Faced with a serious shortcoming in one of his state government agencies, Jay Inslee created an entirely new agency that he says will “deliver services to vulnerable children and families.” Last week, Inslee (surrounded by children) signed an order creating the “Blue Ribbon Commission on the Delivery of Services to Children and Families.”
The new agency’s agenda currently falls under the responsibilities of the Department of Social & Health Services (DSHS). DSHS has utterly failed to appropriately handle these responsibilities. So, rather than reform an agency that is not doing its job, Inslee is creating another agency to do that job.
Yes, it’s important for vulnerable children to be protected. But, our green governor’s “solution” is just another example of his failed, irresponsible leadership in pursuit of his bigger government agenda.
Seattle Port Commissioner Bill Bryant, a 2016 Republican gubernatorial candidate, pointed out that Inslee’s bizarre move “isn’t leadership, it’s punting.”
Bryant also stated, “Gov. Inslee is focused on political theater rather than on setting priorities, providing direction to DSHS and then holding bureaucrats accountable.”
Unfortunately, the creation of a new government agency to address the failures of an existing government agency is not the only example of this type of far-Left “political theatre” that our green governor has engaged in. Time and time again, Inslee has proved that he lives by a “government is the solution to our problems” philosophy. Here are just three examples:
- Jay Inslee’s so-called Clean Energy Fund strategy.
Even fellow Democrat state Senator Maralyn Chase sees the flaw in Inslee’s Clean Energy Fund, meant to funnel money “through public and investor-owned utilities to private energy firms for research and development.” Of particular concern is the Inslee administration’s partnership with 1Energy Systems, a private company run by former Democrat government officials who now receive millions in taxpayer dollars to help shape Inslee’s extreme “green agenda.” As Shift reported, the company is under investigation by the state Executive Ethics Board for serious conflicts of interest between public and private entities involved an on-going scandal.
Inslee’s Clean Energy Fund strategy serves as an example of his bigger government agenda at its worst: reeking of clientelism and scandal.
- Jay Inslee’s new carbon regulatory rules.
In July 2015, Jay Inslee announced his intention to pursue his extreme “green” agenda by bypassing the state Legislature and imposing a new carbon rule on our state. Inslee directed the state Department of Ecology (DOE) to develop carbon reduction regulatory rules that he thinks he can impose on the state using his executive authority. Last month, Ecology released the new proposed rules.
The so-called “Clean Air Rule”, would initially apply to about 24 manufacturing plants, refineries, power plants, and natural gas distributors. As the threshold is lowered over time, many more facilities would be covered by the rules.
Already, we’ve seen the effects even the threat of new carbon rules has on industry in our states. Alcoa announced its intention to close factories in Ferndale and Wenatchee, resulting in thousands of lost jobs, due in part to the impending threat of Inslee’s extreme “green” carbon rules and higher energy costs. Energy experts have calculated that, under Inslee’s rules, Alcoa would face additional costs of $650,000/year for its Wenatchee plant and $2,278,000/year for its Ferndale plant.
Inslee’s Clean Air Rule serves as an example of his bigger government agenda at its most irresponsible: destroying jobs and our state’s economic wellbeing.
- Jay Inslee’s extreme “green” agenda. Notably, his fuel mandate and his cap-and-tax scheme.
Inslee will never be able to live down the utter failure of his fuel mandate and his cap-and-tax scheme. Indeed, his failure even had some questioning whether or not he was truly our nation’s “greenest governor.”
Inslee could not even garner enough support among members of his own party to pass his cap-and-tax scheme out of the Democrat-controlled state House. And, in the end, he was forced to sign Senate Republicans’ consumer protection provision—what the left labeled a “poison pill”—as part of the transportation package. The consumer protection provision effectively killed the ability to jam his fuel mandate through by executive order.
Inslee’s extreme “green” agenda serves as an example of his bigger government agenda at its most pathetic: a failed attempt to expand government powers for special interests purposes.
DSHS has been broken for a long time. Ordered by federal court to fix the foster child program or go to jail. APS has the duty to protect elders well. rather than provide help people have been subjected to repeated rape, adult abuse and even attempted murder without help until it is exposed outside of the agency. They state. “we have no responsibility to do anything” about reported criminal acts. Upon report of attempted murder by a doctor they instead of helping call the police on the reporter and indicate that he is psychotic and delusional. the result was the vulnerable adult was assaulted by police at gunpoint. his home invaded unlawfully searched. He was taken for evaluation where his caregiver told the facts and he was released. Other wise he would probably still be in a psychiatric hospital. I have personally seen 4 abuses of vulnerable adults in nursing homes. APS took NO action to help the victims. One person with personal knowledge of a hand full of cases. Make that state wide both children and vulnerable adults. IT give you some idea of how entirely useless the program is. This is a show and expansion of government and nothing more.
“…one of his state government agencies,”
I wasn’t aware state government agencies were the personal property of the sitting governor. All the things one learns here!
DSHS has been a troubled agency since at least the OK Boys’ Ranch scandal, twenty years ago. Given the Senate Republicans’ belief (loudly applauded here at Shift) that suddenly firing the head of a state agency (WSDOT) with no advanced warning and no plan for afterward counts as “reform,” I don’t see Gov. Inslee getting much help from them on reform of DSHS.
You really had to stretch on that one, I don’t think anyone fell for it though.
It’s not much of a stretch, really. Firing the head of an agency and calling it “reform” without doing anything else just reminds the rest of us that no actual reforms at state agencies should ever be expected from that source.
Challenging solution……Maybe the the Legislature could creat a Position of Governor II to replace the current governor who is not preforming in his job….