One of the reasons why teacher unions conduct illegal strikes is because educators do not lose wages because missed school days are added to the calendar later in the school year.  One factor other unionized workers must consider in whether or not to strike is whether lost wages during a walkout outweigh the pay increases obtained through their actions.  Teachers do not have to worry about this since they still receive their full annual salary following an illegal strike.

While strikes of public employees are illegal in Washington State, school districts are often reluctant to go through the legal proceedings to have a court force them back to work through imposing fines on the unions and teachers.  The Kent School Board demonstrated this on Monday when its 2 – 2 vote (one board position was vacant) failed to begin legal action against the Kent Education Association, as it did in 2009 to end a 15-day strike.  Today is the 6^th school day missed due to the current strike.

One interesting note on the Center Square’s story is that the reporter sought comment on the legality of teachers’ strikes from Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s office. The normally attention-seeking Democrat career politician refused to comment, obviously fearful of being on the record stating that a major financial contributor to Democrat campaigns (i.e. teachers’ unions) do commit unlawful actions when they go on strike. This is yet another example of the state’s top law enforcement official suddenly becoming quiet when his supporters conduct illegal activities. Remember AG Ferguson went into hiding during the summer of 2020, when liberal rioters illegally seized portions of Seattle, repeatedly assaulted and attempted mass murder of police officers, and caused damage to businesses and other private property.  (The Center Square and Kent Reporter)

A case involving the Inslee Administration knowingly using faulty breathalyzer equipment will skip the normal appellate court rulings and will be heard directly by the Washington State Supreme Court.  A Kitsap County court ruled earlier this year that breathalyzer machines were improperly rounding off results of breathalyzer tests and threw out a driving under the influence (DUI) case. Since then, DUI attorneys across the state have challenged cases which used those machines. No date has been set for a State Supreme Court hearing. (KING5 News)

KIRO radio host Dori Monson writes about a recent incident where a man was denied police assistance as he attempted to help a friend who was threatening suicide. The man was informed by a police sergeant that law enforcement is prohibited from helping, even in cases such as this which involve a gun, due to a recent law passed by Democrats in the Washington State Legislature. HB 1310 prohibits police from assisting in such cases unless another person’s life is in danger. (MyNorthwest)

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell attempted to backtrack on several divisive statements he made to police officers regarding the already bureaucratically bloated King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA), the city’s controversial (and ineffective) Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program, and “inexperienced” city councilmembers. The mayor made these comments in a series of meetings he held with Seattle police officers during recent precinct roll call meetings.

The mayor stated “I’m funding” 70% of KCRHA, yet he has little control of their policies, and that actions taken by LEAD have led to the revolving door of repeat criminals. The mayor told police officers that he is looking to replace councilmembers who supported the “defund the police” actions of the council and who are supportive of extreme policies which make it difficult to remove homeless encampments.

At a news conference yesterday at the Rainier Playfield, the mayor was less divisive in his comments, yet Brandi Kruse had fun on Twitter with the very awkward situation which develop since Councilmember Andrew Lewis was standing behind him.  Councilmember Lewis is one of the “inexperienced” councilmembers who the mayor will likely seek to have replaced in the 2023 elections. (Seattle Times, MyNorthwest, and Brandi Kruse Twitter)

A Seattle Times editorial condemned an attempt by Seattle City Council Teresa Mosqueda and the union bosses at the United Food and Commercial Workers who are seeking to take taxpayer funds to give to the union to train cannabis workers.  Councilmember Sara Nelson says this money is better spent by allowing an independent academic institution to administer the training.  Council Mosqueda states that it is “anti-worker” to even suggest some organization other than a powerful labor union conduct the training (which will focus on non-labor equity issues).  The Times’ editorial scoffs at the councilmember’s arguments and stated “The council should support a neutral, academic organization” to lead the training program. The council is scheduled to discuss this item at next Tuesday’s council meeting. (Seattle Times)

An extensive report in the (Tacoma) News Tribune details the impact liberal anti-police and homeless policies have had on one South Tacoma neighborhood experiencing a dramatic increase in crime and the closure of businesses. The Hosmer neighborhood, just north of Joint Base McChord Lewis, has had five murders already this year after having just three combined homicides during the previous two years. Open drug use and “general lawlessness” have also increased during the past few months. The many hotels in the area have been the source of much of the crime, as homeless individuals and drug addicts often break into rooms to spend the night.  Housekeepers feel they must arm themselves as they perform their duties. (News Tribune)

Residents of Spokane’s West Hill neighborhood are upset that a state funded homeless housing project could soon open in their community without any public involvement in the process.  The Washington State Department of Commerce is funding Catholic Charities’ efforts to purchase the Quality Inn and turn it into housing for 100 – 120 homeless individuals, many of whom are relocating from the controversial “Camp Hope” on Washington State Department of Transportation’s property in East Spokane. Moderates on the Spokane City Council have proposed sending a letter to the state asking officials to be more inclusive of the public’s concerns.

Last night Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward hosted a town meeting where hundreds of local residents attended to express their anxieties with the project. Their concerns focused on public safety and the non-inclusive process the state has used to impose the project onto their neighborhood.

Noticeably absent from the gathering was Lisa Brown, Director of the Washington State Department of Commerce which is funding the project. Director Brown recently made news with her controversial decision to relocate back to Spokane while still managing a government agency in which nearly all employees are 320 miles away in Olympia. It is widely believed that Director Brown made the taxpayer funded move so she could start to organize a campaign for Spokane mayor while she continues to receive her very generous taxpayer funded salary.   Director Brown’s unwillingness to stand before Spokane citizens to respond to their concerns over the actions by her agency is certainly very telling about her approach if she becomes mayor. The career politician Brown was a former 20 year member of the Washington legislature before she challenged Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers in 2018, and was easily defeated by 10%. She was then appointed to her Commerce Department position by Governor Inslee. (Spokesman-Review, KXLY News, Northwest Digest Twitter, and Concerned Taxpayer Accountability Center)

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