The Daily Briefing – May 23, 2023

DOES ANYONE REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DON’T INVEST IN BRIDGE MAINTENANCE?

IF JAY INSLEE CALLS YOU OUT FOR MISPLACED PRIORITIES, IS THAT A COMPLIMENT FOR A FELLOW DEMOCRAT?

It seems ironic that on the 10th anniversary of the collapse of the Interstate 5 bridge over the Skagit River that the Governor of the state and his transportation director are taking shots at his own party over the lack of enough basic road and bridge maintenance money in the transportation budget just passed by the legislature. As reported by the Washington State Standard, “Washington’s roads czar is warning that the state transportation system is ‘on a glidepath to failure’ after lawmakers put too much money into building new projects and not enough into upkeep.”

Instead of responding to a reasonable observation with something reasonable, the Democrats top transportation “leader” in the legislature, State Senator Marko Liias, instead shot back “I get the governor isn’t invested in all of the projects because he lives in one spot of the state. We have to reflect the needs and wants of a larger constituency to get bipartisan support.” You can read more about Sen. Liias’ rich history of making things worse with his flippant remarks on Shift here, or his latest buffoonery here… KIRO 7, Washington State Standard, Shift.

WHO NEEDS SCIENCE WHEN YOU HAVE FEELINGS?

Washington Democrats love to brag when we are first in the nation to implement the latest liberal craze, but did they really need to give some much fodder to one of our state’s political experts to highlight for the rest of the country that “(W)hat we see in Washington State is political indoctrination masquerading as school curricula. It seeks to redefine science to restrict it to a certain political agenda”? Because that’s what Todd Myers has done, featuring his critique of the state’s new proposed environmental curriculum in the National Review. You can read more about how “(I)nstead of prioritizing rational thinking, the purportedly scientific curriculum argues that ‘we must learn to pay attention to our own emotions and those of other people’” here… National Review.

PUT THOSE WINDMILLS WHERE THEY CAN’T SEE THEM FROM SEATTLE

People on the west side of the state may not be very familiar with the Horse Heaven Hills outside of the Tri Cities, unless they like wines that come from the fields around there. However, to Governor Jay Inslee and his Puget Sound-area environmental cronies, they see the Eastern Washington ridge as a great place to put windmills they can’t see. However, as the Capitol Press reports, some are trying to slow the governor’s attempt to rush through a reward for his friends as “(O)pponents of the proposed Horse Heaven wind and solar project in southeast Washington have asked a state siting council to postpone hearings until the council releases an environmental report on the project.” You can read about how the normally environmentally aware Inslee is running roughshod over the science, and why “Benton County, the Yakama Nation and Tri-Cities C.A.R.E.S. stated in separate requests May 18 that without a final environmental impact statement they won’t know exactly what they are testifying about” here… Capital Press.

THE DEMOCRAT WAY: JUDICIAL APPOINTMENT OF POLITICAL PARTISAN CLEARS POLITICAL FIELD

Political observers in Spokane have been waiting for the proverbial “other shoe” to drop after the announcement earlier this year by activist City Council President Breean Beggs that he would not run for re-election. The far-Left Beggs seemed an unlikely candidate for finding a private sector job outside the political sphere after being on the Council since 2016, and the Spokane Mayor’s race was among his prospects. However, Governor Jay Inslee already had a favorite in that race – his former Commerce Department Director Lisa Brown – and as so often happens when one-party politics rules, Councilman Beggs has just been appointed Judge Beggs by none other than Lisa Brown-for-mayor-supporting Jay Inslee.

As reported by KREM, “Spokane’s city council president has been appointed to serve as a judge for Spokane County Superior Court…Beggs has been a litigation attorney since 1991, with his main focuses being civil rights, employment and personal injury.” You can read more about how Beggs “progressive” judicial activism has prepared him for the judicial appointment here… KREM.

FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO LISTEN – THERE’S PLENTY TO CLEAN UP AT SEATTLE CITY HALL

Fresh off a day of community clean-up volunteering, political commentator Brandi Kruse offers on her unDivided Podcast a strong argument that City Hall itself could use a comprehensive clean up. Listen up here…[un]Divided: Seattle City Hall needs a clean sweep.

STRANGE WHO MEDIA DEFINES AS “VICTIMS” HERE

In a straight news story about one of the several overnight shootings in the Puget Sound area, King 5 reported that “One man is dead and a woman is injured after they were shot by a man who claims the two were trying to steal his truck in Lynnwood.” That brief item would not have attracted much attention, given that the shooter was the one who called 911 to report the incident, except for the reference in the story that the “vehicle believed to have been driven to the scene by the victims is a stolen vehicle, Lynnwood police confirmed.” That’s right, it was the “victims” driving the stolen truck who were “victims” of gunshot wounds after they tried to steal another vehicle. More sad public safety reality here… King 5.

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