The Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) declared they have just obtained, “The largest compensation package in our union’s history” thanks to its secret behind-closed-door “negotiations” with Governor Jay Inslee, whose campaigns the union has strongly supported financially with millions of dollars (through both direct campaign contributions and “dark money” political activities). This is the latest example of Governor Inslee paying off his campaign supporters using taxpayer money and the main reason why the governor and Democrat legislators refuse to provide any form of tax relief to lower- and middle income families who are currently suffering financially from skyrocketing inflation and high gas prices.  Simply put, Governor Inslee has used billions in surplus tax revenues to pay off his financial supporters while the rest of us are told we must pay higher taxes.

After receiving three pay raises in two years (and not missing one paycheck during the governor’s economic shutdown of the state), the WFSE says its members will receive another 4% raise next July, and 3% raise the following year. State workers will also be given a “retention” bonus of $1,000 if they stay on the job between July 1, 2023 through July 1, 2024. They will also be handed a $1,000 check if they agree to receive a COVID booster shot. The state’s taxpayers will also be forced to pay more of the union members’ health care costs and more pay for state workers’ overtime.

In the WFSE announcement of its latest taxpayer-funded financial windfall, the union pushed the false narrative that they won this contract, “because our members stepped up and stuck together.” The truth is they “won” this contract because they have used the forced dues of their members to reward Democrat candidates through campaign contributions. In return, the Democrats make sure tax money keeps flowing into union bank accounts by giving higher salaries to government union employees and constantly increasing the number of state workers who must pay dues. This process flips Abraham Lincoln’s famous Gettysburg proclamation for Washington State is now truly “Government of the government, by the government, for the government” and us taxpayers are forced to pay for it.  (The Stand and Brainy Quote)

A former Washington State employee was sentenced to five years in federal prison for stealing more than $360,000 through fraudulent job claims while working for the Governor Inslee’s highly dysfunctional Employment Security Department (ESD).  While “smoking heroin, using methamphetamine and sleeping only three or four hours a day,” Reyes De La Cruz III used his access to state computers to provide fraudulent state employment benefits to friends while arranging a substantial kickback for each payment his accomplices received. De La Cruz was obtained his job at the ESD, with access to sensitive financial information, despite previous convictions for harassment, theft, assault and domestic violence.  While it is good that at least one person has been penalized for the incredible mismanagement of taxpayer funds at Governor Inslee’s ESD, still not one person has been fired or even demoted at the department for the $650 million that was allowed to be stolen by foreign criminals due to administrators reducing security measures at the start of the pandemic. (Seattle Times)

Former (and future) Bremerton High School football coach Joe Kennedy claims the Seattle Times never contacted him before posting a story which stated that the winner of a major U.S. Supreme Court case was too busy with national speaking engagements to coach this season.  Times columnist Danny Westneat wrote an article last weekend with this claim, which Coach Kennedy argued only provided the school administration’s perspective. The Supreme Court ruled last June that the coach was inappropriately fired by the Bremerton School District in 2016 for conducting post-game prayers at midfield.  Kennedy asserts that he has always wanted to resume coaching, but the district has rebuffed his numerous attempts to meet in person and he does not want to be a distraction to the players and other coaches by returning after team began practices earlier this summer.  He fully intends to rejoin the coaching staff for the 2023 season. (MyNorthwest and Seattle Times)

New Seattle City Councilmember Sara Nelson has successfully passed legislation to create a Seattle Film Commission, which is now tasked with attracting filmmakers to come to the city and hire local workers. Councilmember Nelson is unlike all of her council colleagues, as she has actually had success running a business (co-owner of the Fremont Brewing Company) and understands the importance of creating private sector jobs.

Seattle is often used as the setting for movie and TV series productions, but rarely are the productions actually filmed in the city. Often Vancouver, B.C. serves as a stand-in, as its government has long been aggressive in providing financial incentives to filmmakers.  The result has been production companies spending more than $4 billion annually there, while only $162 million has been spent in Seattle by filmmakers during the past 14 years.

Many of the details need to be worked out with the new commission, such as what type of incentives the city will actually provide to those interested in filming in Seattle.  It is one thing for the normally anti-business city council to support the creation of a city film commission, it is quite another for the city (and state) to actually give production companies tax breaks and other incentives to film (and hire local workers) in Seattle.  (Seattle Times)

The General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters used physically threatening language towards Amazon when he was in Seattle for a Teamsters’ conference.  President Sean O’Brien said, “Amazon should be afraid,” and, “This corrupt corporate giant must answer to the Teamsters now, and we’re ready for the fight.” It is difficult to miss the irony of a Teamster boss calling any other organization “corrupt.” (The Stand)

Socialist Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant is being criticized for ignoring the concerns of her constituents seeking help on issues related to a homeless encampment in her council district. Councilmember Sawant turned off her Zoom camera as she remotely attended a council meeting during which 3^rd Council District residents discussed the issues related to the encampment.   The councilmember was also away from her screen when members of the Chinatown International District expressed concerns about the crime and violence associated with homeless individuals in their community.

This has not been the first time Councilmember Sawant has been criticized for her lack of attention to citizen concerns.  In the now infamous 2019 video of the Seattle councilmembers not paying attention as citizens spoke, Councilmember Sawant was closest to the camera and appeared to be playing a game on her phone while a citizen was speaking. (MyNorthwest and YouTube/Seattle Council Meeting)

Governor Inslee’s office said that “all zero-emissions options are on the table” for replacing the clean energy provided by the four lower Snake River dams.  This is not a strong endorsement for nuclear energy, which many wealthy urban environmentalists oppose, but it is not a complete refusal.  While this statement might be somewhat newsworthy, dam proponents claim it is an unnecessary hypothetical conversation, as scientific studies (and not the partisan “position papers” Governor Inslee and Democrats keep funding with taxpayer money) have shown that the region is best served by keeping the dams and the current fish runs are demonstrating that fish ladder improvements are increasing the number of salmon which make it through the four dams.

One of the problems with replacing the 1,000 megawatts of clean energy created annually by the dams (which have the capacity to annually provide 3,000 megawatts) is that small nuclear reactors Inslee was reacting to only provide 77 megawatts a year. And while multiple reactors can be “stacked” together, they do not have the flexibility hydroelectric power provides.  (KPVI)

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