More Ongoing Incompetence From Olympia

Source: ShiftWA.org

Governor Jay Inslee’s Department of Health dramatically failed in its “contact tracing” performance and, as a result, the governor was forced to place severe restrictions on small businesses and restaurants in an attempt to curb the widely predicted second wave of COVID-19.  While Governor Inslee certainly set a worthy goal for contact tracers to notify within 24 hours 90% of those who came in contact with someone infected with COVID-19, the latest report reveals only 6% were notified.  We should note that Oregon has been able to notify 53% of those who came in contact with an infected individual – and while this too falls well short of the goal, it is far better than the feeble effort being executed by Governor Inslee’s team.  The failure of the state to effectively perform this basic task is partly responsible for the increased spread of the virus – because people aren’t warned soon enough they could be spreading COVID –  and the subsequent closure of small businesses and restaurants, which has left thousands out of work during the hugely profitable holiday season. (OPB)

State labor bosses are selfishly calling for higher taxes so their dues payers among the state employee union ranks (who received a second pay increase in one year last July) can receive even more money.  You certainly have to wonder about the motivation of a group that repeats the clearly false claim that Governor Inslee has been “guided by science and health experts” during the COVID-19 pandemic (if this happened, the governor has failed to share it with others). You can wonder no more, as labor leaders are making the tough call for more “investment” (i.e. higher taxes) from state residents who have faced significant financial hardship due to the governor’s emergency orders for most of 2020.  In an editorial, labor leaders call Washington State’s current tax structure “unethical and corrupt” that “protects the rich and squeezes the poor.”  Perhaps the union bosses fail to remember that the elected officials which labor has supported in every gubernatorial election since 1984 have been setting those policies from the Governor’s Mansion that entire time, and the party which rakes in the vast majority of labor cash has controlled both chambers of the legislature for a significant majority of those past 35 years.  Thus, it was labor’s candidates who implemented the previous tax laws they are now labeling as being “corrupt.” So, what does that make the state labor council – complicit? (The Stand)

As was predicted when Governor Inslee foolishly signed the plastic grocery bag ban into law, there are significant problems in implementing the restriction during a pandemic.  Even supporters of the legislation are calling for a six-month delay in enforcing the law. Grocery stores claim that there are problems in obtaining the thicker paper bags they could use, and restaurants are too busy trying to keep their businesses solvent and their employees working to find alternatives. (KNKX)