The Two Washingtons, and a Growing Divide.

As most of you who follow this blog may know, I am running for the office of State Representative in the 20th District in Washington State.  The District includes a part of Thurston County, all of Lewis County, the eastern portion of Cowlitz County, and a portion of northern Clark County.  These areas are all fairly rural, with a few small cities, or large towns mixed in.  Because I have been trying to get the legislative campaign underway, I must admit that I have paid less attention to this blog.   While I am still the rider I have been, I haven't done much in the way of riding to write about.  Nor have I been working on motorcycle-specific legislation plans since the motorcycle parking bill was signed into law by Governor Inslee.  The fact that the Coronavirus pandemic has put everyone into lock-down has also thrown something of a monkey wrench into the works of my campaign.  It is with that in mind that I am trying to work out how to use this blog, social media, and my YouTube channel to help take the place of fundraising rallies and speech making.

It is with that in mind that I am making this post.  With the state in lock-down, and the Governor making some heavy-handed and inconsistent emergency proclamations, I feel it is my place to state what I believe could be the costs of continuing on blindly in this manner.  There have been several unconstitutional proclamations made during this emergency that should begin to be relaxed as the purpose given for instituting them seems to have had the desired effect.  The original purpose was to "lower the curve" of Coronavirus infections in Washington State.  From the data I have been able to see, it appears that we are on the downward slope of the curve and that it was indeed "flattened" from original projections.

Social distancing and the Governor's stay at home order, along with the closure of many businesses in the community have apparently had the desired effect on the rate of infection.  However, it has also had a seriously detrimental effect on the economy of our state.  The increase in unemployed citizens filing for unemployment insurance rose so rapidly that within hours, the website for filing claims was overwhelmed and crashed.  The phone lines were jammed and people found it extremely difficult to apply for their unemployment due to the pandemic.  Some small businesses were able to receive the Small Business Administration PPP loans.  However, some 60% of those loans nationally went to businesses who either their own stock or the stock of their parent company, were traded on the stock exchange.  Those should not qualify as "small" businesses.

The incongruous and confusing criteria the Governor used to decide what was to be allowed and what was not in the way of social distancing has begun to seriously rankle a growing segment of the state's citizens.  The recent demonstration held at the Capitol in Olympia is just one example.  According to Dept. of Enterprise Services, some 4,500-5,000 people attended the rally demanding the Governor relax restrictions and allow the economy of the state to begin to expand in a safe and responsible manner.

While many in the state seem to oppose opening up the economy, their opposition seems to fall into two distinct patterns when looking at their response to the rally.  The two responses seem to flow from a similar concern of increasing the infection rate.  But, the way they diverge and the sarcasm and cynical elitism of the portion of the opposition who seem to only see this as reopening restaurants and social gathering businesses, and those who appear merely seriously concerned that the idea is to suddenly and completely reopen the economy with businesses operating as before shows a lack of understanding among the opposition.  A large percentage of the people denouncing the protesters as "stupid" or "irresponsible" are not facing the same fate as those they are denigrating.  It seems many are either still working, or do not need to work...yet.

Many of those protesting are those out of work, and unable to afford beyond the most basic of needs for their families.  Some are truly struggling just to put food on their table.  People whose work does not entail a high rate of danger of infection due to their profession.  Those whose career fields are only allowed to function if employed by the state.  Such as construction, or other similar fields.  The fact that activities such as sport fishing are banned during a time when people are struggling to put food on the table, and the reason is that the Governor feels they do not comply with social distancing guidelines.  While the Governor is a bicyclist, it is evident he isn't a fisherman.  Or he would know that activity is much better when fishermen are spread apart to reduce the risk of snared lines.

It is reasonable to understand that the Governor's office arrived quickly at the items he felt to be "essential" or not.  Or listing activities that complied with social distancing guidelines.  But it is unreasonable to believe that the same work that state employees are free to participate in, somehow constitutes less of a health risk than citizens whose jobs are identical, except for being in the private sector.  Or that participating in an activity alone, such as walking, running or bicycling, is somehow less of a risk of contracting the virus than sitting alone in a boat, or upon a riverbank fishing.  It is for reasons such as these, and more, that the Governor's policies need to be explained to the citizens.  Why certain decisions were made, and why common sense situations of being alone and separate from others could put one at greater risk of contracting the virus and getting ill.

It seems that the Governor's office is taking a very condescending attitude towards the people.  Calling them "insubordinate" and partaking in "criminal activity" by protesting his proclamations.  Washingtonians, as with most people, do not take kindly to being condescended to and commanded by authorities who demand sacrifice without making any sacrifice or appearing to have empathy for the hardships the demanded sacrifices bring.  The Governor should quickly reassess his restrictions, and relax those that are not directly related to restricting the spread of the coronavirus.  As well as relaxing the ban on industries that perform the same basic duties that state employees are performing while their private sector counterparts are banned from doing.  What was that old saying; "What's good for the goose..."?

I found a very good quote in an article published in USA Today this morning and written by University of Tennessee law professor Glenn Harlan Reynolds.

"There are really two Americas here: Those still getting a paycheck from government, corporations, or universities, and those who are unemployed or seeing their small business suffer due to shutdowns.  And the America still getting paid is so far, not showing a whole lot of sympathy for the America that isn't.

That's a formula for disaster, and it has been made worse by the heavy-handed approach taken by some government officials enforcing quarantines.  We've seen news story after news story of officials going after people whose actions pose no danger of contagion -- lone joggers on a beach, lone paddleboarders off the California coast, a father throwing a ball to his daughter in a public park -- and every time that happens the shutdown loses moral authority."

This is turning into a class struggle.  Between those that still have jobs, and those that do not, because they were ordered to shut down by an unsympathetic government who seems to be taking advantage of this health crisis to solidify their control of citizens by unconstitutional means.  Yet, not making the same demands as they are requiring of the citizens for whom they work for, and were elected by.

Governor Jay Inslee will eventually need to receive legislative approval to continue extending his emergency proclamations, yet he seems reluctant to call a special session.  He has not even felt obliged to read letters from legislative members of his own task force on re-opening the economy.  It is for that, and other reasons, several legislators from across the state held an online press conference today in an attempt to urge the Governor to call the Legislature into special session or to gain enough support for the Legislature to call itself into special session to deal with the issues facing the state.  Issues both immediate, and forthcoming.  Such as the hole in the state budget for this upcoming biennium due to tax revenue's "falling off a cliff" as one legislator commented.

I will end this post with two other quotes from Professor Reynolds USA Today article;

"When rulers ask for sacrifices without making any, they're displaying a distinct lack of, well, class."  While I would our elected officials were elected to lead the state's administrative work, they still work for the people and should never think it is the other way around.  And lastly, I cannot agree more with these words of Professor Reynolds in the closing of his article; "If your messaging -- and your behavior -- inspires resentment that causes people to resist and ignore public health messages, then you have failed at your job, whatever the amount of scientific knowledge you bring to bear.

Sadly, to succeed in their job, our leader will need to possess humility, empathy and self-discipline.  Those traits are in sadly short supply in our leadership class.  We will all pay a price for that, though if recent history is any guide, our leaders will pay less than the rest of us."  I agree completely.

Catch you on the road sometime...