Regular readers of Shift are aware of just how little time Jay Inslee spends on actual governing, since we try to report each week on his official schedule. In some recent weeks the amount of time that our “green” governor has listed for non-campaign duties has been in the single digits.
However, now that Labor Day has come and gone, and campaigns typically get busier, Inslee has decided that maybe he should devote some quality time to official activities that help his campaign. After all, why not let taxpayers pick up the tab for his campaign?
That means sending out a press advisory this week that highlights how Inslee will be kicking off a “back-to-school tour at Highline and Kent schools.”
That’s right, after not even being able to make it into his Olympia office much in August, Inslee is now putting his taxpayer-funded press folks to work buffing up his education credentials. This weak effort is even highlighted in a Seattle P-I column, which notes “Inslee’s office is touting three Thursday back-to-school visits by the Governor. No political events show up in “public” schedules, although they consume a big chunk of the Governor’s time.”
Shift will certainly take a look at Inslee’s official calendar – which is generally made available a week late – to see what fundraisers he was able to tie into his “back-to-school tour”. We’re willing to bet that his new-found interest in official work does not extend to much of the rest of the week.
So, Bill Bryant’s poll numbers are still below where Rob McKenna’s were four years ago at this time, right?
Yes, Greenie spends far more of his “workday” campaigning than actual governing.
I’ll take that as a “yes”, thanks.