Commentary

DAYTON–Good ol’ Governor Inslee has stepped up the “across-the-board” restrictions.

As of November 16:

• Restaurants and bars are closed for indoor service. Outdoor dining and to-go service is permitted. (Restrictions on restaurants take effect Tuesday at midnight).

• Retail stores, including grocery stores, and malls must limit occupancy to 25% and must close food court seating.

• Indoor gatherings, outside one’s household, are prohibited.

• Offices are required to mandate employees work from home, if possible, and must limit occupancy to 25% if they remain open. They must be closed to the public.

• Personal services, such as barber shops and salons, are limited to 25% capacity.

• Religious services can continue, but must limit indoor attendance to 25% of capacity, or 200 people.

• Wedding and funeral ceremonies will be limited to 30 people with no receptions.

• Outdoor social gatherings should be limited to no more than five people.

• Real estate open houses are prohibited.

• Childcare and K-12 education restrictions remain unchanged.

Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers was dismayed. “I’m very disappointed with the Governor’s latest statewide, one-size-fits-all shutdown and am quite concerned it will severely impact small businesses and take away everything these hard-working entrepreneurs have built over years and decades. So many people are barely hanging on and need hope,” she said.

So was I.

I could no longer stand it so I wrote to Governor Inslee, sending a message through his website.

I implored him to keep the state open. Many businesses are hanging on by a thread, and this may well be the death knell for thousands of small businesses. The State will be hurting for tax revenue anyway, and will be even sorer without the fees, taxes and B&O those businesses send to the “Big Pocket” in Olympia.

That’ll hurt even worse downstream, I said. What’ll you do for revenue? “Oh, wait…an income tax,” I wrote.

Again Inslee has dumped an entire bucket of sludge on the state’s economy.

What science is he following?

The World Health Organization, for what it’s worth, says lockdowns don’t work. Empirical evidence regarding masks and social distancing indicates that infections are increasing…look here and abroad.

Yes, infections are up, I wrote. But the numbers, at best, are sketchy. Again, what science is he following?

For example, anyone tested prior to going to a hospital for an outpatient procedure is tested for COVID-19, and the test is counted. I don’t believe such a test has any bearing on “public health.” Sure, it’s a snapshot that one person is disease free, but it makes the numbers look a little worse, and why isn’t there a subset for this in the public-health records?

Inslee replied, via auto-reply email: “Thank you for contacting Governor Inslee. We have received your comments and appreciate that you have taken the time to share your thoughts with our office.

“Communicating with the Governor is an important way to help shape our state’s policies and priorities. We all benefit from the input of interested individuals like you. Although the volume of contacts we receive does not permit a specific response to every email, please know that all comments are read and shared with internal staff and agencies as appropriate.”

I doubt if he’ll ever say anything substantive back. I’ve only seen him up close once, in Olympia, at a newspaper legislative day, and a couple other times, I saw the backs of his security detail as he hastily departed some eastern Washington event he was obligated to attend.

Let’s hope this new restriction doesn’t last long.

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On a personal note, I am being treated with radiation for prostate cancer, which was caught early. I am finished with the treatment and we’re now watching and waiting. I appreciate everyone’s prayers and concern.