Democrat Senator Manka Dhingra (Redmond) attempted to justify, in a recent Seattle Times op-ed, the reckless and irresponsible legislation which she led her Democrat legislative colleagues to pass in 2021 – a mistake which has allowed hundreds, if not thousands, of criminals to go free in Washington State.  Law enforcement agencies across the state agree that the Democrats’ anti-pursuit law needed to be fixed during the 2022 legislature, yet Senator Dhingra and her fellow Democrat Senators refused to vote on the bill (SB 5919) which would have fixed the problem. That’s because, as Senator Dhingra’s words demonstrate, they were evidently unconcerned about the state’s skyrocketing crime rates which have negatively impacted thousands of Washington residents. Senator Dhingra’s believes that police pursuit of some criminal suspects are an unnecessary risk to public safety and should be prohibited, while police pursuit of other criminals is completely safe. This has frustrated police officers who have to allow criminals to flee the scene in the cars which they know have been reported as stolen. (Click to read full Shift Article)

Governor Jay Inslee tested positive for COVID today. Let us start with the obvious – we at Shift certainly do not wish ill health for any person, no matter their political beliefs. However, it is hard not to recall the governor ranting last summer when he labeled a 50-year-old man who voted for Trump a “bioreactor facility” because his actions could spread the virus to others.  The governor’s staff said his symptoms are mild and that he is “working” from home in the governor’s mansion, where he will continue to develop false reasons for why he won’t support any type of tax break for struggling Washington families. (Seattle Times and MyNorthwest)

Minnesota lawmakers just displayed the positive results of having at least one of their legislative chambers controlled by Republicans – they passed tax cuts to help residents struggling due to inflation. Republicans have a majority in the Minnesota Senate, so while the House and the governor’s office are controlled by the Democrats, some sanity can prevail. Over the weekend they came to an agreement to cut their state income tax, property tax, increased the tax credit for children and dependents, and removed taxing Social Security income for seniors. This provides a stark contrast to what occurred during the 2022 legislative session in Olympia, where Democrats control both chambers of the legislature and governor’s office.  Washington Democrats refused to help struggling lower- and middle- income households with any form of tax cut (they even rejected a proposal to remove the tax on diapers), and instead chose to spend the record-breaking $15 billion surplus to selfishly and recklessly increase the size and cost of state government. (Bring Me The News)

Governor Inslee has finally lifted the vaccine requirement for those who work or volunteer outdoors; embarrassingly Washington was the last remaining state to have such a silly requirement.  Governor Inslee refuses to provide any guide as to when he will end his unprecedented undemocratic abuse of “emergency” orders, which is now on Day 816. (CenterSquare)

The Seattle City Council voted to spend more than $1 million dollars to recruit new police officers – after driving away hundreds of officers for free – and liberal activists don’t like it. The Seattle Police Department continues to lose more officers every month than it is able to recruit due to liberal anti-police policies coming from the city’s elected officials. This has led to more than 400 officers leaving the SPD, which has resulted in skyrocketing crime rates, which have hurt lower-income neighborhoods the most. Yet some liberal activists are evidently unconcerned in the increase in violence and the growing number of victims as they spoke out against a proposal made by new City Councilmember Sara Nelson to spend 1.15 million (out of $4.5 million unspent on salaries due to the mass exodus of officers) on a national ad campaign and helping with moving expenses of new recruits. Liberal activists, who evidently have not followed the news for the past two years, believe that spending that money on social programs instead will somehow reduce violent crime. (Seattle Times)

Numerous residents have complained about a homeless encampment and vehicle “chop shop” that is beneath the 1^st Avenue Bridge not far from Boeing Field in South Seattle.  Despite many complaints for shootings, stolen cars, and illegal drug use, police only have the resources to make individual arrests and are unable to close down the entire operation.  The arrested individuals are usually out of custody within a day and back committing more crimes at the location.  “It’s frustrating, from a police standpoint, that we see these people over and over and over again,” said a police spokesman. “For the most part, we have people that have been arrested more than 20 times in the system since 2019.”  (MyNorthwest)

The Washington State Department of Agriculture has yet to confirm whether it has captured last weekend the first Asian Giant Hornet of 2022 in Whatcom County.   It was in the same vicinity (just east of Blaine on the Canadian border) as the three nests of “murder hornets” which were eradicated last summer. State entomologists have placed more than 1,000 traps throughout the county. (Bellingham Herald)

Todd Myers of the Washington Policy Center responded with facts to criticism he received from liberal Spokesman-Review columnist Shawn Vestel, who chooses to condemn Myers’ views on the environment while ignoring the scientific data which support his approach.  Myers has consistently stated “There is risk from climate change, but a crisis mentality detached from reality leads to wasteful and ineffective policy,” as he has encouraged responsible environmental policies which will actually address the climate change problems we are facing.

Vestal attacked Myers in his original column on two separate environmental issues for which the scientific data is clearly on Myers’ side. Vestal used letters and studies (some over 20 years old) to state that Myers was wrong about salmon recovery on the Snake River.  One of the letters Vestal used was a 1999 letter to President Bill Clinton which claimed salmon populations “cannot be recovered under current river conditions.” Yet current scientific data shows that salmon runs are continuing to increase and are 20 times what they were in 1999. Vestel also attacks Myers for not marching in line with environmentalists over snowpack levels in the state’s mountains.  Environmentalists often state that reduced snowpack is an alarming sign of climate change. Yet the scientific data shows that 14 of the past 17 years the snowpack has actually been above average. Numbers can be tricky, Mr. Vestal. (Wenatchee World and Spokesman-Review)

While liberal-run cities like Seattle continue to face a shortage of applicants applying to be police officers, Spokane has actually experienced an increase in the number of people seeking to work for its police department.  While signing bonuses have little impact in Seattle, the $5,000 which Spokane is offering is receiving attention due to the affordability of living in the community and the support city leaders give to their police officers. In 2019, Spokane had 414 applicants for police jobs, compared to 762 in 2021. While the numbers are increasing, the department is concerned that the number of female applicants has not increased as well. (KXLY-TV)

With candidate filings completed and just 168 days until the 2022 general election, it is time for both candidates and their supporters to get to work.  History shows that for Republican candidates to win in Washington State they must organize strong grassroots campaigns to overcome the large financial advantage enjoyed by Democrat candidates thanks to contributions from wealthy urban environmentalists and government employee union bosses.  Polls show that voters strongly disapprove of the Democrats’ legislative actions which have made our state less safe for its law-abiding residents while also making it far more expensive place to live and work due to higher taxes and more expensive regulations.  Polls also indicate that generic GOP candidates are currently receiving a 4% – 10% bump in suburban swing districts. Yet this lead could be wiped out by negative television ads and hate-filled direct mail efforts as desperate Democrat candidates and their special interest groups seek to cling to power in Olympia.  It is time for those who want to reverse the disastrous course Governor Jay Inslee and his friends are taking our state to let their local candidates know that they are ready to get to work! (Click to read full Shift article)

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