The cost of state government has more than doubled in the decade that Governor Jay Inslee has sat at the helm, as Shift has reminded folks from time to time. For the math-challenged, that means that for every dollar the state was taking from taxpayers and then spending on its priorities in 2013, it’s now taking and spending more than two dollars – can’t you just feel the improvement that increased spending by Gov. Inslee and his Democrats friends in the legislature has brought the state?

Now, not everybody in Eastern Washington might be feeling the love from all that government investment. For those who haven’t yet felt the impact of more government spending on their lives, the Spokesman-Review turned over a portion of its editorial page to an Inslee political appointee who promises that “(D)riven by trillions of dollars in federal investments” … “we have a chance to shape the future of our state’s economy.”  Which begs the question, do you really want the former Deputy Mayor of Seattle/current Commerce Director in charge of that “shaping”?

Of course, it may seem strange that after doubling our own state spending in a decade, the Inslee administration now has to count on a federal bailout to achieve all its non-carbon dreams.  You can read more about how Lisa Brown’s replacement as Inslee’s Commerce Director has a vacuum cleaner ready in “the pursuit of these funding opportunities” that come from your federal tax dollars here… Shift, Spokesman-Review.

You can say many things about King County Executive Dow Constantine – and many people certainly have – but you must admit he is consistent. After all, he has some two decades of reaching into your wallet demanding new taxes (as Shift highlighted in this piece from 2015) since he was given an appointed position on the King County Council way back in 2002.

Executive Constantine is back to old tax-demanding tricks in the Seattle Times, as his mismanagement of the County has created such a mess that he is now threatening that his bureaucrats would “be fortunate if we’re able to figure out how to keep two health clinics open out of the ten we have” if he is not given new taxes to raise. You can read on to learn if this fixture of liberal government since 1997 has ever thought that maybe the size of government might be the problem (reduce his own staff, maybe?) here… Shift, Seattle Times.

Local campaigns are in their final month, and dollars are flowing on both sides of the mountains, attracting the attention of big donors and West side journalists, even for the Mayor’s race in Spokane. That’s the take from Crosscut, as the “National Association of Realtors (NAR) is spending big to back candidates in Seattle and Spokane this election cycle.”

The dollars spent through last week are going into the state’s largest two cities, as “NAR spent $225,781 in support of Seattle City Council candidates and $150,779 on Spokane City Council and mayoral candidates in the general election,” on top of the nearly $300,000 NAR spent in Spokane in the primary. You can see who that money is flowing to here… Crosscut.

Perhaps one of the reasons that Realtors are investing in local campaigns is they have seen how garbage can drive down property values. That could be the message from this  Center Square story about how much the city of Spokane is dumping into cleaning up unsanctioned dumps, as last year, “just the code enforcement portion for cleaning up trash from illegal camping cost city taxpayers $629,000.”

You can read more about how much the city is learning about “drug paraphernalia related to camping complaints here… Center Square.

It sure seems like Tacoma could have accidentally issued one ticket for illegal camping in the year it has been since the city council implemented a campaign ban. Yet, KIRO 7 divulges that “not a single citation, fine, or arrest has been made” since the council took its apparent grandstanding action last year.

However, the city’s “success” is not apparent to everybody, with one homeless activist noting the “city has frequently said it’s been a success because they haven’t had to arrest anyone. But there are not more people in shelters now. There are not fewer people on the streets.” You can read more about how “success” doesn’t have to include actually doing anything successful here… KIRO 7.

The city council of Marysville has decided to test a favorite thesis of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) that, as one local leader told the (Everett) Herald, “we cannot punish people into recovery.” That’s the gist of a decision by the Council to set “mandatory minimum jail sentences for repeat offenders of certain crimes, such as theft and public drug use.”

Standing opposite the ACLU are city leaders like Mayor Jon Nehring, who said those who “continue to commit crimes in Marysville will face real consequences for their actions, along with an opportunity to choose a better path.” You can read on about what “public disorder” crimes may have consequences here… (Everett) Herald.

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