Surprise, surprise – Democrats failed to think through yet another policy. This time it’s our state’s Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program, which launched in 2020 with the aim of providing paid leave for workers with serious health conditions or those needing to care for others or bond with a new child. As could be expected, the program has seen a substantial increase in usage, with the number of people approved for benefits rising from 112,737 in its first year to 210,268 in 2023. Correspondingly, the benefits paid out surged from just over $613 million in 2020 to nearly $1.5 billion in 2023.

And, of course, paying for PFML has led to an increase in taxes. The tax rate on workers nearly doubled from PFML’s initial 0.4% to 0.8% in 2023. After a whopping $200 million bailout this year, lowered slightly to .74%. The department has admitted that the slight decrease is artificial, a product of the bailout which, itself, is a temporary band aid. As the Washington Policy Center points out, the tax rate could exceed 0.8% soon to address potential deficits, with projections of a severe deficit by October.

From the Washington Policy Center:

“The tax rate is set using a formula that factors in the program’s financial balance. If the balance is low, the higher the rate has to go. Artificially lifting the program’s balance made nice headlines for PFML proponents when the rate lowered slightly. It did not help the situation of a too-generous program sitting on the backs of low- and high-income workers.

“Last year when looking at PFML’s financial woes, I found that PFML is no safety net. The money workers and employers pay into the program that picks winners and losers isn’t primarily helping people in need. It is going to middle- and upper-income wage earners. Lower-income workers are penalized.”

So, here’s what we know – PFML takes after other Democrat programs like the long-term care tax and redistributes income from lower- to higher-income workers. This, in turn, leads to decreased paychecks for low-income workers who do not receive equivalent benefits. It’s just another one of Democrats’ nonsensical, harmful policies. Read more at the Washington Policy Center.

Democrats have largely ignored the ongoing opioid crisis, and nothing evidences that reality more than the delayed and reactive measures seen in King County. Despite the approval of a $1.2 billion property tax levy by voters in 2023 to address the crisis, the implementation plan still requires some serious refinement. Really, it should come as no surprise that King County Democrats failed to create a comprehensive strategy. Councilmember Girmay Zahilay recently admitted that the first crisis care center won’t open until 2026, with the full plan stretching to 2030. Obviously, given the lengthy timeline, immediate action was never a priority. Interim measures include mobile crisis responders and the distribution of overdose reversal medications, but these are reactive solutions rather than preventative strategies. Meanwhile, local business owners continue to face the daily impacts of addiction and mental health issues in their communities. Of course, the situation in King County reflects a broader pattern of inadequate response from Democratic leadership to the escalating opioid crisis that has seen 1100 overdose deaths in King County in 2023 alone, seven times the amount in 2000. Read more at KOMO News.

In yet another example of Washington Democrats’ astonishing failure to manage forests and prevent wildfires, we give you this summer’s Pioneer Fire, which more than doubled in size over the weekend, reaching 3,811 acres by Lake Chelan. The state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is already admitting that containment is not expected until October 31. Evacuation notices have been extended by the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office, and residents are being urged to prepare for potential evacuations. The fire’s establishment in Meadow Creek and the need for structure protection efforts highlight the reactive rather than proactive approach to wildfire management. Aerial resources are being deployed to limit the spread, but strong winds have already impacted visibility and air quality in surrounding areas. Read more at The Seattle Times.

Some facts are undeniable…

Dow Constantine and truth-telling has never gone hand-in-hand…
Oh look, another Democrat attempting to undermine the Supreme Court with lies..

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