In a rare moment of fiscal clarity, Washington state officials used a competitive open-bidding system and ended up saving taxpayers a whopping $357 million on new ferry construction. That’s the good news. The bad news? It took decades of waste, protectionist rules, and failed local shipbuilding policies to get here.

As Bob Pishue pointed out in his Mountain States Policy Center op-ed, the “Build in Washington” rule — which once ensured only in-state companies could build ferries — effectively created a state-sanctioned monopoly, driving costs through the roof. In 2015, WPC warned that lifting this rule would save up to 30%. Turns out they were right — it saved 33% when a Florida shipyard massively underbid the local, state-subsidized option, even with a built-in 13% handicap favoring the hometown team.

This should be a wake-up call: Washington-based shipbuilding couldn’t compete, even on their own turf, even with special advantages. Why? Maybe it’s the suffocating taxes, sky-high labor costs, and layers of red tape progressive lawmakers have lovingly piled on over the years.

But while taxpayers are finally catching a break, Olympia’s obsession with electrification is still driving up costs. Each new hybrid-electric ferry will run $238 million — more than double the cost of an equivalent LNG ferry used in British Columbia. All in service of their climate virtue-signaling goals.

Bottom line: open bidding worked, but the state’s high-cost, anti-competitive environment nearly sank the whole shipbuilding industry. Time for lawmakers to fix their overregulated mess — before even more jobs float away. Read more at Center Square.

Congratulations, Seattle! You’ve officially earned the title of #1 in the nation for inflation—a crowning achievement in progressive mismanagement. According to WalletHub, prices in the Seattle metro area (which includes Bellevue and Tacoma) spiked faster than anywhere else in America, jumping 1.4% in just two months and 2.7% over the past year.

What’s driving this wallet-crushing surge? Look no further than Washington’s bloated minimum wage ($20.76/hr), sky-high gas taxes (now 55.4 cents per gallon), and years of Democratic tax-and-spend insanity. Groceries alone are eating residents alive—rising nearly 5% in a year and averaging $290 per week, one of the highest grocery bills in the country.

And while you’re paying more at the store and the pump, don’t forget to thank Democrats for their inflationary cocktail of reckless spending, “green” energy experiments, and economic “stimulus” bills that make everything worse.

When you wage war on employers, jack up energy costs, and tax everything that moves, don’t be surprised when the cost of living goes into orbit. Welcome to progressive paradise—where everything is unaffordable, but at least it’s “equitable.” Read more at MyNorthwest.com.

Congratulations again, Seattle — you’re about to experience the joys of Democrat-run infrastructure “planning” in real time. For the next month, northbound I-5 through Seattle will be choked down to two lanes, with full closures on weekends, epic traffic jams, and gridlock stretching to Lynnwood and beyond.

Why? Because after decades of neglecting actual road maintenance (in favor of dumping billions into trains no one rides and bike lanes barely used), the state has finally decided to “Revive I-5.” Too bad it involves crippling the region’s busiest highway for 32 straight days during summer events like Seafair, Seahawks games, and the Ichiro celebration.

WSDOT’s advice? “Take the light rail.” Because nothing screams “modern urban planning” like forcing commuters into delayed trains and crowded buses while Seattle’s main traffic artery is under construction chaos.

And in classic bureaucratic style, they’re shutting down the whole freeway—twice—just to “set up” and “tear down” the work zone. Welcome to Washington, where the detour is permanent, the delays are political, and the only thing running on time is your outrage. Read more at MyNorthwest.com.

After years of silence, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Seattle) has suddenly decided she’s very concerned about the Epstein files — and CNN’s Pamela Brown wasn’t having it.

In a rare moment of journalistic spine, Brown grilled Jayapal on her brand-new performative outrage:
“Why didn’t you raise this during the Biden administration?”
Jayapal’s response? A word salad of “I would’ve been happy to” and “I was focused on different pieces.” Translation: I didn’t care until I thought it might hurt Trump.

Let’s be honest — Jayapal’s base hasn’t been banging down doors for Epstein accountability. She ignored this scandal when it might’ve risked implicating Democrat allies, and now that the media is circling, she’s magically “demanding answers.”

Bonus cringe: She claimed Republicans show up at her Seattle town halls. (Sure — right after the unicorns and free rent.)

As Jason Rantz pointed out, Democrats like Jayapal are only talking Epstein now because they think it’ll sow division in the MAGA base. Instead, all they’re doing is exposing how hollow and transactional their “outrage” really is.

Exploiting the abuse of young girls for cheap political points? That’s not accountability — that’s Democrat strategy. Read more at KTTH.

It took nearly a month, but the man accused of viciously assaulting independent journalist Cam Higby during a Seattle anti-ICE protest has finally been arrested — just as he was about to go tubing down a river with a cooler in hand. (No, really.)

Jeremy Lawson, 33, was nabbed by Seattle PD’s Community Response Group and booked on felony assault charges for what police describe as a “politically motivated attack.” Higby was simply documenting the June 14 protest near the Seattle federal building when he was suddenly and brutally attacked — leaving him bloodied, concussed, and still dealing with the fallout weeks later.

Even after the beating, Higby said he’s continued receiving threatening messages, which he believes came from Lawson. Welcome to Seattle, where covering left-wing protests gets you attacked, harassed, and stalked, while local Democrats say nothing — because apparently, free speech is only sacred when they’re the ones yelling into a megaphone.

And just to top it off, Lawson previously texted a denial to The Center Square, claiming he wasn’t even at the protest. (Weird, considering SPD now has him in custody and Higby has the injuries to prove it.)

Let’s be clear: this wasn’t random. It was political. It was violent. And it’s what happens in cities run by people who excuse “activist” violence as long as it aligns with their agenda. Read more at Center Square.

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