It is time to remove the “privilege” liberal officials and candidates have been granted from the media.  Let’s face it – almost never are liberals held accountable for the violent actions of their supporters or their party’s endorsement of radical candidates who support such violent actions.  While former Democrat officials like Governors Christine Gregoire and Gary Locke (who no longer need the financial and grassroots support of party organizations) are willing to condemn radical candidates like Seattle City Attorney wannabe Nicole Thomas-Kennedy, none of the current crop of liberal elected officials and candidates are willing to publicly side with the two former governors and oppose the endorsement given the radical Thomas-Kennedy by Democrat party organizations and officials.  So, it is now up to you to hold Democrat officials and candidates accountable since the media refuses to treat them the same as they do Republicans. (Click to read full Shift Article)

Over 10% of Washington State’s public employees have been impacted by Governor Jay Inslee’s one-man order for them to be vaccinated.  Thus far, some 3% (1,887) of the state’s 63,000 employees have either quit or have been fired by the governor for refusing his mandate to vaccinate.  More than 3% (1,927) have been provided “accommodations” and switched to positions which require less interaction with the public after refusing to be vaccinated.  Another 5% (roughly 2,900) of the state’s workforce are still in limbo, waiting to see if their religious or medical exemption applications are approved, or if they can be accommodated with assignment to a less public-facing role.

One would expect that, in a democracy, an issue which impacts so many people, both within the government and those they are employed to serve, would be fully debated by the people’s representatives in the Washington State Legislature (as described in the state’s constitution).  Yet this unprecedented decision was made solely by a governor who continues to abuse his “emergency” authority.

Tomorrow will be the 600th day since the governor began to undemocratically impose his laws onto state residents, and often they seem to benefit a special interest which has financed his past campaigns.  The latest time it was Governor Inslee’s major campaign contributors in the Service Employees International Union and the 45,000 home health care workers who have no choice but to pay SEIU dues, and who were exempted from the governor’s vaccine mandate, even though their job is to be in in daily contact with those most vulnerable to COVID, the elderly and the disabled. (Seattle Times, Washington State Constitution, and Shift)

402 Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) workers no longer have state jobs thanks to Governor Inslee’s vaccine mandate.  This amounts to 5.9% of the WSDOT’s 6,813 employees, the highest rate in state government.  This high rate of dismissal has already caused significant disruption to the state’s Puget Sound ferry service and has forced the state to close several rest stops along state freeways. (MyNorthwest and Seattle Times)

In related news, State Representative Jim Walsh (R – Aberdeen) reveals that since he has not provided proof that he has been vaccinated, he has been locked out of his office in the John L. O’Brien Building next to the state Capitol.  This unprecedented action to restrict some legislators from their offices is due to an “interim policy” passed by the House Executive Rules Committee, preventing elected state representatives from entering the legislative buildings without proof of vaccination. The outspoken Representative Walsh asserted that, “It is one more example of when we do not reign in the governor from his unlawful behavior (600 days of abusing emergency orders), there is a corrosive effect on other elements of government.” Walsh continued, “This is not constitutional, in my opinion this is not legal, and it is not moral.” But it is the way Jay Inslee and his Democrats like to rule – without dissent. (Representative Jim Walsh Facebook video)

A new report from the Washington Policy Center (WPC) reveals that Governor Inslee is making obviously false statements about the Snake River salmon in order to promote a partisan political dam-removal scheme.   Data shows that the 2021 Snake River Chinook salmon run was 27% larger than 2020, and 55% larger than 2019, yet the governor told a crowd at a recent fundraiser for dam-removal zealots at the Washington Conservation Voters that “We know the salmon are on the verge of extinction.” Clearly, the facts are again not a friend to the governor.

And because it’s not his money, the governor is planning another study (since his last $400,000 study two years ago failed to say what he wanted it to say) to find some excuse to appease wealthy urban environmentalists who want to remove the four Snake River dams and eliminate the renewable energy they provide. As the WPC report concludes, “Any study based on the false premise that Snake River Chinook are near extinction, however, will be based on politics not science.” (Washington Policy Center report)

Oregon officials are attempting to force Washington State residents to fund an unfair and disproportionate amount of tolls for crossing the Columbia River, through the implementation of “congestion pricing,” and Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler is asking Governor Inslee to keep his word and fight this proposal.  Oregon transportation officials are pursuing plans to implement higher toll prices on existing I-5 and I-205 river crossing during peak commute times, when Southwest Washington State residents are going to and from work on the Oregon side of the river. Previously, Governor Inslee said the congestion pricing plan “will not happen.”

But since the governor has become famous for reversing past campaign promises (remember he said during his 2012 gubernatorial campaign he would not propose any new taxes,  or when his staff recently said the governor was “not supportive of vaccine passports”), Representative Herrera Beutler asked the governor to recommit to fighting for Washington State residents.

In a letter to the governor, the congresswoman says, “When you yourself stated on July 31, 2018 that Oregon’s plan to toll existing I-5 and I-205 bridges at the state line “will not happen,” you gave hope to the tens of thousands of Washington commuters who would be impacted.  Are you willing to follow through on that declaration and provide similar leadership at the state level to stand up and defend our shared constituents?”  (Herrera Beutler media release and letter, Shift, Seattle P-I/MSN, and Reed Anderson Twitter)

To compound problems for the Seattle Police Department, which has already seen more than 300 well-trained officers leave the force due to lack of support from the city’s liberal elected officials, another 103 officers and civilian department employees are at risk of losing their jobs due to lame-duck Mayor Jenny Durkan’s vaccine mandate.  All 103 have been placed on leave (for up to four to six weeks) while officials resolve exemption requests and do other bureaucratic things.  Also, 77 Seattle Fire Department employees are also in limbo, waiting either to be “accommodated” with a non-public position or receive an exemption.  (Seattle Times)

Lawyers for recently fired Washington State University Football Coach Nick Rolovich said they will be filing a lawsuit against the university for not accepting the coach’s religious exemption from Governor Inslee’s vaccine mandate.  The lawyers specifically mention actions taken by WSU Director of Athletics Pat Chun.  Rolovich’s attorney’s said in a released statement, “Chun’s animus towards Coach Rolovich’s sincerely held religious beliefs, and Chun’s dishonesty at the expense of Coach Rolovich during the past year is damning and will be thoroughly detailed in litigation.” (KOMO News)

Is Governor Jay Inslee using vaccine mandates to rid state agencies of some of his political opponents? While 45,000 homecare workers represented by the governor’s major campaign contributor at the Service Employees International Union were given exemptions from his orders, thousands of other state employees have lost their jobs due to Governor Inslee’s one-man decisions. This is just one of many decisions the governor has made while completely abusing his so-called “emergency” powers (today is day 599) which often appear to benefit his political friends and have caused many citizens to believe their voice is not being heard.  Costly lawsuits are being filed across the state by impacted workers and many state services (the State Ferry System being the most visible) are suffering. (Click to read full Shift Article)

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].