Liar, Liar House on Fire! (Jay Inslee is wrong). Today we recognize Smokey the Bear, who celebrates his 75th birthday. He is reportedly enjoying his special day chilling by the pool, with not a forest fire in sight. According to National Interagency Fire Center data, the US Fire Count in 2019 has been the lowest year ever on record. (Shift WA)

Jay Inslee continues to lag far below the thresholds necessary to appear on the stage for the mid-September Democrat presidential debate. The campaign admits it is still 15,000 contributors short of the 130,000 needed. More importantly, Inslee continues to poll well below the 2% mark required in four recognized national surveys. Currently, Real Clear Politics list no recent poll that has the Washington Governor above 1%. (Real Clear Politics)

Washington State Gambling Commission (WSGC) voted to delay the National Rifle Association’s request to lift the cap of the amount their charity can raise from raffles. Even though the commission admits the NRA met the “criteria necessary to get its cap increased,” reports state the WSGC is concerned about “stream of deadly shootings around the nation.” Former Democrat King County Councilmember and commission vice chair Julia Patterson also has questions stemming from financial allegations made by the Democrat Attorney General of New York and Democrat Washington Governor Jay Inslee. (Seattle Times)

Recent evidence suggests that there is a growing division between the liberal elite who run major west coast cities and the voters who tend to be more moderate. Throughout the west, citizens are rejecting the liberal elite’s policies that deal with the homelessness, public safety, and quality of life. (City Journal)

There is increasing sentiment within the environmental community to shame those who are planning to have children. This recently stepped onto the local political stage when a Bainbridge Island City Councilman wanted the city to hold an “I Didn’t Reproduce Day.” (This proposal was shot down). There is growing resentment towards those who want to impose guilt on the reproduction choices made by others. (Seattle Times)

A new wastewater permit will be required for the largest of the state’s 900 wineries. The cost of the permit or corrective measures could impact individual wineries hundreds of thousands of dollars. Some believe this new permit process is unnecessary for the wine industry as they are not a sizable source of water pollutants. One winery owner who used to practice environmental law proclaimed, “It’s the biggest overreach of the Department of Ecology I’ve seen in my career as an environmental lawyer.” (Yakima Herald)

For the first time in 80 years there is salmon in the Upper Columbia River.   The Colville Tribe released 30 tagged salmon into the river near Nespelem. New technology like the “Whooshh Fish Passage” will enable the salmon to more efficiently navigate over the dams. (Spokesman-Review)

There is a growing divide between the prosperity of urban areas and the financial hardship faced by rural communities. Often this adversity is due to the increased cost associated with regulations on natural resources (usually promoted and enacted by urban politicians). This is the current situation in Metaline Falls which is seeing the closure of the Pend Oreille Mine. (Q13 The Divide)

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