More violence in blue Seattle’s CHOP

“Two men are dead. Two men are dead. And a child, a 14-year-old is hospitalized, and we don’t know what is going to happen to that kid. Enough is enough here,” said Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best Monday morning ( KUOW ).

Kshama Sawant, the socialist Seattle city council member blamed the death on capitalism
( Twitter ).

Jenny Durkin "block party" is resulting in a body count. Durken's blunder is costing human lives in addition to human livelihood.  How much of this useless, self-indulgent government will Seattle accept?  Durken continues to dodge and weave.

Washington State week.

Inslee fails to appoint any state legislator to policing task force ( The News Tribune )

Jay Inslee announced members of a policing task force that will make recommendations for “legislation about independent investigations of use of force.” The task force will meet next month and continue into the fall. According to Inslee’s office, the task force is “a part of a coordinated effort with legislators to provide a comprehensive set of reforms.”

Tellingly, though Inslee claims to be working with lawmakers on police reforms, not a single state legislator was appointed to serve on his newly formed task force.

Impolite suspects that the entire task force will be composed of Inslee's buddies who want a job at state expense.

Seattle leadership failures create volatile business environment ( My Northwest )

Unrest in Seattle resulted in the loss of a billion-dollar investment firm, Smead Capital Management.  President and CEO Cole Smead stated, “The unrest that has taken place in the city of Seattle… there really is not a downtown business community today.”

Smead Capital Management will move from Seattle to the metro Phoenix area. Smead explained his biggest concern for Seattle was “what the business community is going to come back to, and what kind of businesses are going to come back for customers.”
       
Senator Honeyford calls on Inslee to convene special session ( Sunnyside Sun )

Republican State Senator Jim Honeyford (Sunnyside) explains in a new op-ed how “by acting quickly, we may be able to take enough common-sense steps to help mitigate the harm to taxpayers and those who rely on government services.”

The Washington State budget is in a “precarious situation” due to the coronavirus pandemic and the economic slowdown caused by Jay Inslee’s Stay Home, Stay Safe executive order. Honeyford calls on Inslee to bring the state Legislature back for a special session to address the budget crisis. If Inslee fails to do so, Honeyford says “legislators should call themselves back to Olympia for a special session through a super majority vote.”
       
Inslee announces state-wide mask policy ( The News Tribune )

Facial coverings are now mandatory in public across the state, as ordered by Jay Inslee this week. Any “willful violation” of the statewide order will be considered a misdemeanor. Yakima County also faces new restrictions. Businesses there are prohibited from “doing business with a customer who isn’t wearing a mask.” According to Inslee, Yakima businesses who fail to abide by the new order “could face the loss of a business license, fines or injunctive relief.”
       
Inslee 'pauses' counties who meet criteria to progress to Phase 4 ( KOMO )

Citing rising cases in “hot spots” across the state, Governor Inslee and Health Secretary Wiesman announced that they would not be permitting counties with low cases and that meet other criteria to move to Phase 4. “Phase 4 would mean a return to normal activity, and we can’t do that now due to the continued rise in cases across the state,” Inslee said. Secretary Wiesman encouraged people to continue to social distance and wear face coverings to help prevent further COVID-19 spread.

~~~~~~~~

Protect your neighbors and show them what you think of Jay Inslee at the same time!

Donate $25 to ShiftWA and get a Governor Zero mask.

https://shiftwa.org/action/governor-zero-masks/

Face Coverings

Washington State Department of Commerce  Orders All Washingtonians are required to wear cloth face coverings in public.  ( Washington State Dep't of Commerce )

Effective Friday, June 26, every Washingtonian in an indoor public space, or in an outside public space when unable to physically distance from others, will be legally required to wear a face covering.
    Those with certain medical conditions and children under the age of two are excepted. Children aged 2-4 are encouraged, but not required, to wear a face covering with adult assistance.
    Individuals may remove face coverings under certain circumstances, including while eating or drinking at a restaurant; while communicating with a person who is deaf or hard of hearing; and while outdoors in public areas, provided that a distance of six feet is maintained from people who are not members of their household.
    Currently, businesses in Yakima County may not serve anyone who enters their business without a facial covering.

All Washington workers must wear cloth face coverings at work, at minimum.

As of June 8, all employees are required to wear a cloth facial covering, except when working alone in an office, vehicle, or at a job site, or when the job has no in-person interaction. This applies to employees working in separate rooms or cubicles if the walls are below face level when working at their desks.

Employers must provide workers with appropriately protective facial coverings for the worker’s risk of exposure.

Per the Safe Start plan, all Washington employers are required to provide (at no cost to employees) and require the wearing of personal protective equipment (PPE) as appropriate for the worker's risk of exposure. Cloth face coverings must be worn by every employee not working alone unless their risk profile dictates a higher level of protection.

bank robbers for example, but they already have masks....

CHOP Seattle to be retaken -- well, maybe not

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durken Vows to Restore Law and Order to CHOP.  This comes after the shooting death of a 19-year-old male in the area. She says the Police will be back and will retake control of their abandoned precinct office. Let’s see how it goes. This comes after she romanticized the moment: “We could have a summer of love!” ( Examiner ).

Business owners have bemoaned the lawlessness, but there are other victims as well: Besides shootings, the police chief said there have also been reports of rape, assault, burglary, arson and property destruction. “I have the police reports right here,” [Police Chief] Best said, holding up papers. “We cannot walk away from the truth of what is happening there” (ABCNews).

Jonah Goldberg: Seattle’s political leaders have blood on their hands.  Suppose some right wing militia had taken over a similar “zone” with encouragement from GOP officials, this would be obvious to MSM. (Twitter).

Now that they’re told the experiment is over I’m sure all the CHOPpers will just gather their toys and head on back home ….

Washington State reflection this week

Jay Inslee implies new taxes to address budget shortfalls ( KING 5 )

History shows that tax cuts are the best way for the economy to repair itself from gigantic damage such as the COVID19 is inflicting.  But the Democratic Party is so addicted to taxing and spending, they may not be able to do make necessary cuts in spending.

The state budget – which includes record spending passed by Washington state Democrats in March – faces a $4.5 billion shortfall for the current 2019-2021 cycle.

The State’s Economic and Revenue Forecast Council predicts another $4.3 billion shortfall for the 2021-2023 budget.

Inslee said relying on spending cuts would inflict “huge damage” on state services.

By contrast, Republican Sen. John Braun said the budget can be balanced without new taxes. Braun and other state Republican lawmakers pushing Inslee to call a special session to make needed spending cuts.
       
Walla Walla Union-Bulletin comes out against raising taxes ( Union Bulletin )

The Walla Walla Union-Bulletin Editorial Board called on the legislature to cut spending this summer in a special session to avoid even deeper cuts when they go back into regular session in January. They say former Speaker of the House Frank Chopp’s proposal to raise $2 billion in new taxes to help cover the budget deficit created by the COVID-19 economic crisis “makes no sense.”

The Union-Bulletin rightly point outs that the legislature’s current $53 billion budget was based upon a hot, steadily growing economy and needs to be cut back – not maintained by taxing more. Especially by a capital gains income tax, which is not allowed under the state constitution.
       
Jay Inslee threatens to move counties backward in reopening process ( KHQ News )

Jay Inslee said he would not “hesitate to move counties backward in the reopening process” in a recent tweet.

The threat comes as Grays Harbor, Mason, Lewis, and Island Counties moved into Phase 3, while King County finally moved into Phase 2.

Inslee previously expressed support for recent protests following the death of George Floyd – right after threatening small businesses if they dared reopen.   Inslee has not made any attempt to bring law and order to CHOP – formerly known as CHAZ – despite widespread violations to COVID-19 orders.
       
Washington Employment Security Department’s security failure persisted for years  ( Washington Policy Center )

Problems with fraud at Washington’s Employment Security Department (ESD) began far earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic, explains the Washington Policy Center’s Mark Harmsworth.

For at least a year, the ESD did nothing to address fraud problems despite the state legislature allocating $44 million to specifically fix faulty computer systems. For many years, the ESD’s security mechanism and identification procedures have not adequately protected the “security of the accounts and the privacy of the benefit claimant.”

Unfortunately, ESD’s response to the $650 million stolen by the Nigerian fraud scheme (an added photo verification step) is insufficient to protect private information.
       
Washington State DOH reforms COVID-19 death count process  ( My Northwest )

The Washington State Department of Health admitted to over-counting deaths resulting from COVID-19. Changes to how the state DOH reports COVID-19 deaths include removal of non-COVID-19 deaths from the statewide total and “break down the overall data to include more specific categories.”

Previously, the state DOH counted any person who passed away and also tested positive for COVID-19 as a "death resulting from COVID-19."  This included people who passed away as a result of other causes.

Washington State reflection

Crisis demands governor cancel raises ( Seattle Times )

The Seattle Times Editorial Board issued a strong call for Jay Inslee to take bold action and cancel planned state employee raises. They noted that more than 500,000 Washingtonians lost jobs due to COVID-19 restrictions and the state must make similar sacrifices.

Estimates are that canceling the 3% raises scheduled for next month would save nearly $800 million and they note it should be one of the “easiest” and “most obvious” decisions when addressing the looming budget shortfall.
       
Inslee displays failed leadership to the nation ( Fox News Network )

Jay Inslee – once again – made national news for his failed leadership of Washington State. During a press conference on Wednesday, Inslee claimed he did not know that about six-blocks of the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle had been taken over by anarchists.

This occurred after Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan forced police to abandon the east precinct on Monday. Whether or not Inslee knows about the “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone” does not appear to make a difference. Inslee does not appear capable, or willing, to restore law and order despite a 3x increase in 911 calls from the area.
       
ESD failed to act on unemployment fraud warnings in April ( KING 5 )

Federal agents warned Washington’s Employment Security Department (ESD) about unemployment fraud in mid-April, according to a top law officer. Given the new information, it appears that the ESD did not act on warning that resulted in the loss of hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars.

United States Attorney Brian T. Moran said federal agents knew of “fraudulent claims filed on behalf of public service workers, and public service workers at that time were not employed” and warned the ESD in April. ESD officials defend their incompetency stating it was “too soon to tell that massive fraud schemes were unfolding.”
       
CHAZ demands reveal far-left, unconstitutional agenda ( Heritage Foundation )

Anarchists in the “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone” have a long list of demands. These include defunding the police 100%, abolishing courts and imprisonment, retrying all people of color convicted of violent offenses, banning evictions, socializing medicine, and more.

Despite the foolishness, Seattle leaders are sympathetic and even actively support the demands. Fortunately, as the Heritage Foundation points out, these demands are not only dangerous, they are unconstitutional. Seattle leaders and anarchists will have to take on the Constitution to accomplish their far-left objectives.
       
Schools are expected to re-open in fall 2020 ( My Northwest )

Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal released a plan to reopen schools across the state this fall. He stated that classes will resume in person for students. Previously, Reykdal faced public backlash after insinuating school closures would continue into the fall of 2020.

Guidelines for reopening include daily health screenings for staff and students, practicing social distancing “as much as possible”, and staggering mealtimes in school cafeterias. At-risk students will be accommodated virtually.
   

Rebellion in Seattle

"CHAZ border"

Jay Inslee (D), WA governor, remarked on  the rebellion in Seattle, the Capitol HIll Autonomous Zone (aka CHAZ. See Wikipedia).  “That’s news to me,” he said, laughing.  He genuinely  wasn't aware of the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone.  (My Northwest)  (Breitbart News)   Jay Inslee served notice he has taken leave of his senses.  This is serious business.  Effectively Inslee is no longer governor.

It's clear the Democratic Party is not going to note anything bad against a darling full rebellion (Capitol Hill Seattle).  Never mind that rebellion is directly against constituted authority of city and state government. 

Since Olympia has taken leave of its senses, state government has vacated Olympia.  Now, we should look to Yakima, Spokane, or even Odessa for responsible government.  Anything would be better than the opera in Olympia.  Name your preference.

Election Alert:  Look to the phony "Democratic" Party controlled state government for mischief this election cycle. Not only will the dead being voting for Democrats, but many rebels will too.  Most Democrats "voters" will do so without the bother of casting a vote, or even a mail-in ballot.

BobOne reporting.

Tim Eyman claims he is censored

Tim Eyman, a Republican candidate for governor, reports that his candidate statement has been "censored for naming Jay Inslee."  Mr Inslee is the present state governor.  Mr Eyman would be running against him.  So if government is censoring Mr Eyman's statement, it seems very odd and tyrannical.

Update:  On Tuesday, the Kitsap County Auditor stopped censoring the candidate statements and said they'll print Eyman's statement as written ( Kitsap Sun ).

But the same day, the Snohomish County Auditor Garth Fell ( garth.fell@snoco.org ) announced he would not include Eyman's statement for violation of administrative rules ( Herald Net ).

It the interest of free and fair elections, Impolilte is presenting Mr Eyman's entire candidate statement.

"Statewide–Governor
"Tim Eyman (Prefers Republican Party)

"Candidate Statement
"Elected Experience
"Sponsored and Passed $30 Tabs Initiative. Qualified 17 initiatives for a public vote,including: $30 Tabs; 2/3 Vote Requirement to Raise Taxes; Property Tax Limits;Government Transparency; Budget Performance Audits & Advisory Votes.

"Other Professional Experience
"14-year small business owner.

"Education
"WSU business degree, economics minor (graduated cum laude). WSU wrestling (Tim placed 3rd in PAC-10).

"Community Service
"Innovative Policy Advocate whose initiatives saved taxpayers $43 Billion (https://tim4gov.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Summary-of-accomplishments-2020b.pdf). Challenged Inslee’s lockdown in state and federal court. Tim comes from a long tradition of adoption: his father was adopted, Tim was adopted, Tim’s 3 kids are adopted. Tim advocates for easing adoption for parents and kids.

"Statement
"As Governor, my mission will be to fix Washington’s broken system. I’ll bring my battle-tested experience and proven results reforming government to serve you.

"Imagine if Jay Inslee hadn’t betrayed voters by breaking his campaign promises to veto taxes, raising them 30 times instead. Imagine if Inslee hadn’t recklessly shutdown thousands of small businesses, forcing a million people out of work, while letting mega-corporations remain open. Inslee’s lockdown spared his allies but punished everyone else. Inslee’s actions always benefit the special interests that bankroll him.

"As Governor, I will serve you. I’ll reduce taxes, prioritize spending, grow our economy,guard your individual liberty, and protect your constitutional rights. For 22 years, I’ve fought for you with initiatives that cut taxes, strengthened our communities and made our streets safer. I’ve saved the people of Washington $43 Billion, while Inslee’s 30 tax increases cost citizens $50 Billion. While you can rely on me to cut taxes—because I’ve done it over and over—Inslee admitted he’s exploiting the economic crisis he caused to raise your taxes – he wants carbon taxes, income taxes, and a creepy “Pay-Per-Mile-Tax.” I’ll block all tax increases.

"Inslee’s reckless policies created the most homelessness and violent crime in our state’s history. I’ll use common-sense strategies to get the homeless off the streets.

"Inslee got away with taking $5 million from taxpayers for his campaign. His cronies in Seattle tried overturning your vote for $30 Tabs, saying you were “confused.” Under Inslee, this broken system no longer serves the people. Washington has a Seattle Legislature, Seattle Supreme Court and a Seattle Governor. Enough! It’s time at least one branch of government represents the rest of us.

"Inslee betrayed you. Trust me with your vote and I promise I will fight for you."

~~~~~~~~

The original of this statement is posted at https://tim4gov.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Tim-Eyman-Voter-Pamphlet-Statement-Picture.pdf

Seattle Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone& "Democrat" politicians' negligence

Twitter screenshot, @sluttypuppytown. Used by @MrAndyNgo.

The insatiable outrage, the insufferable wokeness, and the wretched belief that America is evil -- manifest on Capitol Hill.

"Just as the Islamic State (ISIS) claimed territory in Iraq and Syria, antifa militants have claimed territory in Seattle, Wash.

According to reports on the ground from The Post Millennial’s Andy Ngo and Townhall’s Julio Rosas, protesters and antifa instigators have seized land in the Capitol Hill area around the Seattle Police East Precinct. Like ISIS, the rioters appear to have decided on setting up a government in their occupied territory, naming it “Free Capitol Hill.”

“Seattle (Mayor Jenny Durkan) is allowing a dangerous situation to fester. [Antifa (the link may be a send up site)] militants have taken over & created an ‘autonomous zone’ in city w/their own rules. Police precinct abandoned. Antifa set up barricades to create a border. Calling for volunteers to provide armed guard,” Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) tweeted.

“The Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone. Folks in Seattle have secured six block of city [at the moment], barricaded it, and gotten local businesses and residents to agree to, well, disaffiliate from Seattle basically. It’s a flux state in the making,” Alex Humva (@humvadev) tweeted.

“Speaker at the autonomous zones advocating folks with firearms take shifts defend the barricades. Sh*t is getting organized,” lauracouç (@anarchomastia) tweeted.

~~~~~~~~

If you destroy the past, you have no future.

This story draws from https://www.siliconinvestor.com/readmsg.aspx?msgid=32778545

Olympia review this week

King County commercial landlords seek property tax relief  

King County commercial landlords may see property tax relief as many have experienced dropping values due to closed tenant businesses. Empty hotels and closed gyms, restaurants, and other retailers cannot pay rent. The problem exists across the nation.

According to MyNorthwest, “nearly 60% of commercial rents across the country did not pay their rent in May.” Landlords must still pay property taxes and mortgage payments, but do not have rent revenue to pay. King County Assessor John Wilson asked the state Legislature to grant commercial owners relief by changing current law.

It is doubtful any property tax relief is coming.  The legislature sucks up an excise tax even on leases.

Future of new sex ed law may rest in the hands of voters

A highly controversial bill that would mandate sex ed starting in kindergarten may have to be approved by the people if Referendum 90 collects enough signatures.  The bill was sponsored by Sen. Claire Wilson of Federal Way and rammed through the legislature by Democrat majorities.

By the time Gov. Inslee signed it, his office had received 9,850 messages opposed to the measure and 59 in support. If you still have signatures to turn in, Pony Express stations all over the state for petition drop-offs in the next couple days can be found here.

Estimates of money lost in unemployment fraud: $550 - $650 million

The exact amount lost by Washington State officials to the Nigerian unemployment fraud remains unknown. However, the Employment Security Department (ESD) estimates the money lost is between $550 and $650 million.

The amount recovered with the help of the federal government remains about $333 million. As the Washington Policy Center’s Mark Harmsworth points out, the COVID-19 crisis “did not create the problems in the Unemployment Security Department systems, it just made them worse.” Incompetence and mismanagement plague the department, reform is needed.

UW infectious disease experts issue contrary statement on protests

After months of calling for strict quarantine measures and social distancing measures, infectious disease experts at the University of Washington released a statement supporting the mass protests. They wrote that, despite the pandemic, the protests are “vital to the national public health and to the threatened health specifically of Black people in the United States.”

Meanwhile, counties across the state have faced a restrictive reopening process – impacting the livelihoods of businesses and the mental health of individuals across the state for months.

14 additional counties approved to advance reopening efforts

King County will move on to a “modified Phase 1” approach, allowing businesses to reopen with limited capacity. Non-essential stores can reopen at 15% capacity, while salons and barbers can open at 25% capacity. Outside gatherings with five or fewer people outside of your household are allowed – that restrictions, apparently, does not apply to protesters. Counties approved for Phase 2 include Clark, Okanogan, Pierce, Skagit, Snohomish, and Whatcom.

Olympia weekly report

Thirteen counties will not enter Phase 2 on June 1

Jay Inslee’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order ends on Sunday, May 31. As the reopening process begins, each county must adhere to the guidelines outlined in their respective phases. Counties must apply to the Secretary of Health for permission to move on to the next phase. Applications will be evaluated on based on how the county’s “data compare to these targets and the county’s ability to respond to things like new outbreaks, increased deaths, and health system capacity.” Thirteen counties will not be moving on to Phase 2 beginning June 1, including King, Snohomish, Pierce, Skagit, and Whatcom counties.

Inslee’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order has meta-morphed into a complicated 4 phase reopening plan called "Safe Start."    The official  state plan is posted at https://coronavirus.wa.gov/what-you-need-know/safe-start
       
April unemployment rates by county released

The unemployment rate by county are now available for the month of April. Snohomish County is experiencing the highest individual unemployment rate at a whopping 20.2%, followed by Grays Harbor county at 19.4%, Skagit county at 19.1%, Clallam county at 18.9%, and Pierce County at 18.2%. Of the top five highest employment rate counties, only Grays Harbor and Clallam counties will be allowed to enter Phase 2 of reopening on June 1.
       
Feds recover $300 million for Washington

Employment Security Department Commissioner Suzi LeVine has not revealed the full amount stolen from unemployment security funds as a result of fraudulent claims. But, given the size of a recent recovery, the amount is substantial. With the help of federal law enforcement and financial institutions across the country, Washington state is set to recover $300 million in fraudulent unemployment claims. Our state saw a significant decrease in unemployment claims last week due to “extra anti-fraud efforts taken in recent weeks” – something state officials, apparently, did not bother to do previously.
       
National Guard activated after Seattle protests turn violent

Jay Inslee activated the National Guard following violent protests in downtown Seattle that forced the closure of Interstate 5. Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan announced a city-wide curfew from 5pm – 5am on both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday started with largely peaceful protests to the killing of George Floyd. By early evening, “several police cars were set on fire and destroyed and several officers were injured.”