Friends,
Back in 2014, Shift WA brought to readers’ attention what must have
been one of the world’s priciest government newsletters. City of Mukilteo residents were treated to a newsletter with a hefty price tag of more
than $60,000 – courtesy of their hard-earned tax dollars.
The newsletter was penned by none other than Democrat State Senator. Marko Liias himself, and
one would have assumed they would have a true masterpiece on their hands. Alas, the newsletter failed to meet expectations. Readers were given
nauseatingly bland articles like, "What to do about caterpillars?" and "Summer Safety Tips.”
More disappointing was the fact that most, if not
all, of the articles were not actually written by the well-connected partisan Sen. Liias. How did it all come about?
Then-Mukilteo Mayor Jennifer Gregerson, a
longtime political ally of Liias, hired him to manage the city newsletter and other assigned projects. She contracted Liias for a part-time job with
an astonishing salary of $65,450 per year.
After Shift WA exposed the details of Liias' new job spread, charges of cronyism finally began to fly –
especially given Liias' time-consuming work in the State Senate. Mayor Gregerson swiftly responded to the allegations by assuring the media that
Mukilteo would work out an unpaid "leave of absence" arrangement for the time Liias would spend in Olympia.
But Mayor Gregerson steadfastly maintained that
Liias was simply the best person for the job and not receiving any special treatment.
The story may have been humorous – but it exposed something far
more serious: Democrats’ undeniable cronyism. Democrats’ reward their allies – from other politicians to far-Left organizations
– with taxpayer dollars. It’s a pattern, and we here at Shift WA are here to expose it when it happens.
Thank you for your continued support,
The Shift WA team
