Governor Jay Inslee continues to repeat the false narrative that Washington State has yet to reach the 70% vaccination rate, despite President Biden’s White House publicly congratulating the state for reaching that important threshold last Monday.  When given the choice on whether to use 1) the more complete federal data (which includes vaccinations given to those in the military and through other federal immunization programs), or 2) using the incomplete data collected by the Washington State Department of Health (which also uses out- of-date census information), Governor Inslee has selfishly chosen the state figures.  His “thinking” – by constantly repeating the incomplete state figures, the governor continues his one-man rule of the state, which still has no legislative oversight (thanks to legislative Democrats) or any input from local elected or health officials. (Click here to read full Shift Article)

Brandi Kruse was extremely critical of the dysfunction in Governor Inslee’s office and the incredible effort the governor’s staff went through to hide from the public the facts over the departure of Department of Corrections (DOC) Secretary Stephen Sinclair.  Last week the Seattle Times obtained internal documents which showed the governor’s public statements about Sinclair’s exit were not, shall we say, accurate.  While the Inslee team stated that it was Sinclair’s decision to depart the embattled DOC (which has had multiple severe problems during the Inslee Administration, many happening before Sinclair’s promotion to secretary in April 2017), internal emails show that it was the governor’s office which made the decision to remove Sinclair and make him the scapegoat for 8-and-a-half years of DOC administrative mistakes under Inslee’s watch and his hand-picked leaders.  In April, when rumors were circulating that Sinclair was asked to resign, the governor was asked if these reports were true.  Instead of being honest with the public, the governor thought he was above providing the public an honest response and said, “I will not give you a direct answer to your question, for it is irrelevant.”

Kruse observed that for Governor Inslee, “It is easier to dodge questions. Create an entirely fake narrative behind the scenes.  Force the media to submit a public disclosure request to piece everything together. A public disclosure request that will have to be done by state workers, using public funds,” Kruse continued. “All of it so the governor didn’t have to explain a decision he (or his staff) made.”  Kruse ended her commentary by stating, “If you don’t want a job where you have to own your decisions, then maybe governor is not the best job for you.” (Q13 The Divide, Seattle Times, and Department of Corrections press release)

An interesting study on the attractiveness of low-tax states to those who are relocating was conducted by Redfin.  The real estate company’s data shows that for every person who moves out of a low-tax state, four people move in.  Also, for every one person who moves into a high tax state, two and half people move out. That does not seem sustainable. (Route Fifty)

Because Governor Inslee arrogantly shirked his constitutional duties, Secretary for State Kim Wyman is now forced to do his job for him.  When the governor decided to sign two conflicting bills on rural cable access simultaneously (allegedly one with each hand) and off camera, he forced Secretary Wyman to go to the courts to seek a solution regarding the filing order of the new state laws.  History dictates that the bill signed (or filed) last takes precedence over previous bills.  The legislature passed both a House and Senate versions of bills regarding broadband access to rural communities. The House version provides broader authority to public utility districts than the Senate version.  The governor could have cleared up the mess by signing just one of the bills (or by signing one at a time).  Instead, since Inslee evidently has no special-interest friends who would benefit from his decision, he decided it was best to play childish games with his executive branch responsibilities.  Secretary Wyman asked the Thurston County Superior Court for a ruling on how to file the bill.  The court said it is up to Secretary Wyman.  Thus, she will do the job that Governor Inslee is paid $190,000 a year to perform. (Washington Policy Center, Crosscut, and Washington Legislature Bill Summary)

Environmentalists cheered the loss of jobs and economic opportunities in Cowlitz County, as Northwest Innovation Works announced on Friday that it was ending its bid to construct and operate a $2.3 billion methanol plant at the Port of Kalama. The plant, which would have converted natural gas into methanol for plastics, would have created 1,400 construction jobs and 200 permanent jobs in Southwest Washington.  The project was original supported by Governor Inslee, until he reversed his opinion when his struggling presidential campaign was seeking financial support from wealthy environmentalists who opposed the facility. His flip-flop came despite the fact the plant would have replaced coal-based methanol plants, resulting in a significant decrease in greenhouse gas emissions.  While the campaign support never materialized for Inslee’s short-lived presidential campaign, the governor’s reversal caused numerous delays and the refusal of necessary permits from state agencies. (Longview Daily News)

Seattle’s housing prices are 115% higher than the average cost in the country’s 257 largest cities, due to the liberal policies which have dominated the region for more than three decades.  The same Far-Left policies have also made the city the 6^th most expensive city in America to live, as taxes, government wage mandates, and environmental regulations have impacted the cost of nearly every product that is sold or rented. Sadly, we all know that the reaction from Seattle liberals to this news will be to raise taxes further and impose more regulations on housing, causing prices to climb even higher. (Seattle Times)

Seattle’s liberal policies on crime, drugs, and homelessness have left two more people dead, after a fire broke out at a lower Beacon Hill encampment.  The fire, which reached 50 feet in height, broke out at the encampment and spread quickly.  After firefighters extinguished the flames, they found a man and woman dead inside the encampment. (MyNorthwest)

After media reports last week that a progressive candidate for King County Council had once been arrested for threatening to blow up a school bus, Shift wondered if the media would ask either liberal candidate for King County Executive (incumbent Dow Constantine and State Senator Joe Nguyen) if they would support the council candidate if she made it through the primary.  Well, we think the same question should be asked of the two fellow liberal candidates in the county council race.  As reported, Ubax Gardheere was arrested in 2010 after boarding a bus filled with middle school students, stating she had a bomb.  After students fled the bus, Gardheere was arrested and had her crime reduced to a gross misdemeanor.  Gardheere has received some major Democrat support in her council campaign, including from State Senator Rebecca Saldana (who said she would follow Gardheere anywhere).  In her council race, she is among the three Democrats seeking to take the seat of incumbent Councilmember Reagan Dunn.  We look forward to the region’s media asking the other two progressives in the race (Kim-Khanh T Van and Chris Franco) what their thoughts are on Gardheere’s past criminal activity and how it fits with Democrat priorities. (The Post Millennial)

The Senate Democrats’ talking point that farmers get wealthy by working less than half-time continues to upset members of the Washington State agriculture community.  The comment was contained in a Democrat talking points memo to support the income tax on capital gains debate in the Washington State Senate.  The memo, which was prepared by taxpayer-funded Democrat caucus staff, said, “If farmers and ranchers are able to make more than $250,000 in profit each year while working less than half time, they can afford to pay 7% on all profits.” This insulting comment reflects the ignorance urban Democrats have towards people who live different lives than they do. While much work is done in the weeks during planting and harvesting, there is always plenty of work to be done by farm operators.  We have yet to see an apology by the Democrat Senate leadership or its caucus staff. (AG Info Part 1 and Part 2, Senate Democrat Caucus SB 5096 Talking Points Memo, and Talking Point against agriculture exemption)

Shift’s Newsmaker Interview is with King County Councilmember Kathy Lambert, who represents Issaquah, Sammamish, Redmond, a large portion of Woodinville, and all the rural Eastern areas of the county North of I-90.  Prior to becoming a councilmember, Lambert was a schoolteacher and a state legislator, where she built the reputation for thoroughly understanding the issues and working with other elected officials to pass needed legislation.  In her interview, Councilmember Lambert is critical of Seattle enabling homeless individuals which only perpetuates the problem. Lambert expresses concern for the partisan process of selecting a new sheriff, which she claims is already three months behind schedule. Lambert also pointed out that since most members of the council have either no or very few constituents who live in unincorporated areas, they do not have constituents complaining about the many expensive liberal measures which pass the council.  Lambert says her challenge is to provide a greater “outside-Seattle” voice on the Seattle-dominated council. (Click to read full Newsmaker Interview)

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