No Vax Mandate? No Thanks. WA Rejects Offer To Help Plow Snow

C'mon man!

This can't be true...and yet it is.

Does Ideology Trump Common Sense

Maybe you've heard the expression "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing"? It basically means some people erroneously believe they are experts on a subject because they know a little something about it.  A "little knowledge" can then lead these people to overestimate their capabilities, misjudge situations, and ultimately put themselves or others in danger.

I suggest this is somewhat similar to what we are witnessing when the State Department Of Transportation (WSDOT) turned down Kittitas County's offer to help clear roads of record snowfall.

Washington is short of WSDOT crews as it is, and the snow is deep and compromising safe travel and then they turn down experienced and qualified help to clear roads?

The Power Of Politics

What gives?   Why would you not take advantage of the help that could improve public safety?  How can you be so... stupid?  Coronavirus of course.  More specifically, the vaccine mandate against the Coronavirus.

Governor Jay Inslee has arbitrarily decided that all state road crews MUST be vaccinated. It is not Washington State Law as passed by our elected representatives in the legislature. It is not federal law, not settled science, and not all states are doing it.  No, it is Inslee's call based on his near two-years-old "Emergency Powers."

So let me ask you, which is more important, your safety or the vaccination status of the people who want to come help you out?   The Governor made his choice and it's the vaccination status of workers.

Bad Call Brings Strong Reactions

So when our neighbors to the North in Kittitas county offered to jump in their snow plows and come help, but their workers aren't under a county "must vaccine" mandate, well, that violates the Governor's thoughts on the matter so the answer becomes -thanks but no thanks!   A little knowledge or a little too much power is a dangerous thing!

Congressman Newhouse calls it:

short-sighted and irresponsible, and it demonstrates gross negligence on the part of state officials. Keeping our roads closed endangers the public by blocking essential services and further exacerbates our suffering supply chains, leaving grocery store shelves bare and trucks stranded across the state. And all for some imagined risk that snowplow workers isolated in their cabs – regardless of whether they’ve been vaccinated – somehow endanger their neighbors as they provide critical public services?

We are shocked and very disappointed ....the state, especially the governor, is putting political ideology and an inflexible desire to enforce vaccine mandates above public safety. This is wrong and foolish.

How Do You Measure Leadership

The punchline is of course that the state, having turned down free help, went out and spent tax money to hire a private contractor to help clear highways in the county.

Look, you don't need to be a politician to see this kind of leadership is wrong for Washington (and everywhere else)  "They only meant well" can only be used as cover for dumb decisions for so long..  Reasonable people's patience has run out...just like we wish the Governor's Emergency Powers should.