King County’s latest Housing Needs Assessment claims the region faces a whopping $3.96 billion annual funding gap to meet “affordable housing” goals — a shortfall that would cost the average homeowner nearly $3,900 more per year.That’s right — the same leaders who made housing unaffordable now want homeowners to fix it.

The report floats three absurd tax scenarios:

• A property tax hike nearly 10 times Seattle’s current levy,
• A 23% sales tax, or
• An 46% real estate excise tax— more than triple the state’s current cap.

Even the report admits none of these are remotely realistic without new legislation or massive voter revolt.

Democratic frontrunners for county executive — Claudia Balducci and Girmay Zahilay — offered the usual buzzwords about “partnerships” and “coordination,” but neither can explain how to pay for their utopian plans without blowing up family budgets. Balducci wants 44,000 new homes (a fraction of what’s needed), while Zahilay wants Washington, D.C. to bail the county out.

Meanwhile, Councilmember Reagan Dunn nailed the obvious: King County residents already face the nation’s highest gas prices, crushing food and utility costs, and endless new taxes. “My focus is on reducing costs and making our region more affordable, not increasing costs and new taxes,” Dunn said — a voice of fiscal sanity in a county that treats “taxpayer” like a four-letter word.

At this point, King County’s housing strategy isn’t a plan — it’s a price tag. Read more at Center Square.

Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) tried to score political points this week by accusing President Trump of “choosing to let kids go hungry” as SNAP funding runs dry during the Democrats’ self-inflicted government shutdown. Her big claim? That Trump could “tap billions” from a contingency fund to keep food stamps flowing. The problem: that’s not how the Constitution—or basic civics—works.

Under Article I, Section 9, Congress controls the money, not the president. Murray knows this—she literally fought Trump over this same issue when he tried to redirect funds for the border wall in 2019, calling it an “egregious abuse of power.” Now, she’s demanding he do exactly what she once said was illegal.

SNAP funding is stalling because Democrats in Congress refused to pass a continuing resolution—one that Republicans supported—to keep the government open. Murray herself voted 13 times against funding bills that would have protected SNAP. But sure, let’s blame the guy who legally can’t spend the money.

After being roasted on X for her constitutional illiteracy, Murray still hasn’t admitted the obvious: the only thing standing between families and their benefits is the party that keeps voting “no.” Read more at Seattle Red.

Several Thurston County Democrats are scrambling to cut ties with a media contractor after it was revealed they hired Joshua Headley, a convicted child rapist, to produce campaign materials. Headley—who served as a pastor before being convicted in 2022 for grooming and raping a 15-year-old—rebranded himself as “J. Seeley” and launched Seeley Media, a company hired by over a dozen Democratic candidates and campaign committees.

Among his clients: Citizens in Support of Yelm Community Schools, a group backing a school levy. Headley even bragged on social media about filming a video shoot near a school bus—on what looked suspiciously like school property. He’s a registered Level 2 sex offender.

Republican Rep. Travis Couture called out the stunning lapse in judgment, revealing that Thurston County Democrats were warned about Headley’s past months ago. In fact, the party reportedly discussed his conviction at an August 25th meeting—then quietly scrubbed it from their public notes. Yet, several Democratic candidates kept paying him anyway.

Public records show campaigns for Olympia, Lacey, and Tumwater candidates shelled out hundreds to thousands in payments to Seeley Media, with some only cutting ties after reporters started asking questions. The party’s official line? They “investigated and addressed” the issue and insist they never directly hired him.

Couture summed it up: “The last thing voters want to learn is that their local candidates hired a convicted rapist—and then tried to cover it up.”

Maybe next election cycle, Democrats should invest less in “messaging consultants” and more in Google searches. Read more at Center Square.

The University of Washington quietly pulled the plug on a faculty job posting after Jason Rantz exposed it as a full-blown ideological loyalty test. The College of Education’s Associate Professor listing required applicants to submit a one-page “DEI pledge,” complete with a rundown of their personal “identity,” past activism, and future promises to advance “racial equity and social justice.”

UW meteorology professor Cliff Mass called it what it was — a demand to “pledge allegiance to the DEI machine.” He revealed that applicants were judged first on their political devotion, then on whether they could actually teach. Merit, apparently, was an optional checkbox.

Mass didn’t mince words about campus culture, noting that only about 10% of UW’s faculty still lean moderate or conservative — a sharp decline from years past. Under the glare of public scrutiny, UW backtracked, canceling the job posting and promising to “review its hiring practices.” Translation: they got caught. Read more at Seattle Red.

With control of the Washington State Senate on the line, Republicans are rallying behind Chad Magendanz in the 5th Legislative District special election — and they’re doing it with style. The WAGOP is hosting a “Ballots & Brews Night” this Saturday at Headworks Brewing in Enumclaw, turning civic duty into a social event. Attendees can drop off their ballots, grab a pint, and help flip the Senate.

Party Political Director Matt Brown called it “what winning looks like” — Republicans energized, united, and voting together. Magendanz’s opponent, far-left Democrat Victoria Hunt, represents the last line of defense for Democrats’ tax-hiking supermajority. A Magendanz win would finally end one-party control and slam the brakes on Olympia’s never-ending appetite for new taxes.

WAGOP Chairman Jim Walsh said the event is part of a coordinated effort across King and Yakima counties to expand secure ballot drop-offs and “Vote-in-Person” hubs. It’s a grassroots push with one simple goal: turnout, turnout, turnout. Read more at Seattle Red.

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