The Inslee Administration failed to make public a detailed report outlining multiple medical failures by the Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC) staff which resulted in inmates dying from COVID.  Crosscut obtain the previously shelved DOC Ombuds’ reports through a public records request.  The report states that deaths occurred to six inmates who were never adequately examined despite having COVID symptoms.  One inmate was told to play word games by DOC medical staff to get his “mind off issues.”  Soon after that the inmate was finally taken to a nearby hospital where he died of COVID.  These are the latest deaths of Washington State inmates related to the poor medical care which have occurred under the Inslee Administration.

We should note that in 2014 Governor Inslee banned the use of the death penalty, even though it was a sentence handed down by a jury.  Yet, numerous inmates sentenced to lesser penalties have died in prison due to the poor medical care his administration has administered. (Crosscut and MPR News)

Normally even handed KIRO journalist Hanna Scott provided a Democrat only perspective of what the state legislature should do about those who are caught possessing harmful and illegal drugs such as heroin, methamphetamines, and fentanyl.  After the Washington State Supreme Court threw out the state’s drug possession laws in their 2021 Blake decision, the Democrat controlled legislature essentially “decriminalized” drug possession by passing a new law which ensures no criminal punishment is given unless someone has been caught three times possessing illegal drugs (the first two times the offenders are simply “encouraged” to obtain drug counseling).  Since the Democrats law was passed, drug overdose deaths have skyrocketed in Washington State, especially those caused by fentanyl.

The state’s drug possession law is set to expire next July, and the 2023 legislature will need to pass new laws.  Unfortunately it appears the Democrats may not have learned from their previous bad polices as some of them wish to make it even more comfortable to possesses dangerous drugs in our state.  Representative Lauren Davis (D – Seattle) said, “It’s possible the Legislature or the committee could choose to recommend that we entirely remove criminal penalties or remove that particular behavior from the criminal code.” Instead some Democrats want to allow judges to mandate treatment after a certain number of drug possession offenses as liberals hope to enlarge government even more by having taxpayers either pay for this treatment or for the government to run the treatment centers themselves.  From the article, it is not discussed at what point is a criminal penalty will be given to those who continue to possess drugs despite going to treatment numerous times. (MyNorthwest and US News)

Democrat economic and energy policies are continuing to cause a rapid increase in food costs, which impacts the most those who have lower- or fixed income levels.  These households fully understand the impact of the 13% increase in food costs, which have risen due to failed liberal economic policies and energy policies which have increased the cost of fuel used to harvest, produce, and transport food. The Yakima Herald reported on several local families who have been forced to cut back on the food they purchase, and some have sought assistance from food banks.  The cost of food will continue to rise after the start of the year when Governor Inslee’s expensive climate policies will add an estimate 46 cents to a gallon of gas and this will add even more financial burden’s to lower= and fixed= income families. (Yakima Herald)

King County Executive Dow Constantine was sheepishly shuttled away from a press conference by his staff while he refused to answer a question he didn’t like regarding his actions of forcing a large 500 resident homeless shelter into the International District.  Asian leaders have called the actions by the county “racists” for officials have not sought community input on the project, which they believe would have taken place if the large shelter were going into a white neighborhood.

When journalist Jonathan Choe attempted to ask the county executive a question about the proposed shelter, members of his staff immediately pulled Executive Constantine away from the podium and shuttled him into an awaiting private elevator to take him away.   We should note that early today, Executive Constantine finally agreed to a meeting with International District community leaders regarding the shelter. (Jonathan Choe Twitter, Discovery Institute’s FixHomelessness, and MyNorthwest)

The Seattle Times columnist Danny Westneat wrote today about the mass exodus from the Seattle Public Schools (SPS) among two demographic groups, Asians and students from middle- and higher- income families. 13% of Asians have left the Seattle schools, as have 10% of the students from the wealthier families. The students have left because  parents are frustrated at the quality of education their child is receiving from SPS and because students are discouraged from participating in advanced programs which allow them to study at an accelerated rate. Westneat states that this flight from Seattle schools could lead to an educational environment similar to what has occurred in Washington, D.C. where there are, “private schools mostly for the rich (and) fractured public schools mostly for the poor. Nothing in between.”

Westneat argues that with the end of the teachers’ illegal strike, it is now time for all stakeholders to begin “wooing back all the customers,” yet sadly this will never happen in liberal Seattle, where divisive liberal ideology is always more important than results. Liberals will never concede to allow advanced students to study at an excelled rate or allow anyone but the Seattle Education Association to control all aspects of Seattle’s public school system.  The truth is Westneat’s column is actually a great argument for “School Choice” policies which allow the funds (usually around $10,000) to follow the student so parents can select from several different types of education options (public school, private school, charter school, home school or any other learning environment) which best fits their needs.  This is true equity for it allows less wealthy families to select from options previously available only to higher income families. (Seattle Times and EdChoice.org)

Clallam County (Northern Olympic Peninsula) Sheriff Bill Benedict says it is so tough to recruit police officers to Washington State that not only is he seeking bonuses for new and returning deputies, but he would like to give county employees who help recruit officers a bonus as well. The sheriff is asking the county council for $8,500 – $21,000 bonuses for deputies and $2,500 for any county employee who assist in the successful recruitment of a new officer. (MyDailyCounty)

The liberals who control the Spokane City Council are being criticized by government transparency advocates for hastily adding to the council’s agenda a major housing construction moratorium only one hour before the start of the meeting.  The liberals on the council voted to enact an immediate residential construction ban in two Spokane communities (the Latah/Hangman and Grandview/Thorpe neighborhoods) without allowing councilmembers to consider the impact of this ban and how it might cause problems in other nearby neighborhoods.  Councilmembers who opposed the moratorium were also concerned that it will cause additional problems for the city which is in the midst of a severe housing shorting, which has resulted in rent and housing rates to become unaffordable for many families.  Experts say Spokane is 25,000 housing units below where it needs to be and that this shortage is a major contributing factor in the city’s homelessness crisis.

Councilmember Michael Cathcart was especially upset with the secret process the liberals used to place the measure on the council’s agenda just minutes before the start of the meeting. “You should never, ever have government operating in secret,” he said.  Liberal Councilmember Lori Kinnear, who sponsored the moratorium, said the secret last-minute process was done on purpose so that developers would have no warning to take advantage of the situation. She did not elaborate on this argument. (The Center Square)

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