Jay Inslee is kicking his pursuit of the Democratic presidential nomination into high gear. Our green presidential hopeful continues to leave his gubernatorial duties behind as he increases his carbon … [Read more...]
Low-Barrier Shacks in South Lake Union are Not a Solution to Homelessness
By: Robert Smiley In 1986, as a young man in my late 20s, I left my home in Reno, NV and moved to Washington, where my life took a bad turn beginning with alcohol abuse and ultimately finding … [Read more...]
Why Inslee’s idea of fair costs $54.4 billion
“We’re asking those who have done so well to chip in a bit more… this makes the system just a little bit more fair.” – Jay Inslee during a press conference for the 2019-21 budget plan for … [Read more...]
Did you earn a Daily Point of Light award today?
President George H. W. Bush’s inaugural address is probably most well-known for the line about “a thousand points of light” — people who do good. He created the “Daily Point of Light” award to, as his … [Read more...]
Seattle councilmembers: “Save” the Showbox, ignore property rights and good sense
Seattle loves a cause – and its elected leaders love to get all wrapped up in the symbolism of those causes. The Seattle City Council was mocked in the ‘90s-‘00s for its circus-animals-and-dams … [Read more...]
Longtime legislator John Lovick investigated in ‘90s for sex abuse, says none occurred
In what certainly qualifies as one of 2018’s bigger shocks to the Olympia political scene, documents revealed yesterday show that incumbent state Rep. John Lovick (D-Mill Creek) was investigated four … [Read more...]
Initiative update: The cash, the court, and who screwed up I-1639 so badly
It’s obvious-bordering-on-trite to point out that the state’s initiative process is not exactly a tool of the regular, everyday citizens. Born out of the 19th century progressives’ ideals, it now … [Read more...]
WEA plays word games, pretends teacher strikes aren’t illegal
Sure, we know there’s still some confusion over what the definition of “is” is. And that “truth isn’t truth,” apparently. So the state teachers union, the WEA, isn’t breaking any records for … [Read more...]
“Hey, have you ever noticed…” Shift ponders liberal contradictions and oddities
Maybe the summer heat is getting to us, but we’ve been staring out into the middle distance and thinking about some stuff. Have you ever noticed… That environmentalists cast a skeptical eye at … [Read more...]
Progressives against regressive carbon taxes that hit the poor
If you listened to Gov. Jay Inslee, you’d think everybody in Washington enthusiastically backs his environmental agenda. Well, everyone except those pesky legislators, that is, who thwart him at every … [Read more...]
Gun initiative didn’t follow the rules – enough to keep it off the ballot?
Legislators at any level seek clarity. Bills (most of the time) are written with an eye toward removing ambiguity. Lawmakers hate to see their legislative babies shepherded through the process only to … [Read more...]
How Democrats will try to block workers from leaving government unions
The U.S. Supreme Court’s Janus decision is a pretty “big _______ deal,” as Joe Biden might put it (if he liked it). The court decided government employees cannot be forced to support a union as a … [Read more...]