In addition to soaring gas prices thanks to the carbon tax passed by Jay Inslee and the Democrat legislature in 2021, multiple other regulatory over-reaches are conspiring to drive up costs for Washington’s drivers. To try and get to the bottom of what is driving up costs is perhaps why, according to the Capital Press, Gov. Inslee’s Department of Ecology “requested $200,000 to study the costs and benefits of phasing out new gas and diesel cars and pickups by 2035, a California-inspired law the agency adopted last year.”

Unfortunately, it’s wishful thinking to hope that any amount of data or science would convince Ecology to abandon its flawed cap-and-tax course mandating the end of new gas-powered cars. To them, the marching orders are clear: “Washington law requires Ecology to adopt California’s emission standards.” You can read on to consider how much that sheep-like mentality will cost Washington taxpayers here … Capital Press.

When the article starts with the depressing take that “(A)fter decades of work, salmon continue to struggle in Puget Sound and across the state,” it makes it hard to want to read on about the sorry state of our state’s favorite fish. However, this Seattle Times op-ed proceeds to provide a recovery roadmap while noting that “Washington’s salmon recovery has generally been guided by science and local salmon experts.”

The problem for politicians with letting the locals and data lead is that science might lead away from a politically favored project or two. Hypocrisy is often involved where science is not, so you can read on for why “salmon recovery has been consistently underfunded even as state budgets have rapidly expanded” here… Seattle Times.

The contentious debate over what “would be the state’s largest renewable energy installation” way over in Eastern Washington has gained a new and potentially loud voice. That’s because, according to the Capital Press, the “Yakama Nation on Monday asked the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council to overrule its chairwoman and let the tribe ask state biologists how the Horse Heaven wind and solar project would impact wildlife.”

Shift has long covered how the state has rolled right over the concerns of local residents and farmers about the size and scope of the project with “244 turbines and more than 6,000 acres of solar panels near the Tri-Cities.”  You can read on about allegations that former Democrat State Senator and EFSEC Chairwoman Kathleen “Drew overstepped her authority by unilaterally dismissing the tribe’s request” here… Capital Press, Shift.

Call us unsurprised, but the “news” from KING 5 that a “state audit released this week shows the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) needs stronger internal controls on its finances” seems a tad underwhelming. After all, the agency’s first CEO resigned in disgrace, its signature project has been terminated after running out of money, and its very future is in doubt.

Read on while wondering how an agency with a “budget this year (of) more than $253 million,” which is at the center of the biggest issue facing our state, can be so poorly run by well-meaning liberals here… KING 5.

Shift receives more political emails than most, but today’s missive from the Washington State Democrat Party got our attention. That’s because political math shows that Lisa Brown only wins her race for mayor of Spokane if enough voters don’t know how much more she has in common with her old friends in Seattle and Olympia than the voters over there.

So raising money for the state Democrat cause because “(W)e need to win in Spokane, where Lisa Brown is running to flip the mayor’s office back to blue” might not be the best strategy for Jay Inslee’s former Commerce Director. See what the State Democrats might have to offer the people of Spokane here… WA State Democrats email.

Just in case the folks at the Longview Daily News have insight into their colleagues at The Columbian, they might want to see if the fact-checkers are looking at editorials these days. That came to mind after Longview carried its editorial referring to “Matt Barreto, a UCLA professor who testified in the case” to provide some credibility (or Democrat cover) in a meandering editorial on a re-districting court case.

The facts matter here because Democrats are hoping to get the courts to remove a Republican Latina from the State Senate seat she was elected to and have used the “testimony” of Democrat political consultant Matt Barreto to justify that theft. You can decide if you think the editorial folks know how partisan this professor is here… Longview Daily News, Matt Barreto.com.

(Thanks to the folks at Future 42 for the nice cartoon)

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