The number of police officers in Washington State fell to its lowest level in recorded history and the state has the fewest law enforcement officers per capita in the country.  Since the passage of the Democrats’ anti-police laws in 2021, the number of police officers has dropped from 11,231 to 10,736 while the state’s population has slightly increased.  The state has gone from 1.47 police officers per thousand residents down to 1.38 per thousand residents. This is the lowest per capita rate since the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) began compiling records in 1980. The national average is 63% higher at 2.33 per thousand.

At yesterday’s media event, the governor was asked about the WASPC’s report and the dangerously low number of police officers in the state.  The governor said, “This defund the police movement, I don’t agree with it.”  Yes, Inslee actually said that with a straight face, despite this being the complete opposite of the governor’s actions during the past two years. Perhaps some mainstream reporter will point out the absurdity of his statement – but don’t hold your breath.

Consider that when the governor signed the Democrats’ anti-police laws in 2021, he claimed this “is just the beginning.”  Or, when the governor was asked about the violent assaults (and an attempted mass murder of police personnel) being committed against police officers in Seattle by violent liberal rioters, the governor notoriously stated, “That is news to me.”  Or, despite Governor Inslee consistently weighing in on such distant issues as voting bills in Georgia and abortion laws in Texas, he (along with the state’s top law enforcement officer Attorney General Bob Ferguson) chose to remain quiet in 2020, when Democrat rioting was a thing, and he was afraid of offending his base during an election year. Finally, Inslee had no harsh words for his  fellow Democrats on the Seattle City Council as they endangered the public safety of 775,000 Washington State residents by “defunding” the city’s police department, which resulted in more than 400 well-trained police officers leaving to accept jobs in communities which value their service.

The governor has had multiple opportunities to demonstrate that he was against the defund the police movement, but every single time he chose to either side with those who wanted to defund the police, or he remained quiet.  That is his idea of “leadership”.

The governor’s flip-flop from his previous anti-police stance is obviously due to the low poll numbers Democrats in Washington State are currently recording due to their failed public safety agenda. The governor was clearly always on the side of the anti-police crowd – that is his boter base after all – and he played a leadership role in creating the hostile work environment for police officers trying to do their job. These negative conditions and lack of support from political leaders has led to a mass exodus of police officers and has made it very difficult for departments to hire replacements, even with $30,000 signing bonuses. Thanks Jay! (KING5 News, Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs summary report, Lauren Donovan Twitter, KOMO News, and Rebecca Perry Twitter)

When Governor Inslee was asked at his media event yesterday if he still refused to help lower- and middle- income families by calling a special legislative session to provide tax relief, the governor does what he often does – he provided an evasive and nonsensical answer which the state’s reporters again allowed him to get away with doing.  He said a special session of the legislature will not end the war in Ukraine or the impact COVID’s impact on inflation. Funny, dozens of other states have not based their actions on ending the war in Ukraine or slow inflation, because, like the Washington State Legislature, that is not their job.  The other states’ lawmakers simply focused on helping residents pay their bills by providing tax relief.  (TVW Coverage of Governor Inslee’s 7/20 media availability)

West Virginia is the latest state to convene a special session of its legislature to provide tax relief for its citizens who are struggling financially due to double-digit inflation and skyrocketing fuel prices.  As Washington Governor Jay Inslee and his fellow Democrats continue to roll around in the billions of surplus tax revenue in the state’s bank accounts, other states’ leaders are responding to the financial problems facing their lower- and middle- income residents.  Next Monday, the West Virginia Legislature will be voting on whether to provide state residents with a 10% cut in their income taxes (and a higher percentage if annual income is below $60,000).  The Democrats in West Virginia appear to be supportive of Republican Governor Jim Justice’s tax relief proposals, stating that they want to help those impacted by rising prices. Meanwhile here in Washington State, the Democrats continue to ignore the financial problems faced by so many families as they seek to keep the billions in surplus tax revenue to fund their greedy expansion of state government. (WSAZ News Channel)

Governor Inslee once again demonstrated his belief that the key factor in determining whether something is acceptable or not is the political affiliation of the group performing the action.  At his media event yesterday the governor said, “This is an outrage” regarding signs placed near ballot drop boxes which stated that the location was being monitored and encouraged those who see questionable activities to report them to a website which was set up by someone at the King County Republican Party. (We should note that the King County GOP Chair condemned the signs.)  Yet the governor has yet to say anything regarding the call-in center which was organized and supported by liberal and Democrat party organizations which sought to intimidate those collecting petition signatures to repeal Inslee’s own unconstitutional state income tax on capital gains. There is one thing that is constant with Governor Inslee – his belief that there is one set of rules for him and his supporters and a more restrictive set of rules for everyone else. (KING5 News and CenterSquare)

Revenue from the State Route 99 tunnel continues to fall well below the levels projected by so-called transportation experts, as fewer people than expected are paying to use the formally free roadway.  State officials confirm that toll revenues are regularly between 16% to 30%+ below of what was projected, and the toll project is currently running a $1.2 million deficit.   Officials stated that there has been a “permanent shift” by drivers away from paying to use the tunnel going beneath Downtown Seattle.  This will likely result in even higher toll rates and the need for state taxpayers to make up the difference in expected revenue. The nearly two-mile long tunnel cost Washington State taxpayers $3 billion to construct. (KING5 News)

The Seattle City Council after failing on nearly every issue which it has acted on (such as homelessness, crime, housing, police retention, drug addiction, transportation, infrastructure maintenance, etc.), councilmembers are doing what other failing liberal politicians across the country are doing – attempting to divert attention to abortion.  The council announced that it is seeking to pass two separate bills which will have little or no impact on the abortion issue within the city’s jurisdiction. Well at least the out-of-touch members are not spending the council’s time determining the wages of another industry or imposing more restrictions on another business causing them to take jobs elsewhere. (MyNorthwest)

A new report from the American Farmland Trust says Washington State is in danger of losing approximately 240,000 acres of farmland to development by 2040. This loss is projected to occur across the state around growing metropolitan areas. Often when one or two parcels of farmland is sold to developers, other nearby agricultural properties soon follow for the new developments often result in anti-farming regulations and farmers find it difficult to continue to work on their lands. A Capital Press editorial encourages lawmakers to support efforts to slow urban sprawl and to fund easement programs which allow farm owners to sell their development rights while preserving it for forming. (Capital Press)

The latest ramblings from the Spokesman-Review’s Shawn Vestal are typical of those who have supported failed liberal homeless policies – which have only made the problem worse – and have enabled more people to live a cruel existence on our cities’ streets.  Like all liberals, Vestal attacks any solution to the homeless crisis which isn’t built on making government larger and doesn’t require individuals to accept meaningful assistance or move on.  Moderate Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward has put forth a responsible and caring plan to help her city’s homeless population that provides assistance for those who want it, but encourages those who want to keep soaking up city services to go elsewhere. Vestal doesn’t like this approach for it fails to increase taxes and make government larger, so he does what all liberals do – he complains without providing a solution of his own. (Click to read full Shift Article)

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