Jay Inslee and Bob Ferguson have a lot of explaining to do after a recent audit revealed that Washington state agencies mishandled over $1 billion in federal COVID-19 aid. In total, the audit found 86 issues with how 11 state agencies handled the federal aid. And, as Center Square recently pointed out, the lost funds may become an even bigger problem for our state as it’s “not common for federal departments to demand those tax dollars back from the state.”

The state agencies that mishandled funds include the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, failing to track $44.8 million due to staff retirement, and the Department of Commerce’s inability to verify $4.1 million in emergency rental assistance payments due to staff turnover. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) also failed massively. WSDOT did not confirm its subcontractors were paying prevailing wages, as required by federal law. Of 245 certified payrolls, 62% were not submitted within the mandated seven days, averaging 23 days late, with some over 30 days late. This delay allows federal departments to withhold payments or enact sanctions.

It may be unsurprising that the Inslee administration lost over $1 billion in federal aid – but it should also be noted that Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s office has not bothered to investigate any of the agencies over their botched mishandling of funds. It’s just another example of Inslee’s incompetence – and Ferguson’s failure to do his job. Read more from Center Square.

Where are your taxpayer dollars going? Well, apparently, one place is helping 37 people get their driver’s license to the tune of $27,000 per person. The Department of Licensing has spent nearly $1 million on a program in King County that teaches “disadvantaged” women to drive. But it’s only resulted in 37 licenses in five months. Partnering with Mujer al Volante, a nonprofit aiding refugee and immigrant women, the program received $350,000 in 2022 and an extra $2 million this year. The program, “Taking the Steering Wheel of My Life,” requires participants to be low-income women or nonbinary individuals, immigrants, asylees, or refugees. Despite 522 participants since December, just 37 passed the exams, with a dismal one out of 101 in January and 13 out of 132 in April. The Department of Licensing’s Communications Manager Christine Anthony offered the standard “it’s a new program” excuse and promised to “monitor progress.” Read more here.

The Seattle Police Department (SPD) is facing a staffing crisis which has required officers to put in overtime – so much so that SPD has spent $39.6 million on overtime in 2023, surpassing the $31.3 million budget. And, part of the overtime payments, includes over $350,000 for pro-Palestinian protests over 51 days. Data shows that from October 7 to November 27, 2023, SPD officers worked 3,879 overtime hours for protests, costing $363,284.

The overtime budget increased by 43% from 2022 to 2024, and SPD is on track to exceed its 2024 budget as well. But the budget shortfall is only part of SPD’s troubles. Despite efforts, SPD only met half of its annual hiring targets, with a 3% conversion rate from applications. Read more at here.

The Seattle City Council can’t seem to figure out how to get rid of their controversial minimum pay law for delivery drivers that has utterly failed in record time. The legislation, which went into effect in January, set a minimum wage of $26.40 per hour for drivers, which DoorDash and Uber claim has caused a drop in demand and increased costs. In April, Councilmember Sara Nelson introduced a bill to reduce the minimum wage to $19.97 per hour, but the vote was postponed for amendments. And, since then, it’s been in limbo. Given the extreme leftist agenda of certain members of the City Council, no one should hold their breath for a change anytime soon. Read more here.

We’re thrilled to announce the launch of our podcast, dedicated to delivering insightful conversations on the pressing issues facing Washington state. If you’re concerned about the events unfolding in our state – from rising crime rates to the incessant addition of new tax hikes – and want to have a little fun, this podcast is for you.

Hosted by lifelong Washington state residents, our podcast features interviews with conservative thinkers and leaders who share their perspectives and solutions for the challenges our state faces. And, in the coming weeks, we’ll bring you interviews with candidates vying for offices across our state.

Listen to the inaugural, introductory podcast today – and don’t forget to subscribe!

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