Spokane is experiencing some of the state’s most expensive political campaigns this fall, bringing the campaign finance debate to public view through a couple of different viewpoints. That’s the takeaway from a Spokesman-Review column which highlights that opposition to building a new jail (Spokane County’s  Measure 1) is pulling down big money from dark places, as “Justice Not Jails raised $520,394 (cash and in-kind donations) to oppose it,” with no actual people or businesses in the county putting money into the campaign.

And with that much money flowing, some campaign finance rules may be overlooked, as “Justice Not Jails also appears to be in violation of Public Disclosure Commission requirements” by not correctly identifying donors.  You can read more about how when “the opposition to Measure 1 raises 96% of its cash from two opaque nonprofits,” it raises more questions here… Spokesman-Review.

Some homeless stories just repeat themselves, especially tragic ones. That’s certainly the case with a Seattle Times feature about a Tukwila church overwhelmed by more than 300 political asylum seekers living on its grounds and with a pastor “unclear how people have found the church, but (Pastor) Bolerjack said it seems many have heard through word-of-mouth.”

Of course, last month’s Seattle Times feature about the asylum situation at the church likely contributed to the worsening situation as winter approaches. You can read on to see how local government officials spend money you didn’t know they had (not their own, of course), such as King County Council candidate and “Seattle City Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda (who) allocated $200,000 in the city budget toward helping migrants and asylum-seekers. King County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove, whose district abuts the church, directed $50,000 from his office to the church” here… Seattle Times.

Shift took no joy in writing the headline asking, “Are schools the new target for Seattle’s criminal class?” and even less joy in learning how right we were on the subject. That was confirmed by a Seattle Times report that “students in North Seattle have been robbed, sometimes at gunpoint, by a group of teens in 14 separate incidents since late September.”

Even more troubling is that Seattle assistant police Chief Todd Kibbee “could not say if similar robberies in other parts of the city are related, but he said there could be more incidents that haven’t been reported to SPD.” You can read about how “Kibbee believes it is the same group of teens” carrying out the crimes (which makes sense since minors are rarely punished in the city) here… Shift, Seattle Times.

You have to love the earnestness that some liberal activists bring to their favorite job of telling government how to spend other people’s money. That is on display in this Washington State Standard investigation into a part of the state’s new energy regulatory scheme called the “Transportation Electrification Strategy,” with one of its lead advisors gushing that she must “(I)nsist that every recommendation be funded… These are not optional things.”

And in case you just think that was just one over-zealous consultant, she was backed up by one of Governor Jay Inslee’s favorite environmental extremists,  Leah Missik at Climate Solutions, claiming “(W)hile we have done a lot of good things in Washington state, it is not enough.” Read on to see the environmental lobby throw down the “these are not ‘nice to have,’ they are ‘need to haves’ ” gauntlet here… Washington State Standard.

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