Nothing says “protecting democracy” quite like harassing citizens for daring to collect signatures.
Democracy, Democrat-Style: Attack the Petitioners, Then Pretend It’s “Tolerance”
At least 35 attacks have been reported on
Let’s Go Washington
signature gatherers in just two weeks — everything from verbal abuse and vandalized petitions to full-on assaults. Founder Brian Heywood and volunteers like Tammy Lewis described being stalked, cursed at, and even hit by cars while collecting signatures for initiatives defending parental rights and girls’ sports.
Pierce County Sheriff Keith Swank made it clear his department will protect citizens’ First Amendment rights — a refreshing change, given that some reports suggest law enforcement elsewhere has looked the other way.
Heywood suspects the harassment isn’t random. He points to groups like the ACLU, the Washington Teachers Union, and the taxpayer-funded Gender Justice League, which have allegedly set up “snitch lines” for people to report where signature gatherers are working — basically a digital intimidation map for activists who can’t stand open debate.
But the effort seems to be blowing up in their faces. Despite the organized hostility, Heywood says petition requests are flooding in faster than ever. Turns out, when Democrats try to silence voters, those voters speak even louder.
Read more at Center Square ([link removed])
.
Olympia’s Latest Gamble: When in Doubt, Bet Your Paycheck on the Stock Market!
Washington voters are about to decide whether to let the state invest the troubled
WA Cares Fund
in the stock market. Senate Joint Resolution 8201 — the only statewide measure on the November ballot — would amend the state constitution so the state can try to salvage its long-term care program by chasing higher returns.
The
WA Cares Fund
is already infamous: a mandatory 0.58% payroll tax that workers pay into for a “benefit” worth up to just $36,500 — barely enough to cover a few months of care. It’s been plagued by sustainability concerns since day one, and even supporters admit the math doesn’t add up.
Free-market policy expert Elizabeth New from the Washington Policy Center notes that this amendment doesn’t fix the program itself — it just lets the state gamble in hopes of earning more than the measly 4% it’s getting from safer investments. She supports it only because, without better returns, Olympia’s next move will be the usual one:
raising taxes again.
She also warned that the program could follow the same path as the Paid Family and Medical Leave Act tax, which nearly
doubled
within five years. Translation: when Democrats’ social experiments fail, the “solution” is always more of your paycheck.
In short, SJR 8201 doesn’t make
WA Cares
less of a bad deal — it just makes it a riskier one.
Read more at Center Square ([link removed])
.
From ‘Defund’ to ‘Redefine’: Seattle’s Left Learns Crime Isn’t a Social Construct
Seattle mayoral candidate Katie Wilson, a proud alum of the 2020 Defund the Police movement, now insists she’s “evolved.” In an interview with Jason Rantz on Seattle’s 770 AM, Wilson admitted she’s learned a lot since joining the anti-police crusade that gutted morale, slashed budgets, and sent crime skyrocketing.
Now, she’s pitching a “community policing” model — translation: a softer rebrand of the same progressive policies that helped turn downtown Seattle into a shoplifting showcase and open-air drug den. Wilson says the answer lies somewhere between “no policing” and “throw everyone in jail” — a convenient middle ground for someone trying to sound reasonable without actually owning up to the mess.
She claims her plan to “revitalize downtown” involves making it more residential and “safe,” while still prioritizing diversion programs like LEAD and “housing first” strategies. Because nothing says “public safety” like sending repeat offenders to taxpayer-funded housing instead of holding them accountable.
When asked about keeping Police Chief Sean Barnes, Wilson offered the usual politician’s dodge: “I want to give him every opportunity to be successful.” Translation: he’s safe until the activist base complains.
In short, Katie Wilson wants voters to forget she helped torch Seattle’s public safety system — and trust her to rebuild it.
Read more at Seattle Red ([link removed])
.
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