PLEASE HELP.. "If I was in any doubt, as to the right which the Parliament of Great Britain had to tax us without our consent, I should most heartily coincide with you in opinion, that to petition, and petition only, is the proper method to apply for relief; because we should then be asking a favor, and not claiming a right, which, by the law of nature and our constitution, we are, in my opinion, indubitably entitled to. I should even think it criminal to go farther than this, under such an idea; but none such I have. I think the Parliament of Great Britain hath no more right to put their hands into my pockets, without my consent, than I have to put my hands into yours for money; and this being already urged to them in a firm, but decent manner, by all the colonies, what reason is there to expect anything from their justice?"

-George Washington, letter to Bryan Fairfax (July 20, 1774)

Why does Washington believe that just asking the British government to reduce taxes is the wrong course of action?

Because parliament was taxing without their consent, if the colonies had agreed to the tax then the petition would have been right, but because British parliament was basically stealing the colonists money with ridiculous add-on taxes at every turn. For this reason Washington knew that a petition would do nothing. Example: if someone was stealing your purse you wouldn't get it back by asking them nicely to please return your purse.