The COVID-19 outbreak has demonstrated the lack of real leadership in Governor Jay Inslee and many Democrat officials.  While true leaders would make decisions which are best for the entire state, Inslee and the Democrats have used the outbreak to play partisan games and promote their political agenda.  Inslee has also failed to be honest with Washington residents, and even state legislators, refusing to share the “science” he alleges is behind his decisions. (Shift)

Governor Inslee said we should use the economic hardship that millions are experiencing to “peddle” his climate change political agenda.  While appearing on Bernie Sanders web broadcast (which has had only 9,000 nationwide views in five days), Inslee said, “we should not be intimidated by people who say you should not use this COVID crisis to peddle a solution to climate change.” While millions of Washington residents are looking to state leaders to provide an economic recovery, Inslee continues to be more focused on promoting his failed political agenda (which reduced his national public support from 1% to 0% during his short-lived and partially taxpayer-funded presidential run). (Bernie Sanders web broadcast)

Tens of thousands of Washington workers are having their unemployment benefits delayed, because the state was the easy victim of fraud schemes.  United States Attorney Brian Moran said that Governor Inslee and the state need to “address and fix the vulnerabilities in their system” that have cost Washington State taxpayers millions of dollars. Instead, Inslee’s bureaucrats complained to the media that Moran told people about the significant fraud problem. (Seattle Times)

Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal announced the formation of the “Reopening Washington Schools 2020 – 2021 Workgroup.”  The 123-member group is filled with school administrators, WEA and other union leaders, liberal special interest groups, and a few politicians.  Glaringly missing from the workgroup’s membership list are any leaders in the online learning community. This omission is likely because Reykdal is bowing to the demands of the WEA, which is threatened by the educational choices that online education provides to families.  Washington State was totally unprepared when the COVID-19 outbreak hit, and Reykdal has given up on educating our children for the last three months of this school year and wants to give all the students “A’s”.  The state unpreparedness was primarily caused by state education leaders not embracing online education (because the WEA controls the SPI’s office and Democrat legislators). The lack of any online representatives on this “workgroup” demonstrates Reykdal’s refusal to learn from his past mistakes. (Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction bulletin)

Because Washington State was unprepared to educate our children when the COVID-19 outbreak hit, hundreds of families sought to enroll their students in public online programs.  Yet, Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal has refused to allow state funds to go towards these students’ education.  Currently, more than 10,000 Washington State home-schooled students are enrolled in online education programs.  The state normally pays the online schools an average of $8,500 per pupil (which is about 75% of what the state pays to educate “brick and mortar” students).  The union bosses at the Washington Education Association are likely behind Reykdal’s decision. The WEA has long opposed the expansion of online education options (fewer teachers are needed because parents take a more active role in teaching online students). The teachers’ union maxed out in contributions to Reykdal in 2016 and has already reached the contribution limits for his 2020 campaign. When the union buys a politician, it wants him to stay bought. (Washington Policy Center and Washington Public Disclosure Commission)

Governor Inslee’s large contributors at the tribal casinos continue to ignore his emergency orders and announce they will soon re-open.  Following the large crowds at Arlington’s Angel of the Winds Casino over the weekend, other tribal governments decided to open despite the Governor requesting they remain closed, and long before he has authorized non-tribal state entertainment businesses from opening. (Your News)

Senator Steve Hobbs (D-Lake Stevens) announced he is ending his campaign for Lt. Governor.  Hobbs stated his service with the Washington National Guard has been extended through the summer and thus he could not mount a statewide campaign. What he didn’t state is that he was likely looking at a third-place finish among the five Democrats in the race, so it is less embarrassing to quit now. (Everett Herald)

A News Tribune editorial expresses the hope that state lawmakers will remain transparent and not use “title-only” bills during an upcoming special session to repair the state’s budget. The editorial noted a 2019 “title-only” bill passed by the legislative Democrats (to raise taxes on banks), was recently found to be unconstitutional by a King County Superior Court judge. But, will the Democrat legislators learn from their past mistakes? (News Tribune)

Olympia City Councilmember Renata Rollins, despite having enough money to pay her bills, is using the coronavirus outbreak as an opportunity to be a deadbeat tenant.  Rollins did not pay her rent for May and encouraged others to do the same. While saying she is not hoping to get anything from her landlord (besides free rent), Rollins says her lack of payment should not be taken “so personally” by the owners of her apartment complex.  Rollins has not said whether she will pay rent for June. We wonder if the deadbeat Rollins would take it “so personally” if her landlord put her belongings outside and rented out her space to someone who is honest? (KING5 News)

The City of Seattle continues to lack direction in how it responds to tent encampments that spring up in public spaces and parks during the coronavirus outbreak.  The city did recently respond to neighborhood health concerns by removing an encampment in a Ballard playground, but some city councilmembers believe these concerns should have been ignored (since the camp was not by their house) and the city should have allowed the tents and garbage stay in place.  Even though every resident of the Ballard encampment was offered shelter, Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda was concerned the dispersed individuals would spread the coronavirus (as well as contribute to an outbreak of hepatitis A) and she is offering a proposal to stop further cleanups of encampments. Maybe the councilmember has an extra room or two she can offer up? (Seattle Times)

Many Washington State restaurant owners are losing their life’s work, as they are forced to close their businesses due to the coronavirus outbreak and lack a clear plan from our state for how they can safely and successfully re-open their businesses.  Restaurant owners have been wrongfully criticized for “choosing profits over lives” as they have asked to safely re-open their business. (Restaurant owner Barb Pexa’s letter to the Editor in Living Snoqualmie)

King County Metro will be reintroducing fares starting June 1^st at a reduced “recovery” rate. Fares will be slightly half of the normal fares.  Pierce County Transit will reintroduce fares starting on June 14^th. (MyNorthwest and News Tribune)

The Walla Walla Union-Bulletin came out in support of a bi-partisan bill from Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Colville) and Representative Kim Schrier (D-Issaquah) aimed at helping foodbanks and farmers.  The bill (HR 6725) would purchase surplus crops from small and medium-sized farms and distribute the food to foodbanks. (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin)

A Moses Lake farm has used social media to connect meat buyers directly with ranchers, to help side-step coronavirus outbreak problems at several meat packing facilities that have caused a shortage of products at grocery stores.  Saying there is not a meat shortage, Tumbleweed Farms had developed Facebook pages where consumers may buy beef directly from local farmers. (iFIBER One)

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