alone doesn’t pay the bills. Workers deserve respect, and that respect must be reflected in our state’s budget. Washingtonian working families have had enough. If our elected leaders won’t fight for us, we’ll find new ones who will.

I urge everyone to stay engaged. Keep speaking out. Don’t get distracted by party labels – look closely at who fights for working families and who sells us out.

My fight is for every Washingtonian worker, I’m sharing stories from the front lines on TikTok and Instagram: @ManousosWA.

We’re watching. And we won’t forget who stood with working people – and who didn’t.

Manousos Kouidis Jacobsen is a Washington Federation of State Employees Union member.