The rising cost of such basic food staples as bread and milk is bringing more financial headaches to lower- and middle-income households even as Washington’s Democrat “leaders” continue to ignore the struggles most Washington families are facing.  We have all seen the price of a loaf of basic wheat bread climb from $3.29 to $4.59 and the price of a half-gallon of milk climb from $1.79 to $2.59 during the past few months as the Democrat’s reckless spending policies have caused historic inflation rates.  States across the country, whether controlled by Republicans or Democrats, have sought to help families by using their state’s surplus funds to provide tax relief, yet the Democrats in Washington State stand alone in ignoring the suffering households are facing and have refused to provide any relief.  Obviously, Governor Jay Inslee and his fellow Democrats in the legislature believe it is more important for the state government to have too much money than it is for lower- and middle-income families to have enough to pay their bills. (Seattle Times/Bloomberg)

Skagit County Commissioners have unanimously placed a six-month moratorium on certain salmon habitat projects as a way to stop Seattle City Light from converting current farmlands at the Skagit River’s delta into fish restoration projects  – as a way to bail the city out from decades of neglect and offset the damage its three dams are doing upriver.  The Seattle utility is seeking to relicense its three dams on the Skagit River and there is growing concern about the damage the dams have done to salmon runs on the river. Leaders of the local agriculture community are worried that Seattle City Light is seeking to remove farmlands to offset the damage their dams are doing upstream. A spokesperson for the county said, “We can’t have outside energy interests buying up and converting our farmland to other uses in a way to seek penance for their environmental sins elsewhere. We won’t have any more farmland.”

The county has itself conducted several salmon restoration projects along the Skagit River, but the number of fish returning continues to decline. The county believes Seattle City Light needs to invest in fish passage projects along their dams for the salmon population to increase. The moratorium can be extended. The current federal license on the three dams runs out in 2025, so you can expect this to get expensive for Seattle’s ratepayers. (Go Skagit)

Thanks to City of Seattle leaders caving into the demands of violent liberal rioters in 2020, yet another lawsuit is expected as the family of one of the young men who was murdered inside the CHAZ/CHOP filed a claim against the city on Monday.  When Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan allowed the rioters to seize control of the CHAZ during the violent riots of 2020, the city’s emergency services could no longer provide aid to those inside the abandoned territory.  The City has already settled a lawsuit with the family of one of the men killed inside the CHAZ (for $500,000) and the claim yesterday was for the death of 14-year-old Antonio Mays, Jr., who was shot multiple times inside the CHAZ and no emergency services were immediately available to provide necessary aid. The filing of a claim against the city is the first step before filing a lawsuit.  Since the City of Seattle is self-insured, ultimately all financial liabilities are paid by Seattle taxpayers and will not impact the retirement benefits which former Mayor Durkan currently receives.  (Seattle Times)

Two drive-by shootings in Snohomish County last week left two teenagers dead and two more injured as violent crime continues to plague Washington State.  It is not known if the two shooting incidents were related, as the liberals’ soft-on-crime policies continue to encourage criminals to be bolder in their violent actions, since they will face little punishment.  We are reminded once again that Democrat Representatives Tarra Simmons (Bremerton) and David Hackney (Tukwila) proposed legislation during the 2022 session to reduce the sentences of those convicted in drive-by shootings (HB 1692).  Democrat Speaker Laurie Jinkins refused to bring the bill up during an election year in which Democrats were already receiving criticism for their anti-police legislation in 2021. Yet if the Democrats maintain control of the legislature, it is very likely Representatives Simmons and Hackney will once again introduce the bill which makes life easier for drive-by shooters. (Northwest News Radio and Washington Legislature Bill Summary)

Pierce County officials have proposed spending $22 million of their federal pandemic relief funds on a project which has enjoyed significant success in keeping formally chronic homeless individuals off the street.  Philanthropic and other government sources will join the county in covering the full cost.  The permanent housing community is based on a project which has achieved success in Austin, Texas.

The proposal was included in Pierce County Executive Bruce Dammeier’s biannual budget which he sent to the county council.  The goal would be to bring 200 – 300 previously homeless individuals together in a microhome community which provides medical, addiction, and mental health treatment along with jobs in businesses which are located on-site. The tenants pay rent and manage the facility through a homeowners association.  Former Republican Senator Steve O’Ban is leading the effort for the Dammeier Administration. (News Tribune)

The Concerned Taxpayer Accountability Center has raised questions about a scheme Washington State Department of Commerce Director Lisa Brown has created which allows her to run her Olympia-based state government department from Spokane while fleecing taxpayers (and building her campaign organization to run for Spokane mayor). The career politician (she has held either political or governor-appointed positions for almost 30 years) decided in November 2020 to move from Olympia back to Spokane, so she could be able to run again for office.

Brown made the move official after she attempted to have state taxpayers pay for her hotel rooms and other expenses when she “visited” Olympia to do her job.  State auditors denied her request to be reimbursed by pointing out taxpayers cannot pay for travel expenses in the city where the state employee claims to reside. After the denial, Brown officially moved back to Spokane (where she is not-so-quietly building her mayoral campaign) so Washington taxpayers are now funding all of her work-related trips to Olympia. (Concerned Taxpayers Accountability Center media release)

Shift is hearing that Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward will soon be announcing her re-election campaign for the position she won in 2019. The liberals who control the city council have already moved into campaign mode against the moderate Woodward despite the election being 16 months away, forcing her hand a bit.  The council, led by liberal Council President Breean Beggs, has recently attempted to usurp powers given to the mayor in the city’s charter, as the liberal councilmembers seek to have partisan politics dominate their activities instead of developing solutions on major issues (such as public safety, housing shortages, and homeless encampments) which have frustrated city residents.

Shift spoke with Discovery Institute Co-Founder (and Chairman of the Board) Bruce Chapman regarding his recent op-ed in the Wall Street Journal on the nation’s mental health problems and how Washington State – under Democrat leadership – has failed to provide the resources to adequately help those who are suffering.  Chapman was elected to serve on the Seattle City Council (back when diversity of thought was still allowed at Seattle City Hall) and as Washington Secretary of State before being picked by President Ronald Reagan to serve as the Director of the U.S. Census Bureau. He co-founded the highly respected Discovery Institute in 1990.

Chapman’s WSJ article focused on what needs to be done at the federal level (where U.S. Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers has been a strong advocate) to improve our treatment of mental health issues.  In our discussion with Chapman we focused on what needs to be done at the state level, where both Western State Hospital and Eastern State Hospital have faced serious setbacks during the Inslee Administration. Chapman provides his thoughts on what needs to be done, advice to Republicans on what they should do if they gain control of the legislature this fall, and details what the public can do to raise awareness about mental issues. (Click to read full Newsmaker Interview)

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