In an exclusive interview with Congressman Dan Newhouse (R-Sunnyside), the Central Washington representative is critical of Governor Inslee’s refusal to lift the ban on commercial and residential construction.  Newhouse points out that none of our similarly impacted neighbors (Oregon, Idaho, or California) have the ban and Inslee has also allowed government financed construction projects to continue.  As the Congressman states, “This virus doesn’t discriminate between publicly-funded builders and private sector workers, and neither should Governor Inslee’s list of ‘essential’ activities.” (Shift)

Governor Jay Inslee continues to discriminate against private-sector workers as he allows government-funded construction projects to continue while shutting down commercial and residential construction.  In what is more clearly becoming an obvious political choice, and not a public health one, Inslee has yet to provide a safety reason why government-funded construction may continue while the same work performed on privately financed projects has been shut down. (MyNorthwest)

The Washington Research Council has found that the three leading sectors to file new unemployment claims during the coronavirus outbreak are 1) Accommodation and Food Services; 2) Arts, Entertainment and Recreation; and 3) Construction. It is understandable that the first two sectors are the most impacted, because their businesses are based on people gathering together.  Yet there is no legitimate health or safety reason for the private construction sector to be so heavily impacted, especially when the exact same work continues on government-funded projects.  It is also interesting to note that less than 1% of the new unemployment claims are coming from government employees, despite such workers comprising nearly 18% of the state’s workforce. It can make people believe that all the campaign money public unions give Democrat candidates has paid off, as so many other, non-political donating workers have lost wages.  (Washington Research Council and USA Today)

Candidate Gael Tarleton demonstrates she is unfit for the job she’s seeking of Washington’s Secretary of State, by attacking the incumbent for not turning the office into an extension of the Washington State Democrat Party. State Representative Tarleton (D-Seattle), who previously sponsored legislation (HB 2529) to eliminate odd-numbered year initiative elections because it would benefit the Democrat Party (because its voters can evidently only be bothered to participate in in even-numbered year elections), continues to demonstrate her very partisan behavior by trying to drag the state into a conflict over voting in … Wisconsin.  Maybe the W before the state name threw Tarleton off, and maybe she’s just comfortable being known as “Tina Podlodowski 2.0”, in refence to the now-State Democrat Party chair, who voters rejected in 2016 as too partisan to administer Washington’s elections ). (Washington State Wire and Washington Legislature Bill Summary)

Despite climate activists’ earlier doomsday (and inaccurate) warnings, Washington State’s snowpack was once again above normal for the 2019-2020 snow season. The state finished the season with 109% of normal snowpack.  This is the 12^th out of the past 15 years in which the state’s snowpack has been above normal, much to the chagrin of the extreme environmentalist crowd.  (Washington Policy Center)

Responding to a prisoners’ “disturbance” at the Monroe Correction Complex over coronavirus concerns, Governor Inslee and the Washington State Department of Corrections are considering a plan to release “nonviolent offenders who are nearing their appropriate release date.”  Prisoner rights advocates have filed a lawsuit demanding that the state release all prisoners who are over 50 years old, have serious health problems, or are within 18 months of their release date.  The controversy reminds observers that the Inslee Administration has significant experience in releasing prisoners early.  (Seattle Times)

The Seattle Chamber of Commerce has sent out an email asking members to contact Seattle City Councilmembers to vote against the job-killing $500 million tax proposed by councilmembers Kshama Sawant and Tammy Morales.  The tax is 10 times larger than the previously failed tax measure which Sawant pushed through the council in 2017, and will be placed on approximately 800 Seattle businesses, many of whom have been hit hard during the COVID-19 crisis.  The email states that the new tax “isn’t governing. It’s political opportunism. This is dangerous for our local and state economic recovery.” (Seattle Chamber of Commerce email)

The City of Lynden has decided to ignore Governor Inslee’s discriminatory orders against private-sector construction and has allowed private construction to continue in the city.  The City Administrator has said, “Until that conversation has taken place it is the city’s policy that work continue, uninterrupted.” The city’s order applies to construction projects that obtained approved permits prior to March 26^th. (Bellingham Herald)

Disgraced former Seattle Mayor Ed Murray is currently living on a taxpayer-funded $116,000 pension.  The veteran Democrat legislator, who served less than one-term as Seattle Mayor before being forced from office after multiple accusations of molesting young men, owns homes on Capital Hill and the Olympic Peninsula.  His husband, Michael Shiosaki (who remained quiet during the accusations) has just accepted a high-paying job (for some bizarre reason worth up to $198,000 a year) with the City of Bellevue’s Parks Department. (MyNorthwest)

With more than 3,000 different submissions, the current public comment period regarding the federal study of the Snake River dams has been a success.  Those who are unhappy about the findings of the extensive study want to use the coronavirus outbreak to delay the final report, by extending further the comment period. However, it seems the federal government has plenty of data to complete its work.  People have until April 13^th (this Monday) to submit their comments. (Tri-City Herald)

While agriculture is considered an “essential” business, farmers are having to adhere to many new workplace regulations.  Growers are spending considerable time learning the new federal and state guidelines, and then training employees to follow the new regulations. Farmers say that they sometimes have difficulties convincing workers to follow the regulations, but they all become cooperative once they know someone who has contracted the coronavirus. (Yakima Herald)

Like nearly all government entities, Central Washington University will not reduce wages of any employee through June 30^th.  The university’s cabinet members, which average $180,000 in annual salary, have volunteered to take a 20% in pay.  CWU President Jim Gaudino said he is planning to have the campus re-opened by July 1^st. (Ellensburg Record)

In an email blast to promote a “virtual Town Hall”, Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant writes, “The coronavirus epidemic has fully exposed the massive inequality in American society and the catastrophic effects of decades of attacks on working people’s hard won gains and cuts to social services including healthcare. This crisis shows, in an almost unprecedented way, the complete bankruptcy of the capitalist system.” Of course Sawant’s false “we are poor victims” rhetoric fails to mention that the largest “massive inequality” the coronavirus has revealed is how government workers have been rewarded for their millions in campaign donations to liberal politicians, by keeping them on taxpayer-funded salaries during the crisis while private-sector employees and small business owners have lost their wages.  While 18% of the Washington workforce are government employees, less than 1% of the unemployment claims come from laid off government workers.  (Sawant campaign email and Washington Research Council)

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