All the folks at Shift were looking for a way to highlight the most recent work from Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist (and proud University of Washington alum) David Horsey.  Unfortunately, we were disappointed like other rational beings that Governor Jay Inslee provided the contrast by fumbling a question about his honesty – instead randomly predicting for reporter Brandi Kruse how many points the UW would score in the national title game as a way of illustrating his unwillingness to tell the truth about his carbon tax’s impact on our state’s gas prices.

But of course the green governor didn’t want to actually admit to lying, so he instead doubled down on deception in his exchange with reporters at the annual legislative session preview, as you can see starting about three hours and five minutes into the press event… Seattle Times/David Horsey, UnDivided with Brandi Kruse, TVW.

State Senator Drew MacEwen (LD-35) joined us for this week’s Newsmaker Interview. From his perch as the ranking Republican on the Senate Environment, Energy, and Technology Committee, MacEwen discussed his strategy for the 2024 legislative session, and his aim to thwart misguided Democrat proposals, including bans on natural gas and rent control. Despite Republicans being in the minority, Sen. MacEwan expressed hope for bipartisan collaboration on key issues such as public safety and affordability. Also a Congressional candidate in the 6^th District, he outlined his priorities if elected to Congress, focusing on national security, budget reform, and border security. Read more.

Now that we have entered the last year of the “reign of error” imposed upon the people of Washington by Gov. Jay Inslee, debate has started about his legacy (which Shift has already caustically covered). However, one could argue that his true legacy comes in the news from the Seattle Times that the mode of travel which the governor has used from his Bainbridge Island home to whatever government job he’s had the last 30 years is broken for the long term, and “Washington State Ferries is now acknowledging what most regular riders likely already suspected: Until new boats come online four to five years from now, normal service is not possible.”

You can tell the Democrats have no clue how to fix the mess they created by counting the number of excuses given to the media for the broken boats – “the pandemic”, “systemic challenges related to crew and vessel availability”, the “global supply chain situation we’re in”, and a “long history of deferred vessel maintenance.” Of course, the Democrats never admit the real problem – bad management and decision making over the last 20 years by Democrat governors, Democrat-dominated legislatures, and Democrat transportation bureaucrats who were all answering to big campaign donors demanding their special interest cut of all ferry spending, without regard for the health of the system.

Now taxpayers are left being told “it’s clear it will take longer to restore all routes to full service”, as the most recent projections by the bureaucrats “no longer contains specific dates, a sign that even the department’s relatively conservative estimates were too optimistic.” You’ll have plenty of time in a ferry line to read the rest of the depressing story of Gov. Inslee’s true legacy here… Shift, Seattle Times.

The Democrats running Olympia are used to ignoring the public when they prepare for their annual legislative session, preferring instead to develop their plans behind closed doors and then jamming their bad ideas through the legislature on party-line votes with as little public input as possible (think title-only bills and other liberal abuses covered by Shift). Now the Washington State Standard captures the liberals’ feeling about voters, considering citizen initiatives as “casting a shadow” over their session.

You can read on to learn why Democrats hate the six “measures (which) would repeal the state’s cap-and-trade program and capital gains tax, remove most restrictions on police engaging in vehicle pursuits, make it easier to bar the state and local governments from imposing an income tax, and create a ‘bill of rights’ for parents of public school students” here… Shift, Washington State Standard.

Every year before the legislative session, veteran Washington state pollster Stuart Elway releases a survey indicating the priorities of the state’s electorate. This year’s version, co-sponsored by Crosscut, features the earth-shattering news that “about 57% of voters simultaneously favored repealing the state’s new capital gains tax”, despite the survey not even pointing out it’s actually a state income tax that is up for repeal.

You can find out more things you already know – like people like to spend other people’s money, and they don’t think much about Gov. Inslee’s “climate crisis” here… Crosscut.

Coming out of UW Medicine – and featured on KUOW – is the news that “viruses are returning to normal”, which means everybody you know will be getting sick from the flu, Covid or RSV in the coming weeks, if they haven’t already picked up some bug. Read on for why a return to normalcy is not that much fun here… KUOW.

Just to offset the bad news, we offer some science you can trust, because it’s not from a noted climatologist like Jay Inslee, but rather from UW Atmospheric Sciences professor Cliff Mass. And he says “we are now close enough in time to be quite certain that the Pacific Northwest mountains will receive a major snow dump.”

Further, Professor Mass tells us “that the first half of January will NOT be characterized by El Nino warmth, as had December.” Read on for more snow news and fascinating maps here… Cliff Mass Weather blog.

It wouldn’t be a new year without Democrats in the state legislature providing comic relief with their best nanny state ideas, as noted by McClatchey’s Olympia reporter. And from limiting gas-powered leaf blowers, to making it easier for uninformed people to vote, to removing “gendered terms” from our state’s constitution, Democrats have already been busy trying to improve your life with their priorities. You can read in the Bellingham Herald a long list of bills already pre-filed for consideration when the “2024 legislative session begins Monday.”… Bellingham Herald.

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