Democrats banned thin plastic bags to “save the planet” — and ended up nearly doubling the plastic waste. Bravo.

Bagged by Their Own Bad Policy

Washington’s plastic bag ban isn’t saving the environment — it’s making things worse. A new WSU study shows we’re using more plastic by weight, pumping out more emissions, and paying 8 cents (soon 12) for bags that used to be free. Those thick “reusable” plastic bags only help if you reuse them over and over — but most people don’t. In fact, even eco-obsessed shoppers at Whole Foods only remember to bring their own half the time.

Before the ban, our annual pile of thin grocery bags filled a football field 22 feet high. Now with thick bags? It’s 38 feet high. Double the waste, more trucks, more pollution — all thanks to a law designed by people who apparently never shop for their own groceries.

And when the state’s own study proved their ban is a flop, the Departments of Commerce and Ecology tried to discredit it instead of admitting the obvious: their green virtue signal backfired. “Follow the science,” Democrats said — right up until the science embarrassed them. Read more at MyNorthwest.com.

Democrats’ Housing Policy: Fewer Permits, Pricier Homes

Washington’s housing market is a case study in what happens when Democrats strangle builders with endless red tape and green mandates. The number of residential permits has fallen back to 2013 levels — a shocking decline after peaking at over 52,000 just a few years ago. Now, fewer homes are being built, prices are skyrocketing, and families are being locked out of the market.

Builders point to the culprits: state energy codes forcing expensive heat pumps, endless buffer-zone restrictions, permitting processes that can drag on for years, and Seattle’s disastrous Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) program that slapped fees on townhomes and promptly tanked new construction by 87%. Instead of producing “thousands of affordable units,” the city killed supply and drove up prices — costing an estimated $775 million in lost tax revenue over the next 20 years. Brilliant.

The result? The median home price statewide has jumped to nearly $676,000 — more than double what it was a decade ago. According to the Building Industry Association of Washington, 80% of Washington families can’t afford a home under these Democrat-made conditions.

Democrats keep claiming they’re fighting for affordability, but their policies do the exact opposite: fewer permits, fewer homes, higher prices, and more families locked out of the dream of homeownership. Read more at Center Square.

Wage Hikes, Job Cuts, and Democrat Math

Washington’s minimum wage is climbing again in 2026, hitting $17.13 an hour — the highest in the nation. And that’s just the statewide rate. Cities like Seattle, Tukwila, and Seatac are already racing ahead with even higher mandates, while activists in Lynnwood are trying to push it past $20 an hour. Because nothing says “helping workers” like driving their jobs out of town.

The new rules don’t stop there. Starting in 2026, salaried employees will have to earn more than $80,000 a year to avoid overtime requirements — a massive jump that leaves small businesses wondering how they’ll keep the doors open. Meanwhile, rideshare drivers in Seattle get yet another pay bump, as if Uber and Lyft customers weren’t already dealing with sticker shock every time they open the app.

And because Democrats never know when to quit, they’ve already floated the idea of a $25 minimum wage by 2031. If you thought groceries, gas, and restaurant meals were expensive now, just wait until their economic fantasy becomes law.

Here’s the reality: higher wages sound nice on paper, but in practice they mean fewer entry-level jobs, higher prices, and more businesses forced to pack up. Once again, Democrat policies prove that good intentions don’t pay the bills — in fact, they usually just make the bills bigger. Read more at Seattle Red.

Shutdown Theater: Democrats Hold Their Breath Until They Turn Blue

The government shutdown kicked off Wednesday, and Rep. Michael Baumgartner (R-Spokane) says it’s got nothing to do with Republicans. Democrats are the ones refusing to negotiate unless they can expand Obamacare to cover illegal immigrants — an “absurd demand” that proves this isn’t about policy, it’s about politics.

Republicans already offered to keep the government funded at Biden-era levels — hardly a stingy compromise — but Democrats threw a tantrum anyway, using shutdown leverage to appease their angry far-left base. Baumgartner points out the obvious: once soldiers miss paychecks, homeowners lose flood insurance, and furloughed federal workers start complaining, Democrats will cave.

The irony? Shutting down the government costs more than keeping it open, but Democrats are perfectly happy to waste tax dollars if it means striking a defiant pose against Trump. Instead of governing, they’re staging bad political theater — holding Americans hostage to force through a radical health care agenda nobody voted for.

Bottom line: voters put Trump in the White House, but Democrats still can’t handle the truth. Read more at Seattle Red.

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