The Democrats in Washington State have become so comfortable to holding absolute power that they have stopped all pretense of hiding their ambition to eliminate the public’s input when determining public policy.  The noble effort to provide more transparency to the government process by groups like the Washington Coalition for Open Government is needed now more than ever.  Democrat state lawmakers and local liberal elected officials have not been shy in their attempts to remove the public from the political process as they hammer out backroom deals to benefit their campaign donors.  We quickly came up with 10 examples of how the Democrats in just the past couple years have abused their power seeking to find ways to eliminate the public’s voice. This exclusionary mindset from the Democrats comes from being in power too long and a media unwilling to hold liberal officials accountable.  (Click to read full Shift Article)

While Democrat state lawmakers have shied away from publicly stating their goal is to impose a state income tax on Washington residents (because they know this is unpopular with state voters who have voted down income tax ballot measures 10 straight times), yet a new video shows that when Democrats are left to talk amongst themselves, they openly admit that a state income tax is their primary goal.  Evidently doubling the size of Washington State government in nine years is not fast enough growth for liberals, who want to open up yet another tax stream to fund their rapid expansion of the size and cost of state government.

During a virtual meeting of the 43^rd Legislative District Democrats, Senate Democrat Floor Leader Jamie Pederson spoke of the 2021 passage of the SB 5906 (the state income tax on capital gains) and the subsequent lawsuit challenging its constitutionality. A Douglas County Superior Court judge recently upheld previous court rulings (as well as 10 consecutive public votes against an income tax) and ruled that SB 5906 was unconstitutional.  Democrat Attorney General Bob Ferguson immediately said he would spend public tax dollars appealing the judge’s decision, because this is such a high priority for Democrat politicians like himself who are seeking the approval of the government employee unions who will benefit from a larger state bureaucracy.

While speaking to Democrat Precinct Committee Officers in the 43^rd Legislative District (think Capitol Hill, U District, Wallingford, and Fremont in Seattle) Senator Pederson admitted the Democrats’ “secret” strategy: “We have got to figure out how to get an income tax in our state. We need the State Supreme Court to say, ‘You are free legislature to do an income tax, or a capital gains tax, or a wealth tax.’  Any of these things with a simple majority is what we have been working on. I am hopeful that is where we are going to get with the State Supreme Court.” The last line has some observers wondering if there is some deal already worked out between Democrat lawmakers and the all-liberal members of the Washington State Supreme Court. (43^rd Legislative District Democrat Meeting/YouTube, Annual History of Washington State budget chart,  Washington Legislature Bill Summary, and Washington Policy Center)

A 47-year-old Auburn woman was killed, and her husband was seriously injured, when their car was struck by a vehicle as the driver was fleeing police.  We do not know the mindset of the driver who attempted to speed away from Pierce County Sheriffs, but one must wonder if he was aware (as most state residents are) of the severe restrictions which Democrat lawmakers placed on police and their ability to pursue suspected criminals in their 2021 “police reform” package.  This policy was so bad that even Democrats promised in January to “fix” the pursuit law during the session. Yet Democrat legislators failed to act on a compromise version of SB 5919 and thus suspected criminals can continue to avoid law enforcement simply by driving away, without fear of being pursued.  We can thank Democrat legislators and Governor Jay Inslee for forcing police to no longer pursue suspected criminals.  (News Tribune, MyNorthwest, and Washington Legislature Bill Summary)

Stolen vehicle rates continue to skyrocket in Washington State and police chiefs place the blame on Democrat state lawmakers who passed their reckless 2021 “police reform” package.  In the first two months of 2021, a record-breaking 4,552 vehicles were stolen in Washington State.  As bad as that was, it is nothing compared to what has occurred in the first two months of 2022, as the rate has nearly doubled to 8.320 stolen vehicles.  Steven Strachan of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs blames the increase on the Democrats’ 2021 “police reform” package and on the Democrats’ unwillingness to fix the state’s drug laws following the 2021 Washington State Supreme Courts’ Blake decision (which struck down the state’s drug possession laws). Strachan said, “I’ve never seen such brazen contempt for law enforcement.  I think it’s some of the best evidence I’ve seen that the change in the law has directly affected numbers of auto thefts.”

It is no wonder several Democrats, including “police reform” co-author Jesse Johnson (D – Federal Way), have recently announced their retirement from the legislature instead of facing the voters this November and having to defend what is arguably the worst public safety legislation ever passed by the Washington State legislature.  (KING5 News and Representative Jesse Johnson Twitter)

We have all seen the incredible $6 and $7 per gallon price that Californians are currently paying for gas, and the transportation expert for the Association of Washington Business says our state’s drivers will soon be paying that amount due to Democrats’ 2021 passage of their expensive and inefficient Cap-and-Trade bill.  AWB’s Mike Ennis said that while the 2022 Democrat transportation package did not directly increase the state’s gas tax (though it did raise billions in higher fees), Washington State drivers will soon see a dollar or more added to the price of gas due to the climate legislation demanded by many wealthy environmental groups. (Association of Washington Business Legislative Session Review webinar – 36-minute mark)

Brandi Kruse has stood up for her fellow journalist KOMO News’ Jonathan Choe, who is the latest target of Seattle’s hate-filled cancel culture because he accurately points out the many local failures of liberal policies.  Kruse said in a Facebook post that KOMO is receiving many calls and emails stating the station should fire Choe apparently because he regularly reports on the crime and other problems caused by the city’s many homeless encampments in Seattle’s neighborhoods.

A couple of weeks ago, Choe tweeted, “ENOUGH: I’m talking to many journalists who are tired of being threatened, doxxed, intimidated, and in some cases, violently assaulted by aggressive activists or dare I say it, “Antifa.” But journos like me and @MrAndyNgo (Portland based journalist who regularly writes on radical Left-wing hate groups) should not have to walk alone.” (Brandi Kruse Facebook and Jonathan Choe Twitter)

While local governments in King County continue to buy hotels and build “tiny house” communities to house homeless individuals, a new report reveals that more than half of the people refused free housing when offered.  According to a report, 1072 individuals were offered shelter by the city of Seattle, but less than half (only 512) agreed and stayed at least one night. (Q13 FOX News)

Once again, the failure of Governor Jay Inslee’s Department of Corrections to follow health guidelines has resulted in COVID breakouts in Washington State residential facilities – this time at two Eastern Washington prisons.  During the COVID pandemic, every single state-run corrections facility and hospital experienced a severe COVID breakout because state bureaucrats failed to adhere to guidelines.  Just as things are returning to normal around most of Washington State, the Coyote Ridge Corrections Facility (about 25 miles north of the Tri-Cities) and the Walla Walla State Penitentiary are having to once again lock down many of their inmates due to the spread of COVID. (Northwest Public Broadcasting)

Even the most strident Democrat legislators now are publicly admitting that their radical and unpopular policies will likely result in major election losses (even the likelihood of losing control of the State House of Representatives) this November.  Senate Democrat Floor Leader Jamie Pederson (Capitol Hill) admitted to his fellow 43^rd Legislative District Democrats last week, “We’re going into an absolutely perilous year for Democrats. It’s not out-of-the-question that we could lose the House this fall.”

Yet, as the nutty-left conversation shows, several out-of-touch touch Seattle Democrat lawmakers are still proud of their radical policies (such as eliminating the sales of gas-powered vehicles by 2030 and pushing a very unpopular state income tax) which will likely cost them seats in swing suburban districts around the state. (Click to read full Shift Article)

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