{"id":2579974,"date":"2026-03-15T08:22:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-15T12:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/blue-state-nfl-gm-sounds-the-alarm-on-new-taxes-its-going-to-sting\/"},"modified":"2026-03-15T08:27:54","modified_gmt":"2026-03-15T12:27:54","slug":"blue-state-nfl-gm-sounds-the-alarm-on-new-taxes-its-going-to-sting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/blue-state-nfl-gm-sounds-the-alarm-on-new-taxes-its-going-to-sting\/","title":{"rendered":"Blue State NFL GM Sounds the Alarm on New Taxes: &#8216;It&#8217;s Going to Sting&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fblue-state-nfl-gm-sounds-the-alarm-on-new-taxes-its-going-to-sting%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2579974&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The piece argues that politics sometimes seeps into sports as tax policy shapes teams\u2019 fortunes and players\u2019 decisions. It highlights washington state\u2019s passage of its first-ever income tax aimed at the wealthiest residents, noting that even the prospect stirred debate and prompted notable reactions, including former starbucks CEO Howard Schultz and his wife reportedly plan to move to Florida. Schultz suggested in a LinkedIn post that Washington should remain a place for business and entrepreneurship, while commentators tied his move to the tax climate. <\/p>\n<p>Seattle figures, including Seahawks general manager John Schneider, voiced concerns that a new tax could hurt the city\u2019s ability to recruit free agents, framing it as a potential disadvantage compared with tax-amiable states like Florida or california.ESPN and other outlets reported that NFL agents are divided on the impact,with some suggesting it could deter top players,while others say the overall contract value remains the key factor. The discussion extends beyond football: in the NBA, taxes also influence were stars want to play, with Toronto\u2019s Canada-U.S. tax situation and Miami\u2019s tax-friendly florida helping shape free-agent choices.<\/p>\n<p>the article frames the debate as a practical,dollars-and-sense issue,illustrating how tax policy can influence team-building,talent movement,and the economics of professional sports.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Despite the frequent clamoring to keep politics out of sports, sometimes it&rsquo;s downright unavoidable.<\/p>\n<p>Take, for instance, the recent &ldquo;millionaires&rsquo; tax&rdquo; passed in deep-blue Washington state.<\/p>\n<p>On Wednesday, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/03\/11\/us\/washington-millionaires-tax-bezos-schultz.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The New York Times<\/a> reported that Washington had just passed its first-ever income tax, aimed squarely at shaving a few (or more) bucks off the income of the state&rsquo;s wealthiest individuals.<\/p>\n<p>The mere prospect of this &ldquo;millionaires&rsquo; tax&rdquo; had already been an issue for the state.<\/p>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/howard-schultz-starbucks-ceo-leaving-seattle-washington-millionaire-tax\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CBS News<\/a>, former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz announced that he and his wife would be leaving Washington for Florida.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadAnyclip() { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst container=document.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\"); 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\t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>While Schultz didn&rsquo;t specifically cite the forthcoming tax as the reason for his exodus, he may have been alluding to the policy when he mentioned on LinkedIn that he hoped Washington would &ldquo;remain a place for business and entrepreneurship to thrive, creating essential opportunity for those in Seattle and the surrounding areas.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>(A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/review-the-deep-places-by-ross-douthat\/\" title=\"REVIEW: \u2018The Deep Places\u2019 by Ross Douthat\">similar phenomenon<\/a> has been occurring in other blue states adopting similar taxation policies, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/california-exodus-takes-huge-leap-forward-citizens-flock-las-vegas-avoid-new-tax-hike\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">like California<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<p>But while Schultz may not outright come and sound the alarm on this &ldquo;millionaires&rsquo; tax,&rdquo; Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider had no problem doing so during a radio appearance Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;There were a bunch of agents texting me the other day like, &lsquo;Hey, can&rsquo;t use that anymore, buddy,&#8217;&rdquo; Schneider said on his Seattle radio show, per <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nfl\/story\/_\/id\/48198045\/new-washington-tax-law-effect-seahawks-schneider-says\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ESPN<\/a>. &ldquo;I think it is for all the pro teams here in town.<\/p>\n<p>He noted that the lack of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/im-most-proud-of-getting-our-kids-back-at-school-floridas-desantis-on-which-policy-mattered-most\/\" title=\"\u2018I\u2019m Most Proud Of Getting Our Kids Back At School\u2019: ...\u2019s DeSantis On Which ... Mattered Most\">state income tax<\/a> has &ldquo;always been a huge attraction, especially competing with the California teams.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;So, it&rsquo;s going to sting, from a recruiting standpoint and what that looks like. I&rsquo;m sure Mike Reinfeldt and Mickey Loomis and all the cap guys that have been here before, too, are looking at this like, dang,&rdquo; he added.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s going to sting, no question about it.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>ESPN did report that while Schneider expressed concern with how this new tax would affect Seattle&rsquo;s free agent prospects, various NFL agents were a little more split on how this tax could potentially impact players.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s going to be a problem and hopefully it doesn&rsquo;t happen,&rdquo; one agent told the network.<\/p>\n<p>Another agent said there would be &ldquo;no chance&rdquo; he would sign with Seattle if it meant paying nearly 10 percent in taxes on a lucrative new contract.<\/p>\n<p>Other agents noted that their clients still cared most about the raw total dollar-figure attached to the deal, irrespective of taxes, or that there were other factors that could go into a deal.<\/p>\n<p>But while those NFL agents may be split, the issue of taxes has already been a significant factor in the NFL&rsquo;s fellow sports league, the NBA.<\/p>\n<p>It&rsquo;s not exactly a secret in the NBA that the Toronto Raptors are&nbsp;<em>not&nbsp;<\/em>a free agent destination, largely due to having to pay both Canadian and American taxes on their earnings. Conversely, the Miami Heat &mdash; who play in income tax-free Florida &mdash; has always been a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >hugely popular free agent destination<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The intersection of sports and culture often yields the most polarizing and divisive rhetoric imaginable.<\/p>\n<p>But in this instance? It&rsquo;s just a matter of dollars and sense.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here\u2019s a paraphrase of the readable article content:<\/p>\n<p>Despite ongoing calls to keep politics out of sports, the topic has become unavoidable in Washington, where the state approved its first income tax aimed at the wealthiest residents. The New York Times reported that the tax would cut into the incomes of Washington\u2019s richest. The prospect of the tax had already influenced some actions: former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said he and his wife would relocate to Florida. While Schultz didn\u2019t explicitly blame the tax, he hinted on LinkedIn that Washington should remain a place where business and entrepreneurship can thrive, creating opportunities for Seattle and nearby areas.<\/p>\n<p>Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider expressed concerns on a radio show that the absence of a state income tax has long been a competitive advantage, especially when competing with California teams, and that the new tax could hinder recruiting. ESPN noted that NFL agents were divided: some warned the tax could be problematic, while others said players care most about the total dollar value of contracts and that other deal factors could still prevail. Still, tax considerations have already shaped discussions in professional sports beyond football; in the NBA, the Toronto Raptors are viewed as less attractive to free agents partly due to Canadian and U.S. taxes, whereas the Miami Heat-located in tax-friendly Florida-have historically attracted more players. In sum, the intersection of sports and policy often comes down to money<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2579975,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Ben-Working-Feature-Image-2026-03-13T220536.869.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[75826,75825,10964],"class_list":["post-2579974","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-blue-state-2","tag-nfl-gm","tag-taxes"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Ben-Working-Feature-Image-2026-03-13T220536.869.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2579974","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2579974"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2579974\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2579978,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2579974\/revisions\/2579978"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2579975"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2579974"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2579974"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2579974"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}