July 27, 2020

Governor Jay Inslee’s poll numbers continue to plummet as he fails to provide inclusive leadership in battling the coronavirus outbreak, and as his fellow Democrats fracture over police funding and the ongoing Seattle riots.  In a recent Crosscut/Elway Poll (which is often weighted toward liberal voters), we see the governor’s approval rating drop from 75% down to 49% in just over two months. While Governor Inslee has failed to take a public position on defunding the police (the governor instead spends his time seeking TV cameras to try out for a cabinet position in a possible Biden Administration), Washington residents overwhelmingly oppose (73% against) the actions of Seattle’s Democrat lawmakers to defund the police.  (Shift and Crosscut/Elway Poll)

Emails reveal that Governor Inslee and his staff have not been honest with Washington State residents on whether there has been serious consideration of rolling back car tab fees, as was approved by Washington voters in 2019.  Last November, 53% of Washington voters supported I-976,  to reduce car tab fees to $30.  Big government, higher-tax politicians continue to challenge the voters’ wishes in court.  When Governor Inslee was asked in April if he would roll back car tab fees to provide financial relief to Washington residents, the governor said he would give the idea some thought.  Yet subsequent emails from the governor’s team has demonstrated there has been no exploration of this idea, which could save Washington residents hundreds of dollars.  One of the strangest defenses for keeping the high car tab fees comes from someone within Inslee’s Department of Licensing, who writes that residents should continue to pay the higher fees since, “With the Stay at Home order, persons who are driving are generally those working at essential jobs.” Thus, it is the state’s belief that those who have lost their jobs have no reason to drive their cars. (Washington Policy Center)

A new report, which states that the failure of the Inslee Administration to develop an effective plan that focuses on treatment and assistance to those who are most at risk to the coronavirus, is forcing the state to continue to impose broad restrictions, which severely impacts the state’s economy and leaves many Washington residents needlessly unemployed.  Despite promising such a plan in early June, the state-run website detailing the statistics to measure the plan says this data is, “coming soon.” Thus, Governor Inslee and his team have no way to measure its efforts to reduce the spread of the coronavirus among the state’s most vulnerable residents, and it appears they have no plan to develop one. Maybe it’s lost in the email with the car tab relief plan. (Washington Policy Center and Washington State Department of Health Dashboard)