Jay Inslee gave the public a new look into his leadership style during a press conference in which he could only be described as unhinged. Our “green” governor reverted to the attack-dog ways he honed in his 15-year congressional career, launching into a hyper-partisan diatribe against state Senate Republicans.
What upset Inslee so was that last Friday the Senate removed a particularly ineffective department head. In the press conference, Inslee went as far as to say that Senators should be ashamed of doing their job and dismissing Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Secretary Lynn Peterson — a move that saved taxpayer dollars from further waste at the hands of a proven, thoroughly incompetent bureaucrat.
Inslee went on to call out GOP state Senator Andy Hill (using very malicious terms) for not opening a “dialogue” with Peterson to, presumably, discuss her incompetency. He stated, “Sen. Hill, when I talk to my grandkids, I say ‘use your words.’”
The hypocrisy of it all is stunning. Where was Inslee when Democrat State Representative Judy Clibborn, chair of the House Transportation Committee, refused last month to give the bi-partisan bill aimed at fixing I-405 a hearing? We don’t recall Inslee telling Clibborn to allow others to “use your words” or to have “open communication” and debate the popular bill.
Inslee went on to say, “[Senate Republicans] chose to sandbag her on the floor, in a Friday afternoon political ambush.” And, that Republicans “significantly damaged our ability to get the job done in transportation for the people of this state.”
Earth to Inslee: No Washingtonian (outside of extreme lefty Seattleites) has embraced your vision or “solutions” on transportation. No one wants the liberal plan to convert as many roads as possible in our region into toll lanes. No one wants to pay thousands of dollars more per year for the privilege of driving on roads that they already paid for via one of the nation’s highest gas taxes. No one wants unqualified people like Peterson continuing to make it more difficult for cars and trucks to move on Washington’s roads.
People have had enough of the Democrats’ so-called “solutions.”
Republicans understood what needed to be done to move forward and begin to change the culture of incompetency that has defined WSDOT under Democrat governors for far too long. So, they did it.
At one point during the press conference Inslee asked, “Is this about I-405?” He then went onto defend the tolling scheme, claiming Peterson supported certain reforms (which, as Shift pointed out, did not go anywhere near far enough to satisfy commuters).
Ironically, Inslee’s question and attempted defense makes the Republicans’ point for them. WSDOT’s problems go far beyond I-405—that debacle was merely the straw that broke the camel’s back. It’s about decades of utter incompetency—incompetency that Peterson did nothing to reform and, indeed, added to.
It’s revealing of Inslee’s out-of-touch leadership that he can’t seem to grasp why people are upset. It’s not enough to reform the I-405 tolling scheme; the reform must begin with WSDOT… and the Democrat leadership that has run Olympia for far too long.
Typical left wing attacks, While discussion was called for by many out of concern for the taxpayers wallets it was rejected by the Governor’s staff and backed up with “facts” that had no basis in reality. More time sitting in traffic, slower commerce, more accidents and the continued flow of taxpayers monies to collapsing projects and out of state businesses that did nothing to alleviate the gridlock. While citizens sat, screamed out in frustration and fumed in miles long backups that were so much worse than before the Government “fixed” it, to those harmed by the early release of inmates that has been ongoing for years, the government of Washington state continued to heap the abuses on those they extorted money from with the promises of a better future.
I cannot express the depth of my gratitude to Senator Hill and all those who took the stand to exercise the Constitution of the State of Washington as it was intended, to prevent the continued thefts from the taxpayers of this once great state and inspire a fix that will finally move us into the future!!!
Well said Mark. Well said.
Thanks Dana!
Now if there is some way to get rid of Inslee life could be improved for all of our fellow Washingtonians!
The next person to fill his role will have the same boss and very little will change with the exception of the name tag. We’ve got to fire the whole monstrous corporation he works for before anything of real significance will change.
Now our fine government is announcing the “extra” money that the tolls have brought in…. I wish there was a way to calculate the amount of money lost/stolen from taxpayers as they languish in the hours long lines created by their fix. The time lost having to leave earlier to arrive on time, the fuel wasted sitting and idling in the vehicles waiting for the traffic to move a few feet, the increased cost to insurance policies due to the increased losses due to the extra accidents from improper road designs, to the loss of life span thanks to the increased stress of heavy traffic driving and the knowledge that the government is more concerned about their dollar increase than they are about your safety and well being….. I pray this is just the start of the cleanup of this mess caused by single party rule for over 35 years….
Never mind that the toll bucks come at a huge time cost for those stuck in traffic that having lanes open would reduce. Apply the Dems $15 per hour to those stuck in traffic and the cost is millions, not revenue.
Hillary is getting schlonged by Sanders in NH tonight. 🙂
Inslee is a moron and wants to ram his Marxist/democrat utopia down our throats. Shame on those who elected him.
How can anyone be surprised? Inslee already demonstrated that he will put his commitment to carrying out the edicts of the UN as a higher priority than appeasing us the public serfs. We all do the same for OUR “bosses”, don’t we?