Friends,

 

The team here at Shift WA has been working to shift the political debate in Washington state since 2013. We’ve spent the last decade providing people like you with the facts and perspectives needed to make a difference in your community. So, as always, we will help keep you-up-to-date with an item or two of interest from your own backyard. Read on…

Caitlyn Axe, the author of an investigative report by the Discovery Institute’s Fix Homelessness project, used this week’s interview to highlight the failure of the King County Regional Housing Authority's collaboration with local companies, costing taxpayers nearly 10 times more to house homeless individuals than non-profits could. The report revealed a true lack of accountability in how taxpayer funds were distributed to local homeless organizations. In her interview, Ms. Axe discussed the report's findings, criticized the "housing first" policy which has contributed to the problems we see, and shared insights on the future of the KCRHA and ways for readers to keep public pressure on the authority. Read more.

 

Rising gas prices, largely due to the 2021 carbon tax passed by Jay Inslee and the Democrat legislature, are impacting drivers across Washington. Governor Inslee's Department of Ecology is coming a little late to the higher-prices party, and is now asking for $200,000 to analyze the costs and benefits of a rule Ecology has already implemented  to phase out new gas-powered and diesel vehicles by 2035, a move dictated by California's laws. However, doubts persist that data or scientific findings can sway Ecology from its transition away from gas-powered cars, driven by Washington law binding the state to adopt California's emission standards. Read this story and more.

 

In a bizarre turn of events indicating a lack of faith in the intelligence of his own voters during a Spokane City Council meeting, council member Zack Zappone expressed concern over potential confusion between “censure” and “censor” in a last-minute alteration to a Democrat-backed resolution attacking Mayor Nadine Woodward. The resolution, funded by taxpayers, took the unexpected twist, highlighting the peculiar dynamics within the liberal-dominated council. The meeting also shed light on a peculiar association involving mayoral challenger Lisa Brown and a man previously convicted of serious crimes. Read this story and more.

 

Take a moment to enjoy former U.S. Congressman Rod Chandler’s beautiful photograph of Christine Falls in Mt. Rainier National Park.