Washington State Week

A Democrat blasts Inslee over “failure of leadership" (Washington Legislature page)
Sen. Tim Sheldon suggests additional tax hikes

Democrat Sen. Tim Sheldon (Potlatch) blasted Jay Inslee over his failure to call a special session to address budget shortfalls. Special sessions are called either by the governor or by a two-thirds majority vote in the state House and Senate.

Of course, since Democrats control both houses of the state legislature, Sheldon should also question fellow Democrats’ failure in leadership. In an address to the Washington Public Utility District Association, Sheldon charged Inslee with a “failure of leadership” and pointed out that Inslee’s current path will make it “much harder to put things back together again.”

Sheldon’s support for a special session doesn’t spring from a sudden desire to curb irresponsible spending after serving 30 years. Sheldon makes sure to note there are a “number of proposals for massive tax increases to be considered the next time lawmakers return to Olympia.”

Inslee threatens to impose another stay-at-home order (KING 5)

Jay Inslee announced new restrictions on social gatherings and threatened the possibility of another stay-at-home order if people do not follow his rules. The harsh new guidelines roll back counties in Phase 3 from gatherings up to 50 people to gatherings up to 10 people. From counties in modified Phase 1 or Phase 2 (most of the state), Inslee restricted gatherings to no more than 5 people.

Ironically, Inslee and fellow Washington Democrats praised protests and did nothing to stop lawlessness in CHOP (a.k.a. CHAZ) for weeks.
       
Thousands of Washingtonians never received unemployment money  (My Northwest)

Tens of thousands of Washingtonians are still waiting for their unemployment money – many since the pandemic shutdown started in March (Olympia Weekly Report, KING 5). The failure is largely due to fraudulent claims resulting in a more than a half-billion-dollar loss in the spring. The loss happened because of incompetent security at the department. The department is led by an Inslee appointee whose apparent chief qualification was her ability to raise massive amounts of campaign cash for him.

Meanwhile, unemployment insurance is projected to go bankrupt during the first quarter of 2021. The Employment Security Department applied for a loan to keep paying benefits for Washington State’s historically high unemployment rate – though benefits still have not reached the right people. Despite all these pressures, Inslee and legislative Democrats refuse to call a special session. In addition, despite repeated press inquiries, Inslee also refuses to remove the head of the department seemingly because of her skill at raising campaign cash for him.
       
WSDOT Security expresses support for mandated GPS tracking  (Washington Policy Center)

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Secretary wants to enforce GPS tracking to “charge drivers not just for every mile they drive, but adjust the charge based on when, where, and why you’re taking the trip.” WSDOT Secretary Roger Millar proclaimed his support for a Road Usage Charge (RUC) during a recent meeting.

Millar would have RUC “serve as a general mileage tax that can be diverted from roads to subsidize transit, bike and pedestrian projects.” The Washington State Policy Center’s Mariya Frost explains why the Orwellian-like proposal places an undue burden on drivers, while giving more discretionary power to politicians and bureaucrats.

Talk about an invasion of privacy!