Inslee trading money for booster shots

I recently commented on negotiations between Gov. Jay Inslee and unions on the upcoming contracts for state employees.

As I said before, while I don’t fault the proposed salary increases for state workers under the reported deal during this time of high inflation – or even the $1,000 retention bonuses that some state workers will receive – I am very unhappy with one type of bonus that will be given to state workers, as well as how negotiations were done in secret.

In case you missed it, each state worker who receives a COVID booster will be paid a $1,000 “booster bonus.”

When I recently was walking in Ritzville, I noticed the local accountant is advertising for new employees, from receptionist to CPA. A local restaurant has a “help wanted” sign in the window, as does an auto-parts store.

Many local businesses in my hometown, just like shops and stores in other Washington communities, are struggling with higher inflation and gas prices, as well as an increase in the premiums – meaning taxes – demanded by the state Department of Labor and Industries. While “Main Street” in every city and town in our state is hurting, our tax-loving governor is quite happy to hand out $1,000 “booster bonuses” to state workers.

Where is the help for our state’s private sector, Jay? Why don’t you show as much support and compassion for job-providers and private-sector workers as you do for the public sector?

Governor, at a time when the state is projected to have more than $5 billion in extra state revenue through the end of the 2023-25 biennium, why can’t you even lift a finger and help provide much-needed tax relief (even if it’s temporary) to Washington taxpayers, as Idaho and other states have done?

It really would be nice if Gov. Inslee looked out for Washington taxpayers as much as he does for the public-sector unions, which just happen to donate lots of money to his campaigns and others who share his

waffinity for big spending and big government.

The Washington Policy Center’s Jason Mercier wrote an interesting piece earlier this week on the secretly negotiated state government pay raises. Jason’s information includes this quote from my colleague, Senate Republican Leader John Braun of Centralia:

“I don’t fault public employees for wanting raises. Right now, we only know that the collective bargaining agreements will cost more than $1 billion from the general fund and $1.6 billion in total funds. But there’s more than $1 billion in additional costs not accounted for yet. For what it will cost to give raises to a relative few, we could have given tax relief to everyone. Inslee and Democrats said no . . .

Even worse is that the agreements were negotiated in secret. The governor refuses to open up negotiations.

The only

opportunity the Legislature has to provide input is to either approve them as is or not. We can’t change any of the specifics. And although the governor has pointed to the Joint Committee on Employment Relations as the mechanism for legislative oversight, the bipartisan group of members on the committee get no additional details beyond what is released to the public. They, too, must wait until after the deals are reached.

Any claim that the existence of the committee means the Legislature is involved in the negotiations is nonsense.

— Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, represents the 9th Legislative District, which includes part of Adams and Spokane Counties as well as all of Whitman County. Email him at [email protected].