The Seattle Times spent the major part of three pages on Sunday telling a story that would have fit on a postcard – that you are paying more for gas because Democrats from Jay Inslee on down wanted gas prices to go up. However, putting it that plainly would not have provided political cover for politicians the Times agrees with, so this major analysis of the state’s expensive cap and trade/carbon tax starts with the patently false opening line that “(N)obody was quite sure how life would change for Washingtonians when lawmakers passed the state’s landmark climate policy in 2021.”

Excuse me? Shift was writing in April 2021 about how Inslee’s new carbon tax scheme would raise gas prices before it was passed. The Washington Policy Center wrote that “Washington drivers could see an increase in the cost of gas of between 30 and 50 cents per gallon in 2023 (it’s actually even passed that prediction) if a package of climate and gas tax bills is adopted this month.”

So, if Shift and the think tank folks knew that cap and trade would be a costly disaster, why does the Times now pretend that people were confused about the outcome of passing a carbon tax? Just to help lay the groundwork for Inslee’s fourth term as served by Bob Ferguson? Read on for why the governor just falsely laughs away high gas prices by joking, “We don’t predict Wall Street perfectly” here… Seattle Times, Shift, Washington Policy Center.

Sometimes, a feel-good media piece serves a larger purpose. And such is the case with a very sympathetic Sunday (Everett) Herald feature about a former drug user who has thankfully straightened out his life, which allows the paper to provide Democrats cover for their decision to legalize drugs back in 2021 by claiming “(I)n the wake of Blake (the decision legalizing drug possession), state lawmakers passed a bill reclassifying drug possession as a gross misdemeanor.”

The reality is much clearer but rarely told. The Supreme Court made the disastrous Blake decision, but the legislature could have fixed the damage with a single-word change to state law in 2021. Instead, you can read this really long story about how Democrats hid behind the State Supreme Court for two years in their drive to legalize drug possession in Washington state here … (Everett) Herald.

As we near the 8^th anniversary of the political declaration of a homeless emergency in King County, you might think local leaders would avoid using that phrase. But that’s not the case according to KIRO 7, which reports that a “state of emergency has been declared in Tukwila as the city grapples with an influx of asylum seekers.”

The hundreds of homeless, in this case, “have found shelter at the Riverton Park United Methodist Church since December. But the church’s leader said they can no longer provide resources alone.”  You can read about how at least the organizers of this stunt are honest about pushing “a state of emergency to push King County, the state of Washington, and the federal government to provide the funding and the resources these migrants need” here… KIRO 7.

The vast majority of voters in Washington are hearing very little about the state’s most expensive campaign this year since it is taking place near Idaho. But Seattle’s Crosscut takes a big swing at that expensive mayor’s race in Spokane, where “the two candidates have garnered more than $900,000 in cash and in-kind contributions as of last week.”

Mayor Nadine Woodward defines voting for her challenger Lisa Brown as “bringing in the ‘radical left policy she adopted during decades as a state legislator” and believes that “(W)e want Spokane solutions to our challenges, not radical left policy coming from the West Coast.”

And former Inslee cabinet member Brown eagerly jumps into her belief that “her long career in public service has provided institutional knowledge and experience that will be crucial in addressing challenging issues” that were created by the policies she promoted during that same long career she had in public service here… Crosscut.

Rarely does the Shift team delve deep into legal reading, but when it’s about Washington’s unconstitutional state income tax, things just catch our eye. That’s why we commend to you this piece from the highly influential (if wonky) SCOTUSBLOG, which looks at “whether Washington state can tax sales of some out-of-state assets consistent with the dormant commerce clause.”

You can learn more than you want about “the dormant commerce clause” and why it may allow the federal Supreme Court to strike down our state’s bad Supreme decision here… SCOTUSBLOG.

Paul Guppy, Vice President for Research at the Washington Policy Center and former Chief of Staff for a U.S. Representative, joined us for last week’s Newsmaker Interview. As many of you know, the Washington Policy Center is a prominent free-market think-tank which addresses various policy issues through research and reports for state and local government officials. In his interview, Guppy expressed concern about the increasing tax burden imposed by Democrats in Olympia on Washington State residents and businesses. He explained why he anticipates further tax hikes despite existing budget surpluses during the 2024 legislative session. He also criticized Jay Inslee’s call for additional funds to clear encampments on state properties and highlights the negative impact of Seattle’s anti-business policies on community opportunities. Finally, Guppy highlighted the WPC’s upcoming Annual Dinner on October 13th in Bellevue, featuring Dr. Sebastian Gorka and leaders from the satirical website Babylon Bee. Read more.

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