Jonathan Choe, a Senior Fellow for the Discovery Institute’s Fix Homelessnessproject, joined us for this week’s Newsmaker Interview. As many of you know, his reporting on the drug and homelessness crises in the Seattle area is unparalleled. Choe describes how the Democrats’ efforts to decriminalize drug possession have led to an increase in drug use and overdoses. And he shares his experience with the “double-standard” local liberal politicians use to avoid answering tough questions from critical journalists. Read more.

Few things irritate Seattle’s professional Leftists worse than people being able to freely move about the city. So of course there are howls of protest about waterfront transportation improvements – with ex-Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn elbowing his way to the front of those critics complaining in an Axios-Seattle piece and definingthat “the new waterfront thoroughfare as too closely resembling the former elevated viaduct.” Of course, the road is nothing like the much-beloved viaduct which was ripped out in 2019.

As even the Seattle bureaucrat in charge of the project notes, “the new Elliott Way is distinct from the former viaduct partly because it includes trees, bike lanes, traffic signals and sidewalks for pedestrians — along with a much lower speed limit. She added that the plan has long been to build the roadway first, then finish a planned park promenade.” You can read more about city plans to accommodate cars that the Left hates here… Axios-Seattle.

In their never-ending quest (as Shift has reported) to stray as far from the actual law as possible when making new law for the next generation of Washingtonians, the members of the State Supreme Court have unanimously decided that race is the only thing matters when juries are selected. And the far-Left court made this decision, according to Crosscut, in a case entirely unrelated to the liberal policy issue they were seeking to impose. You can read more about legislating from the bench here… Shift, Crosscut.

Progressives often justify higher taxes by talking about the need for the rich to “pay their share.” But always unsaid is what that “share” is – other than it is always more than people are paying to government now. That far-Left tradition is on keen display in the Seattle Times, with local liberal business favorite Molly Moon Neitzel blasting out a love letter for a tax she’ll never have to pay, the state’s new income tax on capital gains. As Neitzel notes, “I would gladly pay a 7% tax when I sell stocks or bonds and make a profit over $250,000! If I’m ever lucky enough to have the resources to realize those profits, I can afford to pay the tax. It’s time the ultra-wealthy step up and do the same.”

Of course, hard work, risk, and other business acumen may have something to do with those capital gains which Ms. Neitzel attributes to “luck”. But if you share Ms. Neitzel’s desire to pay higher taxes – because you trust government to spend your excess money better to help the community than you would do with that money – you can read here... Seattle Times.

Next week is the official filing week for 2023 candidates in Washington state, but that isn’t stopping some from coming out of the woodwork early. Among the latest “activists” to jump into a Spokane City Council race is Kitty Klitzke, who is looking to bring her environmental zealotry to the council. According to the Spokesman-Review, she “joins what is shaping up to be the most crowded field for this year’s upcoming Spokane City Council elections, facing announced candidates Randy McGlenn II, Christopher Savage and Esteban Herevia.”

That crowd is running to be a seatmate of controversy-plagued Councilman Zach Zappone. You can read more about whether she would be a good fit with some of Spokane’s ultra-Left here… Spokesman-Review, Shift.

It took until the eighth word in this morning’s email missive, after it was also featured in the lead of  yesterday’s forwarded email, but Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz will be BOLD in pointing out how Bob Ferguson is unfit for the governor’s office in 2024 (and maybe even before). However, issues and contrasts are for later, as they are absent from the email, but remember, BOLD is here… Shift, Franz campaign email.

JUST LATEST SCHOOL DISTRICT FOLLOWING DEMOCRAT ADVICE: RAISE TAXES, OVERSPEND ANYWAY, CUT TEACHERS

Please consider making a contribution to ensure Shift continues to provide daily updates on the shenanigans of the liberal establishment.

Forward this to a friend.  It helps us grow our community and serve you better.

You can also follow SHIFTWA on social media by liking us on Facebook and following us on Twitter.

If you feel we missed something that should be covered, email us at [email protected].