The City of Seattle cannot wait to start 2021 – so the Council can add more taxes. Using a selfish and greedy interpretation of the state constitution, the Democrats on the Seattle City Council voted to impose a tax on income. We have already seen businesses respond by moving jobs (and tax revenue) to the suburbs and to other states.  The exodus from Seattle will continue.  When the city coffers dry up, Councilmember Kshama Sawant and her fellow Leftist colleagues will very likely blame someone else for their failed experiment. (Shift Article)

Rumor has it that Governor Inslee is expected to release his next budget proposal on Thursday, December 17^th (he is constitutionally required to submit this by December 20^th).  In the coming days, we will provide some good ideas which we do not expect to be included in the governor’s proposed July 2021 – June 2023 budget, and some bad ideas which we unfortunately do expect to be in that proposal.

Many Democrat legislative leaders have been encouraging Governor Inslee to include a capital gains income tax which he has proposed in the past, and many observers expect the governor’s proposed budget to again include this constitutionally questionable new source of revenue (to fund further growth in the size and power of state government).  Despite the two-year state budget being a record-breaking 19% larger in the current budget biennium than the previous one, and tax revenues projected to continue to grow further to fund the next budget, the greed of the Democrats and their supporters in the government employee unions will be in full display during the 2021 session, as they seek to make state government even larger.  While a state income tax is unconstitutional in Washington, many Democrats lawmakers ignore that all other states and the IRS consider a capital gains tax an income tax and think their tax scheme will pass muster with an all-Democrat Supreme Court. (Washington Policy Center)

With teachers no longer seeing students on a daily basis since Governor Inslee shut down public schools, reports from educators of children being neglected and abused has dropped dramatically.  The Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families reveals that reports of abuse dropped 87% after schools were closed last year.  This year, there are 59% fewer reports than a comparable time last year.  Educators are legally required to report signs of abuse and neglect to state authorities.  With the stress of economic hardship rising (and the significant increase in alcohol sales), it is very probable that significant unreported abuse is occurring.  (Seattle Times)

The CEO of the Washington Hospitality Association (WHA) called Governor Inslee’s latest extension of his shutdown orders through the holidays “heartbreaking and outrageous.”  The Washington State restaurant industry expects to lose $10 billion in 2020, but Governor Inslee feels he can alleviate the damage of his orders by offering $100 million (or 1% of the losses) from his federal CARES Act aid slush fund. The head of the WHA said the state aid can only help 2,500 business, yet the state reports over 16,000 applications have been filed thus far. The WHA also reports that over 2,300 restaurants and bars have already closed permanently (the governor’s latest restrictions will undoubtedly close even more).  The WHA states that the governor’s restrictions are misguided, for “less than one half percent of (COVID-19) cases were coming from our industry, showing that when you provide someone a safe outlet it can be done, and it can save lives.” (KOMO News and Seattle Times)

Senate Republican Leader John Braun (Centralia) and House Republican Leader J.T. Wilcox (Yelm) issued a strong joint statement responding to Governor Inslee’s misguided extension of restrictions.  The lawmakers said, “The governor has no idea the anguish and desperation average people are feeling right now.”  Braun and Wilcox were also critical of the approach the governor has taken during the pandemic. “Instead of unfairly restricting (business operators’) ability to earn a living, we should be working with them to find ways to reduce the spread of the virus. We could achieve the same results by partnering with small-business owners instead of targeting them.” (Braun and Wilcox Joint Statement)

The destructive results of a generation of one-party rule continue to plague the City of Seattle and its institutions. With Seattle School District Superintendent Denise Juneau joining Mayor Jenny Durkan and former Police Chief Carmen Best on the slag heap of the latest victims of Seattle’s extremists, the city’s liberal establishment and complicit media are now witnessing the consequences of their previous successful efforts to eliminate rational political discussion within city limits.  By removing and demonizing the moderate and conservative perspective from community discussions, there has become no check on the often-loony perspective of the extreme Left.  This has recently been compounded by “establishment” Democrats refusing to condemn the violent actions of the far Left, even when aimed at their own.  We are still waiting to hear Democrat Governor Jay Inslee and Democrat Attorney General Bob Ferguson condemn the violent riots last summer in Seattle, the physical attacks on police officers, or the reckless “defund the police” measures passed by their fellow Democrats on the Seattle City Council.  Until the Democrats start condemning the extremists within their party, the vicious cycle will continue.  Today’s radicals will be removed by the next set of extremists because they are not radical enough.  (Seattle Times)

Liberal Seattle’s failure to handle its homelessness crisis (in fact, it continues to worsen) is once again in the media spotlight.  This weekend KOMO-TV will air a follow-up to its 2018 award-winning special report “Seattle is Dying,” with “Fight for the Soul of Seattle.”  As it did two years ago, after “Seattle is Dying” received so much attention and praise, we can expect the liberal establishment’s PR machine to crank up attacks on KOMO (bad Sinclair!) and try to convince the public that the homeless problem is not really that bad. (KOMO News Twitter)

The respected national commentary website “The Bulwark” also focuses attention on liberal Seattle’s inability to solve its homelessness crisis.  Novelist, attorney, and Seattle resident James Thayer writes that city officials are failing to address the problem and it is damaging the livability of the city.  While liberal politicians continue to blame corporations and the wealthy for the problem, they refuse to realize that drug addiction is the root of the problem.  There are plenty of opportunities for people to receive help, but they choose not to accept it because giving up drugs is often a condition for assistance. Thayer suggests that “enlightened” civil commitment laws may be the only answer, yet “these laws are out of fashion and the prospect of them being reinstituted is small, especially in leftist Seattle.” (The Bulwark)

The Sea-Tac City Council has stopped King County Executive Dow Constantine’s plan to distribute Seattle’s homeless problem into its community.  Sea-Tac has imposed a moratorium on the county buying hotels within its city borders and turning the properties into homeless shelters.  The Renton City Council is also considering similar measures to stop the county from establishing more homeless shelters in Renton.  Both cities’ officials complained that the county never worked with the local governments before establishing these large shelters in their communities earlier this year.  Sea-Tac residents complained about the increase in crime around the new shelter on the former Quality Inn property near the airport. (KING5 News)

The King County Jail is one of the latest government-operated facilities to host a coronavirus outbreak.  Thus far, 16 inmates at the downtown Seattle jail have tested positive for COVID-19 and have been transferred into medical isolation at the Regional Justice Center in Kent and 54 inmates have been quarantined.  (Bellevue Reporter)

A state industrial appeals judge ruled that the Washington Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) did not provide sufficient evidence to fine a Yakima area fitness center owner for violating Governor Inslee’s closure orders last summer.  The owner of three Yakima area Anytime Fitness franchises was fined nearly $40,000 for operating while Yakima County was still in Phase I in June and July.  The owner appealed the fines to the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals.  L&I officials have said they plan to ask for a full review of the case. (Yakima Herald)

Tri-Cities political leaders, mental health experts, and many restaurant owners and employees participated in a video encouraging Governor Inslee to reopen businesses.  The video provides first-hand testimony from those who have been severely impacted by the governor’s decisions, and details the impact on mental health of those who are suffering.  State Senator Sharon Brown (R – Kennewick) claimed that, “Mental health, physical health, and financial help are tied to jobs” and that employment allows people to obtain health care.  Video participants also stated their commitment to wearing masks, social distancing, and sanitizing surfaces.  The five-minute video was posted on YouTube.  No word yet on whether the governor took the time to watch the video. (YakTriNews and YouTube)

Do you like The Daily Briefing?

Please consider making a contribution to ensure Shift continues to provide daily updates on the shenanigans of the liberal establishment.

Forward this to a friend.  It helps us grow our community and serve you better.

You can also follow SHIFTWA on social media by liking us on Facebook and following us on Twitter.

If you feel we missed something that should be covered, email us at [email protected]